8 Facts About Taylor Swift's Cats That Are So, So Pawsome
Taylor Swift adores her cats. So much so, she goes way beyond featuring them all over her socials. Yup, she's even shouted them out in her songs. As a Swift fan, I’m sure you feel like you know her cats personally by now. After all, Swift gushes over her furry felines, Dr. Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, Benjamin Button, whenever she gets the chance. That's why there's no shortage of facts about Taylor Swift's cats that you absolutely need to know about.
In April 2019, Swift told TIME, “I have cats. I'm obsessed with them. They’re very dignified. They're independent. They're very capable of dealing with their own life," and that was the honest truth. Swift’s cats, who are clearly living a fun and fabulous life with the pop star, are also very independent, dignified, and iconic in their own right, having inspired major motion pictures and met celebrities. As a Swiftie, I’m sure you think you know all there is to know about Swift, so you should probably know all there is to know about her cats as well.
1. Dr. Meredith Gray Is Named After A TV Character
Swift is a fan of the medical-based drama Grey's Anatomy, going as far as naming her Scottish Fold cat after the main character, Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo. Fun fact, Pompeo made a cameo in Swift's "Bad Blood" music video.
2. Olivia Benson Is Also Named After A TV Character
Swift got a second Scottish Fold cat in 2014 and named it after another TV character: Olivia Benson of the crime-drama Law & Order: SVU. Benson was played by Mariska Hargitay, who also made an appearance in Swift's "Bad Blood" video.
3. Benjamin Button Is Also Named After A Fictional Character
Do you sense a theme here? Like his sisters, Benjamin's named after a fictional character, but his namesake is from a movie, not a TV show. His moniker was inspired by Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt.
Pitt was not in the "Bad Blood" video, unfortunately.
4. Benjamin Button Was Adopted On The Set of 'ME!'
Swift couldn't get enough of the the little ball of fluff after meeting him on the set of her music video. She revealed she adopted the Ragdoll cat during an Instagram Live on April 26, 2019. She was in love as soon as his handler gave her the kitten to hold.
"She handed me this tiny cat and he just starts purring and … he looks at me like, ‘You’re my mom, and we’re going to live together.’ I fell in love. I looked at Brendon and he’s like, ‘You’re going to get the cat aren’t you?’" she explained.
Take a look at their instant connection in the "ME!" music video at the 2:10 mark.
5. Swift's 'ME!' Music Video Was A Family Affair
Benjamin wasn't the only feline to make a cameo in the "Me!" video. Meredith and Olivia looked absolutely unbothered while Swift and Panic At The Disco!'s Brendan Urie argued back and forth in French at the beginning of the vid.
Check them out at the 0:24 mark in the video above.
6. Meredith & Olivia Are Traveling Cats
While some cats are fine with lounging around in their home, Meredith and Olivia enjoy traveling and attending A-list events. Seriously, they both attended the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, where they met (and posed for pictures with) Paula Abdul.
7. Swift's Cats Inspired Her First Major Movie Role
While Swift has a few credits on the big screen, her first main role in a motion picture came in 2019's Cats. In an April 2019 interview, Swift told Time she took on the role thanks to her fur babies.
"I love my cats so much that when a role came up in a movie called Cats, I just thought, like, I gotta do this," she said.
8. Swift's Cats Also Inspired A Character In The Movie
While speaking to Entertainment Weekly at the New York City premiere of Cats in December 2019, Swift said she wasn't able to model herself off of her cats, but her co-star Rebel Wilson did.
"My cats are beautifully round and fuzzy and they look like little lazy bears, they’re always taking naps,” she said. “They’re not really the kind of cat that I’m playing. Our teacher at cat school, Sarah, saw pictures and videos of my cats — especially Olivia — and sent them to Rebel for inspiration for her cat [Jennyanydots].”
