Animals that are close to people have left a noticeable mark on history. Starting from the same Serpent, Roman geese and she-wolf to the favorites of rulers and military assistants. Nowadays, the use of pets to improve the climate in offices and to treat many diseases in people is becoming increasingly popular. After all, the very presence of a dog or cat gives a person confidence, calms him down, and gives him a feeling of security. And now some interesting facts about man's most famous friends.
1. Bucephalus
The name Bucephalus is firmly entrenched in ancient history. This famous horse was the constant companion of Alexander the Great.
The heroes first met at the court of Philip II, ruler of Macedonia and father of Alexander. The horse, believed to be an Akhal-Teke breed, was brought by the merchant Philonik. Bucephalus was valued at 13 talents, which amounted to about 340 kilograms of silver and would have allowed him to support 1.5 thousand warriors. The price for an eleven-year-old turned out to be too high for Philip, especially since the horse was nervous and wayward. But ten-year-old Alexander liked the animal, and he offered the merchant a deal. If he can tame the horse, he will take the animal for free; if he cannot, he will pay in full.
Alexander noticed that the horse was afraid of shadows on the ground, and therefore the first thing he did was turn it directly with its muzzle towards the sun. They started jogging just next to each other, when the horse calmed down, the boy jumped into the saddle. At first he let the horse run on its own, and when he noticed that he had become accustomed to the rider, he began to urge him on. So they broke into a gallop under the wary gaze of the king and the court.
But Alexander first calmly began to try the reins, and then he controlled Bucephalus more and more confidently. And after a clear turn, they proudly drove up to Philip and Philonicus. It was to this incident that Philip’s phrase about the future of Alexander is attributed.
Since then, the horse and the conqueror have become inseparable. In all his campaigns, Alexander did not part with Bucephalus; he saved his rider more than once, and carried him out of the most terrible slaughters. But age took its toll; during his campaigns in Asia, Alexander already went to battle on other horses. And after 17 years, when Bucephalus reached a very respectable age for a horse, in 326 he passed away. It is not known exactly how Bucephalus died - he died in battle, died from wounds afterwards, or simply from age and difficult traveling conditions. But in the name famous animal Alexander founded and named the city, which is now known as Jalalpur (Pakistan).
2. Harietta
In 1835, during his voyage on the Beagle, Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands. In addition to all other impressions, the naturalist took from there three small, saucer-sized elephant turtles. Judging by their size, they were 5-6 years old. On the way to Great Britain, our heroine was considered a boy and named Harry.
After 6 years, the turtles moved to the Brisbane Botanical Garden of Australia. They lived there until the garden was closed in 1952. After this, the turtles were released into the wild in a nature reserve on the coast. In 1960, Harry was found by a zoo director from Hawaii. It is he who has the honor of accurately establishing the sex of the animal, and now she has turned into Harietta.
Harietta moved to the Australia Zoo. Her documents were lost almost 40 years ago, but in 1992 a genetic examination was carried out. It was then confirmed that the tortoise was from the Galapagos Islands and was indeed at least 162 years old.
In 2005, Garietta's 175th birthday was solemnly celebrated. By that time she was the size of a small table and weighed 150 kg, interesting fact- The birthday girl received a pink hibiscus cake. Unfortunately, it was her last birthday - she soon died of heart failure.
3. Chico
Chico is a literary image of a cat. From his point of view, the biography of Pope Benedict XVI is told in the children's story “Joseph and Chico” by Gianni Perego. The 2007 book about the life of Joseph Ratzinger, who eventually became Pope, features the cat Chico.
Chico also had a real prototype - the neighbor's ginger cat. She loved to visit Joseph during his life in Pentling, Germany, which Ratzinger left in 1981. After his departure to Rome, the cat often visited the empty house, with the hope of meeting her friend there...
4. Zemira
In the late 60s of the 18th century, the English Baron Dimmesdale, after staying in Russia and being vaccinated against smallpox, gave Empress Catherine II a pair of Italian greyhounds Sir Tom Anderson and Duchess. Since then, the dogs have firmly entered the heart of the ruler. The founder himself lived for 16 years, the empress gave his descendants to the best houses in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and gave them to foreign rulers.
One of the most beloved dogs was Zemira, named after the heroine of the opera based on the plot of Beauty and the Beast. Zemira was born in 1777 just during the premiere.
