Purr-fect icons: 10 famous cats that ruled the internet
From political powerhouses and celebrity companions to internet-famous felines, here are 10 cats that stole the world's heart.
HAJAR NAZLI
IF you've been chronically online these past few weeks, you've probably come across Larry the Cat, the famous feline resident of 10 Downing Street.
Whenever power changes hands in the United Kingdom (UK), all eyes turn to Larry—the one constant who has outlasted every UK Prime Minister.
As UK's Chief Mouser trends once again following another political transition, it proves that felines have a unique hold on global pop culture.
From political powerhouses and celebrity companions to internet-famous felines, here are 10 cats that stole the world's heart.
1. Grumpy Cat – Tardar Sauce
Known as the original grumpy-faced internet cat, Tardar Sauce first won over online cat lovers after a single Reddit photo posted in 2012 catapulted her to global fame. Her permanently "unimpressed" expression—caused by feline dwarfism and a slight underbite—quickly became her trademark.
That iconic scowl went on to power a multi-million-dollar brand, spawning bestselling books, her own iced coffee line called "Grumppuccino" and even a starring role in a holiday television movie.
Now, she became the Meme Queen Era as she was the undisputed monarch of 2010s internet humor, crowning herself the ultimate standard for every viral pet influencer that came after.
2. Larry the Cat
Recruited from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2011, Larry became famous after being officially appointed as the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street.
Fun fact about Larry is that it resided at 10 Downing Street longer than the last five UK Prime Ministers combined.
The cultural history for Larry the Cat is that it had grown into a worldwide political star who brightens up tense news days as it was frequently featured in political jokes and warmly welcomed by news reporters waiting for press briefings outside 10 Downing Street.
3. Olivia Benson: Taylor Swift’s Cat
Belonging to pop megastar Taylor Swift, this Scottish Fold is a regular fixture on Swift's social media and has appeared in several high-profile music videos and commercials.
While most of us work eight-to-five, Swift’s feline companion is living the ultimate luxury life with an estimated net worth of $97 million, officially making her one of the richest pets on the planet.
Olivia definitely didn't just become famous, she changed the celebrity pet game forever, spawning fan merchandise, cameo roles and endless theories among Swifties worldwide.
Special mention for the rest of the Swift feline trio:
Meredith Grey (The OG sister): Named after the lead character in Grey's Anatomy, this Scottish Fold was adopted by Swift in 2011. Though she shares Olivia's star power and she even featured on Ryan Reynolds' shirt in Deadpool. However, Meredith prefers a private life and is famously camera-shy.
Benjamin Button (The adopted superstar): A blue-eyed Ragdoll cat named after Brad Pitt’s movie character. Benjamin famously stole Swift's heart on the set of her "ME!" music video in 2019, where she adopted him on the spot. He even co-starred with her on the cover of TIME Magazine for her 2023 Person of the Year feature.
4. Oyen of Zoo Negara
Malaysia’s undisputed king of the internet is Oyen of Zoo Negara, a stray ginger tabby who quite literally moved himself into the national zoo’s capybara enclosure.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Oyen was a homeless stray who wandered into Zoo Negara in Kuala Lumpur. Instead of steering clear of the world's largest rodents, Oyen decided the capybara exhibit was his new home.
Viral social media clips showed him snuggling up, grooming and taking afternoon naps alongside the chill capybaras. Millions of viewers worldwide were mesmerised by his fearless charm and the unlikely cross-species friendship.
Zoo Negara made their big move on making him a residence official. The zoo added "Oyen" right onto the official exhibit sign right alongside the capybaras.
When it’s feeding time, zookeepers serve Oyen his cat kibble directly in the enclosure while his capybara companions munch on leaves and veggies next to him.
He even plays games with the baby capybaras, effectively reversing the classic game of cat-and-mouse.
Post-pandemic, Zoo Negara was struggling, but Oyen swooped in to save the day. Weekend visitor numbers doubled, with zoo staff revealing that a whopping 95 per cent of guests turned up just to catch a glimpse of the superstar ginger stray.
