Taylor Swift's Cats Are Living Their Best (27) Lives! Their Names, Breeds, Ages And More Fun Facts
Can you guess which one of Taylor Swift's three cats' net worth is $97 million?
Taylor Swift's Instagram Aside from her pop chart-topping music and warm and effervescent personality, Taylor Swift is also known for her love of cats, including the three she owns, Meredith, Olivia and Benjamin.
It is no surprise that the singer-songwriter is obsessed with her furry felines (she even has earrings with their faces on them), as well she should be, because they are adorable. She makes reference to them in her song "Gorgeous" with the lyrics "I guess I'll just stumble on home to my cats alone," while it's rumored that each cat has made a vocal cameo on various songs throughout Swift's more recent discography.
In fact, when Swift was recording vocals for folklore during quarantine, she named her home studio The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee, noting that if she closed the door with the cats outside of the room, they would meow so loudly it would cause issues while recording the record. When they were in the room with her though, they would fight in the background constantly, though.
When asked if this created a whole new issue with recording, Swift denied it, explaining that they're so harmless and the whole spectacle is so ridiculous that she lovingly refers to their rows as "the marshmallow wars."
Swift's admiration of cats even went as far as her appearance in the cursed film "Cats" as Bombalurina, singing “Macavity.” (Swift acknowledges the disaster "Cats" was on evermore, in the title track: "Motion picture put me in a bad light.")
On a better note with "Cats," she penned the lyrics and co-wrote the music with Andrew Lloyd Webber for "Beautiful Ghosts." Though sung by the character Victoria, Swift sings the "Single Version" during the credits and for the movie's promotional material.
But back to Swift's actual cats. They too have become stars in their own right, beyond being mentioned in lyrics and speculated musical contributors in her songs. (A social media account user once cited that you could hear one of the cats walking across the piano in one of her songs.)
Meredith, Olivia and Benjamin have all been regularly featured on her social media, her merch and in her professional work.
How many cats does Taylor Swift have?
Swift has three cats: two Scottish Folds named Olivia Benson and Meredith Grey and a Ragdoll named Benjamin Button.
The names might seem familiar; they are named after some of Swift’s favorite TV and movie characters.
Olivia Benson is named after the iconic detective and captain played by Mariska Hargitay on "Law & Order: SVU." Meredith Grey is named for Ellen Pompeo's character on "Grey's Anatomy." Benjamin Button is named for the title role played by Brad Pitt in the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."
The breeds themselves, specifically Scottish folds, are the subject of some controversy.
All Scottish folds are descended from one cat named Susie who was found by a farmer and cat enthusiast on a farm near Coupar Angus, Scotland in 1961. Their folded ears are a genetic mutation that is actually a cartilage defect that, while cute, can lead to diseases in the breed.
Scottish fold cats may develop incurable, painful and lifelong diseases such as arthritis, spinal abnormalities and a slew of other issues.
Ragdolls were first developed as a breed in the 1960s, and descend from a domestic longhair named Josephine and various other longhairs found in the breeders neighborhood.
Ragdoll cats may be prone to developing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (a form of inherited heart disease) and calcium oxalate bladder stones, and may also have a predisposition to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), an incurable and almost always fatal, though rare, viral disease.
Those potential issues aside, it’s no joke that Taylor Swift's cats are leading better lives than most of us.
Swift's cats go everywhere with her. They are often part of her professional projects — and you can be sure they get star treatment.
Her cats have their own personalized bags and cat backpacks for their time spent taking private jet rides.
And all of their names are trademarked for merchandise, including clothes, houseware, accessories, luggage, toys and more. During Swift's reputation era, Meredith and Olivia had merch bearing their faces, like sweatshirts, duvet covers, pen sets and more.
Details about all three of Taylor Swift's cats
Meredith Grey
Photo: Taylor Swift's Instagram
Breed: Scottish fold
Age: Approximately 11 years old (born in 2011)
Named for: Mariska Hargitay's character on "Law & Order: SVU"
Swift has had Meredith Grey since 2011. She has made appearances in Swift’s work such as her "1989" tour and her "ME!" music video.
Still very successful like her other cat siblings, Meredith is more private than the other two cats.
In April, fans were concerned that Meredith was missing, but Swift assured them that she is fine, just timid.
"She's just a really private little cat. She likes her business kept to herself. She doesn't like a camera shoved in her face, and who can blame her? So there's your update on Meredith," Swift said.
Olivia Benson
Photo: Taylor Swift's Instagram
Breed: Scottish fold
Age: Approximately 8 years old (born in 2014)
Named for: Ellen Pompeo's character on "Grey's Anatomy"
After getting Olivia Benson in 2014, she has become one of Swift's most successful cats.
Olivia Benson herself has a net worth of $97 million, which is more than that of some Kardashians!
You can see her in promotions for Swift’s music, such on her "1989" tour, in her Diet Coke commercial and in her "ME!" music video.
She even has a line of merch with her sister Meredith Grey.
Benjamin Button
Photo: Taylor Swift's Instagram
Breed: Ragdoll
Age: Approximately 3 years old (born in 2019)
Named for: Brad Pitt's character in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
The newest addition to the Swift family, ragdoll Benjamin Button, joined the (Scottish) fold in 2019. The curious case of Swift adopting this little guy is precious.
You may know him from the music video for Swift's song "ME!" — which is also where Swift was introduced to the little kitten. (Also, you can see Meredith and Olivia in the first scene, where Swift and co-star Brendan Urie are having a fight in French. They are referred to as their "young daughters," translated into English.)
In Time's "ME!" behind the scenes video, Swift can be seen hearing the cat and picking him up. She asks if she can have him and her face is filled with delight when hearing that he is available for adoption. She also makes everyone else hold him, and who wouldn’t want to?
Swift said, “Cats are just really cool. They’re really great. They’re very dignified. They’re independent. They’re very capable of dealing with their own life and if you fit into that on that day, they’ll make some time for you maybe.”
You know, in between marshmallow wars and other prior commitments.
We stan these kitties almost as much as we stan Taylor!
Leeann Reed is a writer who covers news, pop culture, and love, and relationships.