The entire dog family accompanied the empress on walks, a special page looked after them, and a special doctor was responsible for treating the dogs. The dogs slept in a pink satin cradle in the bedroom of Catherine II.
Zemira lived only 6 years; her death greatly upset her owner. All the beloved imperial dogs, including Zemira, are buried in Catherine Park under a marble tombstone in the form of an Egyptian pyramid.
There are others no less
These animals went down in history and became famous thanks to their actions, contributions to science, film careers and other abilities.
Here are 10 famous animals (although the list goes on and on) that people have remembered for many years.
1. Elephant Lin Wang
The Asian elephant Lin Wang was so revered that he even had the nickname “Grandfather Lin.”
During World War II, it transported goods across Burma for the Japanese army until it was captured by the Chinese in 1943 along with 12 other elephants. After this, the elephant continued its military service in China and later in Taiwan. In 1954, he retired to the Taipei Zoo, where he lived until his death in 2003.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the elephant Lin Wang was 86 years old when he died and is considered the oldest elephant ever to live in captivity. But he was not just revered for his age. He became a cultural symbol and idol in the history of several countries.
2. Horse of Alexander the Great
Perhaps it was thanks to his faithful horse Bucephalus that Alexander the Great became great. Although some of his story was fictitious, Bucephalus became perhaps the most famous horse in history.
According to legend, the clumsy black horse was afraid of its own shadow, and, knowing this, Alexander the Great (the Great) always turned his head towards the Sun. The special bond that arose between the animal and the commander led to the fact that during battles this duo became unstoppable.
Historians disagree on how exactly Bucephalus died: either from wounds in battle or from old age. But when this happened, Alexander the Great founded a city in his honor and named it Bucephala.
3. Killer whale Keiko from the movie "Free Willy"
The male orca Keiko became a world-famous movie star after starring in the 1993 film Free Willy. Keiko, whose name means "lucky" in Japanese, was captured in 1979 off the coast of Iceland and sold to an amusement park in Mexico.
However, despite a successful film career, his life was not so happy. People from many countries began to send donations, and soon a rehabilitation pond was built for him at an aquarium in Oregon, USA.
Keiko, who had recovered from his illness, was prepared for life in the wild and released back into the sea. However, he was still very attached to people, and in 2003 he died of pneumonia.
4. "Born Free": Elsa the Lioness
Elsa the lioness became famous thanks to the international bestseller "Born Free", which tells the story of famous naturalist Joy Adamson, who, along with her husband George, raised an orphaned lioness cub in Kenya and later released her into the wild.
This story changed the view of wild animals as merciless killers that must be kept in captivity or destroyed. The lioness became an individual in the face of people, and her story became a symbol that all animals have the right to freedom.
5. Lonesome George
The Galapagos giant tortoise died in 2012 at over 100 years of age, ending the Abigdon elephant tortoise subspecies (Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni) of Pinta Island.
Since George was discovered in 1972, the 1.5-meter-long, 90-kilogram tortoise has become a symbol of conservation in the Galapagos Islands.
Despite many attempts to breed him with other turtles, he never produced any offspring, becoming the most famous bachelor in the animal kingdom.
6. Dolly the Sheep
In February 1997, it was announced that a sheep created by Scottish geneticist Ian Wilmut and the Rosslyn Institute had become the first successfully cloned adult mammal.
Using the same method that created Dolly, scientists began cloning dogs, cats and mice.
In 2011, scientists first created stem cells using human cells, and in May 2013, embryonic stem cells were created from human skin cells.
Dolly became one of the most famous animals in science, and in 2003 she was euthanized due to a lung disease. The remains of the famous sheep were exhibited at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
7. Groundhog Day: Phil the Groundhog
Every year on February 2nd between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, Groundhog Day is celebrated and everyone watches the groundhog emerging from his hole. According to this tradition, if Phil sees his shadow, then six more weeks of winter will follow, and if not, then it will soon warm up and an early spring is expected.
Punxsutawney Phil became history's very first groundhog meteorologist in 1886, and the groundhog's predictions are considered accurate 39 percent of the time.
8. Polar Bear Whip
Knut became the world's most famous polar bear, winning millions of hearts after he was born at the Berlin Zoo in December 2006. His mother abandoned him after birth, but he was adopted and raised in a zoo.
Knut became the first polar bear at the Berlin Zoo in 33 years. There were those who opposed keeping him in captivity, believing that the cub should die after being rejected. But numerous fans came to his defense.
