If you’re team dogs, you can skip this. But if you’re on the right side of history and love cats above anything else, you’ve found your place. Today is International Cat Day for those who celebrate, so congrats if you’re lucky enough to have a furry, purr-y friend! Venerated by Egyptians and royalty, later feared and hated by the Catholic Church, and now turned into the only children millennials can afford, cats and humans have a long-standing relationship that’ll continue to evolve into the future. To celebrate that, we’re listing some of the most emblematic cats we could think of.
Choupette
Probably the richest, most glamorous cat you’ll ever hear of. She inherited her father’s fortune and assets — yes, Karl Lagerfeld arranged everything so his pet could get it all. Even if she’s just a feline, she’s starred in fashion campaigns, been photographed by legendary artists, travelled the world, and lived a better lifestyle than you and me together. Iconic, isn’t she?
@choupetteofficiel
Doja Cat… as Choupette
Sorry for being cheeky, but speaking of Choupette, we couldn’t stop thinking of the time Doja Cat dressed as him in the 2023 MET Gala, which payed homage to Lagerfeld. Yes, we could’ve included her because of her artistic surname and thought of a smart pun. But we’re doubling down and including her in the list when she cosplayed the fabulous cat. Sorry, not sorry!
The cat from Flow
In very little time, this little fella has won an Oscar (the first for his country, Latvia) and became a global icon. Unlike other fictional cats, he doesn’t speak — which doesn’t hinder him from communicating with other animals like capybaras, birds, or dogs. He was so beloved in his country, that the city of Riga erected a temporary monument to him, sculpted by Kristaps Andersons in collaboration with the film director, Gints Zilbalodis.
Hello Kitty
Ok, this one might be polemic because Sanrio, the Japanese company that created Hello Kitty in 1974, confirmed that the character is actually a little girl and *not* a cat. But what do they know? They gave us an iconic family (also including Kuromi and My Melody), now we’ll handle that as we please. If people believed for fifty years that Hello Kitty was a cat, why traumatise us now? It’s a hill we’re ready to die on. So she’s making it to our list.
Photo: Khanh Nguyen
Salem Saberhagen
If you watched Sabrina the Teenage Witch back in the 1990s and early 2000s, you know the drill: Salem was one of the funniest, cheekiest, smartest characters in the entire series. He had the personality of a real cat: sarcastic, observant, and above all, funnily disrespectful.
Maneki-neko
You probably know them in their kitsch, golden adaptation, with one arm waving tirelessly. And perhaps, you even think they’re Chinese. But truth is, the maneki-neko (meaning ‘beckoning cat’) figurines have been bringing good fortune for centuries — and they’re actually from Japan. There are many legends surrounding them, but what is clear today, is that they’ve become a staple in pop culture uniting East and West.
Photos: Mateusz Walendzik
Snowball Simpson
How many Snowballs has Lisa Simpson had over the course of The Simpsons? We can’t keep count — and neither can she. One thing is certain: they all look the same, they’re all named the same, and they all act the same, which helps bring a sense of cohesion and continuity to this longstanding TV show. The green-eyed black cat isn’t the most notorious character of the series created by Matt Groening, but it certainly is a staple.
Goose the Cat
Marvel introduces them as “the friendliest and furriest resident of Project Pegasus.” The affectionate tabby cat joins Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel, portrayed by Brie Larson in the MCU films) and Nick Fury on their adventure. Because, why not? They have the charisma, the instinct, and the survival skills to step into the real (or not-so-real) world.