In Malaysia, the Malay word for orange is oren, but cat lovers have affectionately transformed it into "oyen" as a nickname for ginger cats. Today, "oyen" evokes more than just a coat colour—it is shorthand for cats with bold, mischievous and often hilariously chaotic personalities.
Oyen of Zoo Negara instantly became the ultimate poster child for the meme, taking Malaysia’s favourite feline to become top global.
5. Bujibu Chempel: Hanis Zalikha and Hairul Azreens’ cat
Belonging to Malaysian celebrity couple Hanis Zalikha and Hairul Azreen, Bujibu Chempel blew up on social media thanks to his hilariously "done-with-life" facial expressions.
While most internet pets look playful or energetic, Bujibu became a viral sensation by looking perpetually unbothered, grumpily stoic and completely unimpressed by his owners' antics or his own fame.
He actually hosted his own reality TV show. Astro produced a dedicated show titled "Bujibu Chempel", which documented his daily life, complete with humorous "inner thoughts" voiceovers commentary reacting to his human family.
Bujibu has been with the couple since late 2015. As of 2026, he is 11 years old which is roughly around 60 in cat-years.
Now, Bujibu has set the blueprint for pet influencer culture in Malaysia. Amassing over one million Instagram followers at his peak, he transitioned from a viral pet into a legitimate brand icon.
6. Toby: Syed Saddiq’s cat
Toby gained fame by making regular cameos on Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman's social media accounts.
Imagine while having a serious political updates and policy discussions,Toby stole the internet’s heart by casually crashing serious political updates on Syed Saddiq’s social media by sprawling across laptops, demanding cuddles during work and giving millions a hilarious, relatable peek behind the politician's scenes.
In November 2022, ahead of Malaysia’s 15th General Election (GE15), Syed Saddiq made headlines when he officially declared Toby and his other cat, Meow Meow, in his public declaration of financial assets.
"Since my cats were a gift from my brother and a friend... I am going to declare them as my valuables because they are invaluable to me." according to a report by online news portal Says.
Though listed under a humorously heartfelt "invaluable" category, it was the first time a politician had included pets in official financial disclosures.
Toby served as an approachable link between a young politician and Gen Z and Millennial voters. In a traditional political landscape often dominated by formal speeches, Toby helped establish an informal, relatable social media strategy that appealed to pet lovers.
Unfortunately, Toby passed away in February 2023, with the news making national headlines. Thousands of netizens, public figures and fellow pet lovers took to social media to pay tribute and express their condolences, highlighting how the politician's pet had become a beloved figure in Malaysian popular culture.
7. Delilah – Freddie Mercury's cat
Delilah was a tri-color calico rescue cat adopted by legendary British singer, songwriter and the flamboyant lead vocalist of the rock band Queen Freddie Mercury.
Among the ten cats Mercury cared for over his lifetime, Delilah held a distinct status as his undisputed favourite.
The cat's fame exploded with the release of Queen's 1991 album Innuendo. At first, the track "Delilah" sounds like a quirky love song to an unpredictable woman, until Mercury sings lines such as, "You pee all over my Chippendale suite," while Brian May delivers a memorable guitar solo using a talk box and pitch shifter to mimic the sound of a cat meowing.
Written while Mercury was gravely ill, the song showcased his humour and devotion to his feline companion, forever immortalising her in rock history.
Mercury’s love for his Delilah was truly iconic. Whenever he was away on tour, he would call home to London and have house-sitters hold the telephone receiver to his cats' ears so he could speak to them one by one.
Long before internet culture coined the term "cat dad," Queen’s iconic frontman Mercury was already setting the standard, shattering the hedonistic rockstar stereotype by openly declaring his feline companions as his primary family and even admitting in interviews that he preferred them to having children.
Delilah stayed faithfully by his side until his passing in 1991 and went on to live a long, spoiled life at his Kensington home until she was 20 in the early 2000s.