Thanks to worldwide fame and attention from the media, the bear became the source of 140 million dollars in profit.
Knut died suddenly in 2011, falling due to brain damage and drowning in his enclosure. A bronze statue in honor of the bear cub was installed at the Berlin Zoo.
9. Laika the dog
When the Sputnik 2 spacecraft was launched on November 3, 1957, the dog Laika was on board - the first animal sent into space to orbit the Earth.
Laika was a stray dog who was caught on the streets of Moscow and began to be trained for a space mission.
However, her flight was short-lived. After 6-7 hours, Laika died from overheating due to the lack of a thermal protection system and from stress.
Despite surviving only a few hours in space, her mission helped scientists understand more about the effects of weightlessness on animals and paved the way for humans into space.
10. Michael Jackson's chimpanzee
Bubbles the chimpanzee, who was housed in a research facility that raises animals for experiments, was acquired by Michael Jackson in the 1980s. He accompanied the King of Pop at parties, press conferences and during tours. There were rumors that the chimpanzee had tea with Japanese politicians and carried a ring at Elizabeth Taylor's 8th wedding (which was denied).
In addition, Bubbles became a famous artist, and two of his abstract expressionist paintings were sold for $1,500 each.
In 2003, Jackson gave Bubbles to the sanctuary because the chimpanzee had become very aggressive.
In August 2009, Bubbles released his "memoir" of life with Michael Jackson, entitled Bubbles: My Secret Diary, From Swaziland to Neverland, written by journalist John Blake. The book reveals dark aspects of the chimpanzees' lives, including addiction to bananas, which cost them up to $2,000 a day, and depression.
Animals are man's friends. The animals from this topic went down in history for helping people, and some were simply popular in their time. They are remembered and honored to this day.
Chimpanzee Ham
Was the first hominid in space and fortunately this is a story with a happy ending, unlike the first dog in space which is mentioned below. The chimpanzee was named after the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center and was one of six monkeys trained to pull levers in response to flashing lights during spaceflight. Ham was selected by NASA to fly on the Mercury spacecraft. The journey, which began on January 31, 1961, was short, but he was still able to cover a distance of 250 kilometers in 16.5 minutes. The flight was aborted due to problems with the oxygen supply and Ham was found about three hours after landing and appeared to be unharmed: he even ate an apple and half an orange after being pulled from the rocket. For the next 17 years of his life, Ham lived at the National Zoo in Washington.
Lioness Elsa
Elsa the lioness gained worldwide fame after the publication of the book Born Free, written by naturalist Joy Adamson. The beginning of the lion cub's life was not the brightest - her mother was killed by Joy's husband, a huntsman, for safety reasons. Luckily, the Adamsons took Elsa and her brothers with them, later handing over everyone except Elsa to the zoo. The young lioness lived her life as a domesticated pet, but Joy wanted her to live in the wild, gradually accustoming her to the world of nature reserves. Elsa gave birth to three lion cubs, which most likely fully adapted to life in the wild, but the lioness herself, unfortunately, died at the young age of five from the disease babesiosis, transmitted by ticks. George Adamson and his staff fired 20 salvos in honor of Elsa during her funeral.
Jonathan the Turtle
Jonathan the tortoise is at least 179 years old and is the oldest animal in the world. This fact is difficult to verify, although the following photograph speaks in its favor. The picture was taken during the Boer Wars in 1900, on the island of St Helena, which is still Jonathan's home. At that time he was at least 50 years old, but could have been 70, so 179 years is his minimum age. Jonathan lives with five other turtles, and although he is already blind in one eye, age has not affected him much. He loves attention and is still alert enough to hit on his younger girlfriends.
Mongoose Mr Magoo
On November 15, 1962, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sentenced the tea-drinking, snake-killing mongoose named Mister Magoo to death or deportation to his homeland of India. The story received loud publicity and caused strong disapproval among the population. He came to the zoo from a foreign sailor, but the authorities decided that he should not stay in the country because of the mongoose’s predilection for reproduction. However, Mr. Magoo had no one to breed with and his sentence was deferred. Thousands of people visited the unfortunate animal over one weekend, and authorities received thousands of letters asking them to get rid of the mongoose (due to the possibility that it would escape and the area would be overrun by many of its offspring). In the end, Mr. Magoo lived out the rest of his life eating eggs, drinking tea, and living quietly in the zoo. He died in 1968.
Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog
The most famous groundhog in the world, Paxutawney Phil (his full name is "Paxatone Phil, Prophet of Prophets, Sage of Wise Men, Seer of Seers, and Weather Foreteller Extraordinaire") has been predicting the weather at Gobbler's Knob since February 2, 1886. Surprisingly, some people believe that Phil is the same groundhog. The average lifespan of these animals is only ten years, so he would have had to use the elixir of immortality with his wife Phyllis to survive to this day. A mysterious group of people called the "Inner Circle" look after the groundhog, and at the fortune telling ceremony they wear top hats and tails. The groundhog-predictor most likely appeared thanks to a German belief, according to which if a groundhog leaves the house on the Presentation of the Lord, sees its shadow and returns home, then winter will continue for at least six more weeks.
Sam the cat
Unsinkable Sam was an unusual cat who survived three shipwrecks during World War II. The first ship that Sam (then known as Oscar) escaped from was the Bismarck, a German battleship sunk on May 27, 1941: Sam survived while 2,000 people died. He was the only survivor picked up by the British destroyer HMS Cossack - on the new ship he was given the name Oscar. The Cossack was then damaged by a German torpedo that same year. While they were trying to tow the ship to a safe port, an explosion occurred on it, which killed 159 people. Oscar survived this too, after which he was transported to Gibraltar. By that time, he was already called Unsinkable Sam (fortunately, cats do not pay attention to what they are called). The cat was taken with them to the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, which took part in the battle with the cat's first home, Bismarck. The aircraft carrier was also torpedoed, but all but one crew member were saved. Sam was found "angry but not injured" adrift on a piece of wood. Fortunately, Sam remained wary of ships from then on, and died in 1955 in a sailor's home in Belfast.
Dove Cher Ami
The US Signal Corps that fought in the battles of France during World War I owed much to the carrier pigeon, Cher Ami. Ami was one of 600 pigeons given by British pigeon breeders to the Americans in France to be trained to act as a postman. Ami flew 12 important missions over the course of several months in 1918, and made his last voyage on October 4, 1918, during the Battle of Argonne.
The signal troops came under artillery fire from the Allied forces and Major Whittlesey sent Cher Ami with a small note on her paw asking for the bombardment to stop. Although the pigeon was wounded in the chest, blind in one eye, and one leg hanging from a piece of skin, it was able to complete its mission and save the lives of 200 soldiers. He was cleaned up after this flight and even had a wooden prosthetic leg made, but he still died about a year after his heroic deed.
Horse Morocco
The Dancing Horse of Morocco was so famous in Britain in 1591 that it was immortalized by Shakespeare in Love's Labour's Lost (in which he referred to it as the "dancing horse"). Morocco was able to perform many different tricks, including counting coins by stomping his hooves, dancing on two or four legs, and bowing to the Queen when necessary. Morocco was also considered psychic as he moved his legs in response to certain questions.
However, this skill almost resulted in the loss of life for both the horse and its owner, William Bankes, when they were accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. According to legend, the judge was so moved by the horse's kneeling before him to save its owner's life that they were both pardoned. Although little is known about Morocco's life after this point, they most likely lived a comfortable life thanks to the money they earned from dancing horse tricks.
Jumbo the Elephant
Jumbo was a savannah elephant born in 1861, weighing 6 tons and standing 3.5 meters tall: his name comes from "Jambe", which means "Chief" in Swahili. Jumbo was transported from French Sudan to the zoo at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, and then, at the age of four, he was transported to the London Zoo. By this time he had become aggressive and uncontrollable, so much to the displeasure of the British public he was sold to Phineas Taylor Barnum for $10,000. Queen Victoria received more than 100,000 letters asking her to intervene. However, in Barnum's circus he seemed like a happier elephant. Until he died three years later in a railroad accident.
Dog Laika
A young stray dog named Laika, who was found on the streets of Moscow, was the first astronaut dog. Unfortunately, Sputnik 2, in which Laika was launched into orbit, was built in a hurry, as Nikita Khrushchev wanted to launch the satellite on the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, November 7, 1957. According to the official version, which was supported for many years, Laika died from lack of oxygen six days after the start of the flight (at that time, Soviet engineers did not have the possibility of returning rockets to Earth), but in 2002 the truth was finally revealed: the poor dog died 6-7 hours after the start of the flight from overheating (the satellite did not have a heat shield) and stress. However, the memory of Laika is still alive - a two-meter monument to the heroine dog has been erected on the territory of the Institute of Military Medicine.
