The Most Famous Cats in Popular Culture

Felines have since clawed their way up the front lines of pop culture. Cat lover or not, it doesn’t matter, as cats have stolen the hearts of pop culture enthusiasts. From the famous Japanese fictional character Hello Kitty to the feline fashion icon Choupette Lagerfeld, cats have amassed a lot of attention to themselves and have long been featured in our favorite films, literature, and more.

Read on to know more about some of the MOST FAMOUS CATS IN POP CULTURE.

Hello Kitty

hello kitty stuffed toy

Since her first appearance on 1 November 1974, Hello Kitty or Kitty White is a fictional character depicted as a young female Japanese bobtail cat with no mouth and wearing a red bow. However, after a lot of dispute about whether or not she is a cat or a little girl, the company behind her character— Sanrio, finally clarified in 2014 that Hello Kitty is human. Regardless, this cute character has always been considered by the general public as a cat, and she’s still one of the most famous felines in history. 

Garfield

Garfield, the fictional tabby cat with a huge appetite, is the star of the comic strip which he was named after. The first comic strip debuted in June 1978 in U.S. newspapers, and two years later, the first book joined the list of New York Times bestsellers and landed #1. From there onwards were the continuous publication of the books, a TV special, and eventually, in 1988—after a decade of his debut, a weekly Saturday morning cartoon. Garfield even established a Guinness World Record in 2002 for being the world’s most widely published comic strip.

Puss in Boots

This fairytale character received his much-deserved spotlight on the Shrek film franchise. However, the fictional feline has been here even before the films existed. Puss in Boots has initially been a literary figure in Giovanni Francesco Straparola’s The Facetious Nights of Straparola back in the early 1550s and was resurrected later in the 1600s fairytales. 

The modern-day Puss in Boots had his self-titled full-length film voice by Antonio Banderas. Netflix has also created an animated series featuring the life of the lovable outlaw titled The Adventures of Puss in Boots.

The Cat in the Hat

Originally published in 1957, The Cat in the Hat, written by American author Theodor Geisel also known as Dr. Seuss, centers on a tall anthropomorphic opinionated cat wearing a red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie which has a penchant for comedy. The book has since been adapted into a film with the same title as the book and an animated TV Series titled The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!, which is still aired on PBS. The fictional character continues to entertain children who are just starting to develop their love for words and literature.

Fun fact: Theodor Geisel used a precise count of 236 words that children can understand to write the book.

Salem from Sabrina

Arguably the most opinionated fictional cat, Salem Saberhagen, a black cat from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, gained fame after appearing on ABC’s series, which aired from 1996 to 2003. Before that, Salem first appeared in the Sabrina series of Archie Comics back in 1962. On the TV program, Salem was often portrayed with a puppeteer, although, on occasion, an actual cat was brought in, bringing the character to life. 

Salem appeared as an American shorthair black cat and was a former human witch. He was sentenced to spend 100 years as a cat to punish him for attempting to take over the world.

Grumpy Cat

The viral sensation Tardar Sauce or famously known as Grumpy Cat, garnered the attention of millions of people due to her seemingly permanent frown. Her photos first appeared on Reddit in 2012, back when she was just a kitten. People identified themselves with less-than-impressed expression, which made her one of the world’s favorite internet memes. Tabatha Bundesen, Tardar Sauce’s owner, said the feline isn’t unhappy at all. To quote the “grumpy” cat’s human post on the Grumpy Cat official website, “She really isn’t grumpy. She is a super cute and cuddly kitty and loves to be held and rubbed!” Heartbreakingly, Tardar Sauce went to rainbow heaven in May 2019.

Choupette Lagerfeld

Perhaps, one can argue that Choupette Lagerfeld is the most fashionable cat in history. German designer Karl Lagerfeld owns this iconic feline. The late fashion icon was often photographed together with his cherished white Siamese cat. According to him, Choupette was a gift from a model named Baptiste Giaconi, who gave him the cat in 2011.

Choupette was said to have a strong personality and even spends her lunch and dinner with her own food on the table, accompanying the designer. She doesn’t like eating on the floor and refrains from touching her owner’s food. The spoiled feline sleeps under a pillow and has two personal maids to attend to her needs during both night and day. Choupette even knows how to use an iPad.