Reaching an estimated age of 20 years which was a remarkably long life for a cat. Mercury's former girlfriend Mary Austin buried Delilah right in the tranquil gardens of Garden Lodge, the very sanctuary Freddie had created for them.
Decades later, the true scale of Mercury’s legendary obsession was laid bare during Sotheby’s landmark 2023 auction of his personal estate.
Bidders shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars for cat-centric artifacts, including custom pet portraits, a personalised comb and his famous hand-painted cat waistcoat, firmly cementing his eccentric feline legacy in the annals of pop-culture history.
8. Baby – Rooaida Mohd Darus and Shaharudin Shuids’ cat
Baby skyrocketed to international fame after being crowned World Winner 2024 in the Best Housecat Female Longhair category at the prestigious FIFe World Cat Show in Oslo, Norway. She outperformed thousands of cats globally by winning over the judges with her calm demeanor, impeccably groomed coat and sweet temperament.
What makes her rise so iconic is her backstory because she was originally a stray cat rescued off the streets by her owners, couple Rooaida Mohd Darus and Shaharudin Shuid. Going from an abandoned stray in Malaysia to a world-class beauty standard in Europe captured hearts nationwide.
Despite competing against pedigree, purebred cats with long royal lineages, Baby won in the Domestic/Housecat category strictly on merit, grooming and personality. That composure is what ultimately won over the European judges.
Baby’s win created a massive shift in how Malaysians view domestic street cats as they were technically spreading awareness and promoting adoption over buying as her triumph became a huge rallying cry for the "adopt, don't shop" movement across Malaysia.
It proved that stray animals, with enough love, care and proper nutrition, can shine just as brightly as expensive imported breeds.
9. Kiky - Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's cat
Kiky’s rise to internet stardom began during Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s tenure as Prime Minister. In an era when political leaders were starting to leverage social media for personal branding, Najib frequently shared candid updates featuring his feline companion.
Whether lounging on silk cushions in Seri Perdana or photobombing official prep sessions, Kiky’s unimpressed, stoic expressions provided a stark, humorous contrast to the intense political landscape. For millions of netizens, seeing a prime minister step away from state affairs to play with a pampered cat offered an accessible, humanising glimpse into life behind official doors.
Najib often joked on Facebook that Kiky was the "real boss" of the household, admitting that no matter how busy his schedule was, feeding and entertaining Kiky remained an unnegotiable daily priority.
Kiky joined Najib's household in 2010 when he was still serving as prime minister and was one of four cats, the others being Leo, Tiger and Simba.
Unfortunately, in July last year, Najib announced on his official Facebook page that Kiky had died at the age of 15 due to old age.
10. Kilau - Azhan Rani’s cat
Azhan Rani built his reputation as one of Malaysia’s most formidable dramatic actors, earning widespread acclaim for complex roles like the infamous "Ustaz Madi" in the hit drama series Nur. Known for intense screen presence, Azhan is a staple of Malaysian television and cinema.
However, Kilau gained viral fame in his own right through Azhan's social media channels. Fans fell in love with the stark contrast between Azhan's hardened screen persona and his soft-hearted devotion as a cat dad.
Kilau is definitely far more than just a pet, he acts as Azhan’s daily routine supervisor. According to Azhan, Kilau serves as his non-negotiable morning alarm clock, routinely tapping and scratching his face at around 4am every single morning to ask for food.
However, the deep connection between the two was put to the test when Kilau went missing from Azhan's home.
On July 21, Kilau captured national headlines after going missing from Azhan's residence. The actor's emotional appeal for help, in which he admitted he could barely concentrate on set because of the ordeal, sparked a massive online search before Kilau safely returned home at 5.20am.
The anxiety started when Azhan realised Kilau didn't wake him up at 4am as usual. After returning from filming at 2.30am the next night, Azhan searched the area around his home before deciding to leave his back door open overnight.
To the relief of Azhan and his followers, Kilau safely strolled back into the house on his own the following morning, bringing a happy end to a stressful ordeal.
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