Move over dogs: Cat are officially man’s best friend. With the rise in popularity of the fluffy creatures (according to the ASPCA, almost 40 percent of homes in the U.S. have cats), it’s no surprise that there are some super-famous kitties out there now. Here, the biggest feline stars of our day:
1. Grumpy Cat
Back in 2012, Grumpy Cat became a household name after a photo of her posted on Reddit went viral, thanks to her seriously angry face. Now, she’s raking in the big bucks by selling merchandise like stuffed animals, calendars, and T-shirts with her memorable mug.
2. Lil Bub
This adorable “perma-kitten” (she has genetic mutations that have dwarfed her from growing) rose to fame in 2012 after her owner created a Tumblr account to share pics of her. Lil Bub’s story was picked up by lots of media outlets, and she even had a documentary (Lil Bub & Friendz) made about her life story. Impressive stuff for such a tiny cat!
3. Garfield
Okay, we know Garfield doesn’t actually exist, but how could we leave this orange cat off the list? The comic strip by Jim Davis debuted in 1978, ultimately spawning a successful TV sitcom.
4. Hello Kitty
Yep, another cartoon cat. You’d be hard-pressed to find any young girl (or adult woman, for that matter) who isn’t a fan of the pink bow-wearing Hello Kitty, a character under the Sanrio umbrella. According to popcultmag.com, Sanrio rakes in a whopping $1 BILLION a year, and half of that comes from Hello Kitty stuff.
5. Maru
We kid you not: This Japanese cat’s YouTube videos have more than 21 million views. The reason? Maru, a male Scottish fold, is quite striking to look at.
6. Hamilton the Hipster Cat
This gray and white cat has a “mustache” that makes him look like he’d fit in perfectly in Brooklyn. Oh yeah, and he’s kind of a social media genius: He has 464,000 Instagram followers.
Photo credit: Christmas Hello Kitty! via photopin (license)
Gifs: via giphy.com