Many people love animals, but some animals were loved so much by their owners or did such extraordinary things that they are remembered fondly long after their death. Here is a selection of the ten most famous animals in history.
1. Chimpanzee Ham Ham the chimpanzee was the first hominid in space and, fortunately, his story is happier than that of the first astronaut dog, which we will talk about a little later. Named after Holloman Aerospace Medical Center, Ham was one of six monkeys trained to pull levers in response to flashing lights while the spacecraft was in flight.
Ham was selected by NASA and launched into space in the Mercury capsule; he made his short journey on January 31, 1961 - he managed to cover 250 km in 16.5 minutes. The flight had to be aborted due to oxygen problems, but Ham recovered three hours after the end of the journey - he even ate an apple and half an orange immediately after leaving the capsule. Ham then lived for more than 17 years at the National Zoo in Washington.
2. Lioness Elsa
Elsa the lioness came to public attention after the publication of naturalist Joy Adamson's book Born Free. The little lion cub's life was hard: his mother was killed by a huntsman, and Joy's husband, George, because she attacked him. Fortunately, George took Elsa and the other lion cubs, her brothers and sisters, with him, and went out to send them to zoos.
The young lioness Elsa lived with the Joy family as a pet, but people gradually prepared her to return to her natural habitat. Elsa gave birth to three lion cubs, who fully adapted to life in the wild, but Elsa herself, unfortunately, died at the age of five from a tick-borne disease. George Adamson and his assistants buried Elsa and staged a farewell fireworks display at her grave - 20 gun salvos.
3. Jonathan the Turtle
Jonathan the turtle is at least 179 years old and is the oldest known animal in the world. This is difficult to verify, but there is photographic evidence: the photo was taken during the Boer War in 1900 on the island of St. Helena, where Jonathan still lives. He was at least 50 years old at the time, and possibly as old as 70, so the turtle is now at least 179 years old.
Jonathan enjoys life in the company of five female turtles, and although he is blind in one eye, age does not seem to be a hindrance for him: he loves attention and is still aggressive enough to protect his younger wives from sexy harassment of other males.
4. Mongoose Mr. Magoo
On November 15, 1962, a snake hunter, a mongoose named Mr. Magoo, was taken from the Duluth Zoo by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was sentenced to death or deportation to his homeland of India. The story caused a national scandal. A foreign sailor turned him in to the zoo, but the Service decided that mongooses had no place in the United States.
Ultimately, Mister Magic was given a reprieve. Over one weekend, thousands of people visited the unlucky predator, and many wrote to the authorities, saying that they needed to get rid of the beast: the mongoose could escape and live in a region where it has no natural enemies. In the end, they decided not to kill the mongoose, and he lived the rest of his life in the zoo, eating bird eggs. The mongoose died in 1968.
5. Punxsutawney Phil the Groundhog
The world's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, also known by his full name Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages and Greatest Weather Forecaster, has traditionally predicted the weather every year on February 2, Groundhog Day, since 1886. Surprisingly, some people believe that the same groundhog is still doing this to this day. Since these animals live on average only ten years, a groundhog would have to take regular doses of the elixir of life to live for more than a century.
The groundhog is looked after by a mysterious group of people called the "Inner Circle", and at the beginning of the prediction ceremony they bring the groundhog a top hat and tuxedo. Weather forecasting by the groundhog probably comes from a German superstition: if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on February 2nd and sees its shadow, winter will last another six weeks.
6. Sam the Cat
Unsinkable Sam was a wonderful cat who survived three shipwrecks during World War II. The first sinking ship from which Sam (at that time his name was Oscar) managed to escape was the Bismarck, sunk during a naval battle on May 27, 1941. Sam survived, although 2,000 crew members died.
Then the cat ended up on the British battleship Cossack, which was hit by a torpedo and exploded that same year. All 159 crew members died, but the cat survived, swam across Gibraltar and crawled ashore. The cat received the name Unsinkable Sam (fortunately, for cats it does not matter what their names are) and went to the ship Ark Royal, which was also eventually hit by a torpedo, but all the crew members except one were saved. Sam was found “angry but safe,” drifting in the middle of the ocean on a piece of wood. Fortunately, after this the cat was no longer taken on ships, and he lived to old age in a sailor's house in Belfast, where he died of natural causes in 1955.
7. Dove Cher Ami
The US Army owes a lot to the carrier pigeon Cher Ami, who did a lot for the war effort in France during the First World War. During bloody battles, British troops kept carrier pigeons to exchange important information - there were 600 of these birds in total, and Cher Ami was one of them. It delivered 12 important messages over several months in 1918, and made its last flight on the afternoon of October 4, 1918, during the Battle of Argonne.
The corps of troops was under fire and Major Whittlesey sent Cher Ami with a small note tied to his paw. Seriously wounded in the chest, blind in one eye and with one leg shot off, the bird managed to fly to its destination and thereby save the lives of 200 people. After this flight, the pigeon was cured and even given a wooden prosthesis to replace the lost paw, but he died less than a year later.
8. Horse of Morocco
The Dancing Horse of Morocco was so famous in 1591 in the United Kingdom that it was immortalized by Shakespeare in Love's Labour's Lost, in which the playwright referenced the dancing horse. The horse could do many things, including counting coins by stomping its hooves, dancing on two or four legs, and bowing to the queen when needed. The horse was also believed to be psychic because it moved its legs in a special way in response to certain questions.
This skill, however, nearly cost the horse and its owner, William Banks, their lives when they were accused of witchcraft, found guilty, and sentenced to death. But, apparently, the judge changed his mind when the horse knelt before him, asking for the life of its owner, and pardoned both. Little is known about their future lives, but, apparently, they lived comfortably on the income received from previous performances.
9. Jumbo the Elephant
Jumbo was born in 1861. While still a baby elephant, he was taken from French Sudan to the Paris Zoo, and at four years old he was transported from there to the London Zoo. When he became grumpy and uncontrollable, Jumbo was sold to R. T. Barnum's circus for $10,000, to the horror of the British public. Queen Victoria received more than 100 thousand letters asking her to be involved in the incident. But the elephant seemed quite happy at Barnum's circus until he died from a horrific injury sustained in a train explosion three years later.
10. Laika the dog
A young stray dog named Laika, a stray from the streets of Moscow, was destined to become the first astronaut dog. Unfortunately, Sputnik 2, in which Laika was sent into orbit, did not pass all the necessary tests, since USSR President Nikita Khrushchev wanted to launch the satellite on the day of the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution - November 7, 1957.
According to the official version, Laika died from lack of oxygen six days after the start of the journey, but in 2002 it became known that the poor thing lasted only six or seven hours, after which she died from overheating and stress, but a monument to the little dog was erected in Star City .
Charming Maru, a Scottish Fold cat, lives in distant Japan, but has a lot of fans all over the world. 500 thousand people have subscribed to his YouTube channel, and people have watched videos with his participation almost 300 million times. In 2008, Maru was even awarded the YouTube Video Award Japan. Phlegmatic and very well-fed, Maru became famous for his passion for climbing into boxes, which are sometimes much smaller in size than himself. Mistress Maru, who made her cat a star, remains incognito.
The owner of the cat named Lil Bub is much more active. The animal, born with numerous developmental defects, became an Internet star at his instigation. The cat has short paws with six toes, an upturned nose, large eyes and a protruding tongue that simply does not fit in the mouth. All this gives the muzzle
Lil Bub surprised expression. As her owner Mike Bridavsky says, he is blown away by the sight of her, and he considers her the cutest creature in the world. Lil Bub has her own website, accounts on Twitter, Instagram and a store where you can buy souvenirs and clothes with her image. And in 2013, the feature film “Lil Bub and Friends” was even released. Among the fans of the four-year-old cat is the venerable one. At one of the events, he considered it an honor to meet Lil Bub and hold her in his arms.
Lil Bub the cat with the owner who made her a star
Charming Evil
One of the most popular animals on the World Wide Web is Grumpy Cat. However, in fact, this is not a cat, but a cat whose name is Tardar Sauce (but who remembers this except her owner!). The triumphant march of Grumpy Cat began in the fall of 2012, when a photo of a very disgruntled animal appeared on the Reddit website. In 48 hours, the image was viewed about a million times. “Tard is an affectionate cat who loves to be petted and cuddled. “She’s not angry at all,” says her owner Tabatha Bundesen of Morristown, Arizona. Tardar Sauce was born from an ordinary male and female cat, but is completely different from them. Upon examination, the veterinarian found the animal healthy and said that the cat’s appearance may have been affected by some genetic changes, but they do not have a significant effect on its condition. And yes, by the way, this cat has a brother. Same. But he is not as famous as his furry sister, who, by the way, even has her own website - www.grumpycats.com.
Even the media are interested in Grumpy Cat's opinion
Until recently, one of Grumpy Cat's main competitors was his peer, Colonel Meow. A cat with uniquely long hair (almost 23 cm!), which was noted by the Guinness Book of Records in 2013, and a ferocious expression on his face, appeared on Facebook in the summer of 2012 and immediately became a star.
repeatedly invited to various television shows. The cat's owner, Ann Marie, who lives in Los Angeles, adopted him from a shelter in Seattle in 2011. But at the beginning of 2014, a misfortune happened - a two-year-old cat died. Shortly before this, doctors determined that Colonel Meow had congenital heart problems. A campaign to collect donations for his treatment raised $15,000 in just six hours. The cat underwent serious surgery and a blood transfusion, recovered and was discharged home, but the illness turned out to be stronger. Even after the cat's death, his account lives on. The owner continues to post photographs of the Colonel and videos of him. According to Ann Marie, this helps her cope with the loss.
The most fashionable cats
The stern heart of the creative director of the House of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, melts when he sees his cat Choupette. The fashion designer begged this cute creature of the Burmese breed from one of his friends, who left the animal with Karl during his departure. When the friend returned, Lagefreld literally begged him to give him Choupette. This kitty definitely lives better than most people. The cat has personal maids who satisfy her every desire and record every
her movement. Choupette also has a personal iPad, a car with a driver and four silver cutlery. She eats at the same table with Karl Lagerfeld twice a day and visits the vet every ten days. The fashion designer dedicated an entire collection of his own brand, Karl Lagerfeld, to his favorite. However, Choupette brings his owner not only positive emotions, but also money. In 2014, she earned 3 million euros! At the same time, the kitty worked only twice: she starred in advertising for cosmetics and cars. Karl Lagerfeld says he is very selective about advertising campaigns that feature his cat. “She is too sophisticated and delicate to advertise food products,” the designer noted.
Hamilton the cat's mustache in today's times, when facial hair is more relevant than ever, would be the envy of many fashionistas and even... Hercule Poirot. In addition to whiskers, the smoky gray cat also has a white spot under its nose in the form of incredibly symmetrical perky white whiskers (a mustache of this shape was worn by Agatha Christie’s hero). Hamilton spent most of his life in an animal shelter, but fate brought him together with American comedian Jay Stow from San Francisco. The man simply could not resist the charm of the cat and took him home. Stowe is sure that his pet is cooler than many people. Jay regularly posts new photos of his pet on the Internet. Hamilton has more than 250 thousand fans on Instagram and almost 114 thousand followers on Facebook.
Let's draw it - it will live
No less popular is Simon's Cat, an animated character created by British cartoonist Simon Tofield. However, when you watch incredibly funny videos about the pranks of a cat, you completely forget that he is not real - these cute antics are so recognizable to everyone who has cats. Simon himself has four of them: Maisie, Jess, Teddy and Hugh. The latter became the prototype of the animated hero. In February 2011, the artist signed a contract with The Daily Mirror newspaper for the exclusive publication of comics about his fictional pet. Eight books with Tofield’s comics have already been published around the world (and in Russia too).
Simon Tofield's fictional cat behaves just like a real one
An adorable Pomeranian named Boo has his own Facebook page and about 17 million fans. The dog loves to wear suits and even sunglasses. In Boo's honor, small soft replica toys have been released and a book has been written about his life.
But a new star is coming on the heels of little Boo - a bull terrier named Jimmy Choo. The dog saved his owner from depression after a divorce. “In the company of my best friend Jimmy, among the empty walls of the house, inspiration struck me, and I began to photograph how the dog rushed around the apartment with joy. When Jimmy collapsed in happy exhaustion against a white wall, I grabbed a marker and drew a new world around him,” says Rafael Mantesso. As a result, a whole series of funny photographs was born, and in October a book with the best photos of Jimmy will be published. This couple of bosom friends already has more than 328 thousand fans on Instagram.
Bull Terrier Jimmy Cheese by owner Rafael Mantesso
