She’s arguably the most famous singer in the world, with 11 Grammys and over 50 million album sales under her belt.
But for Taylor Swift, the purest joy in life seems to come not from fanfare and fortune but from spending time with her pets.
Through posts on Instagram and Twitter, documentaries, and banter with fans, Taylor has introduced her dogs and cats to the world — and some of them look to have as much star power as she does!
Let’s meet Taylor Swift’s furry friends and learn a little more about how they fit into her wildlife.
Taylor Swift’s Dogs
Bug and Baby the Mini Doberman Pinschers
Taylor Swift is a self-proclaimed cat person, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a love for dogs too!
For proof, look no further than her two Mini Doberman Pinschers, Bug, and Baby.
Aside from a few social media snapshots over the years, Bug and Baby have kept a low profile. So we’ll have to fill in those blank spaces on our own!
Mini Dobermans and Taylor Swift: A Good Match?
Clever and outgoing, Mini Dobermans are known as the “kings of the toy breeds” — a fitting title for the queen of modern pop music’s dogs!
And like Taylor, there’s more to these dogs than meets the eye.
While they look like shrunken versions of full-sized Doberman Pinschers, Minis are actually their own distinct breed. They share a common ancestor (the Old German Standard Pinscher) with standard Dobermans, but that’s only a small portion of their lineage — the rest is Dachshund and Italian Greyhound!
Fans of Taylor Swift will see the parallels here: originally, she was thought to be just another pop-country singer, even naming her first single “Tim McGraw” after one of her favorite country musicians.
But as time passed, she revealed herself to be more than the sum of her influences. Her sound evolved into a blend of country, pop, folk, and alternative music that has since become mainstream — but that may never have taken off were it not for Taylor’s innovation.
The Secret Life of Bugs and Baby
We can only speculate as to the juicy details of Bug and Baby’s lives. Taylor respects their privacy and keeps them out of the limelight, leading some fans to believe that the two pups are camera-shy or otherwise too anxious to make public appearances.
They certainly wouldn’t be alone in that regard: Mini Dobermans are known for being high-strung and prone to anxiety.
For hundreds of years, they worked as ratting dogs in Germany, and that desire for active work and play has been baked into their DNA. Without something to do — be it a shift on guard dog duty or a long fetch session — they tend to go a little cuckoo, becoming antsy, destructive and unpredictable.
On the other hand, overstimulation can also affect Mini Dobermans more strongly than it does other dogs. These pups are wary of strangers and take time to warm up to new friends, so Bug and Baby probably prefer being part of Taylor’s cozy private life to being in the middle of her crazy public one.
Additionally, Mini Dobermans are more prone than other breeds to being epileptic, so keeping them away from flashing paparazzi cameras and bright red carpet lights is a wise move on Taylor’s part!
After all, dogs don’t care about being famous or accumulating legions of fans. They only care about quality time with their loving owners — and Taylor certainly has a lot of love to give!
Kitty the Great Dane
There’s another dog in Taylor’s life, and this one occupies the other end of the size spectrum. Bug and Baby may be petite toy dogs, but Kitty the Great Dane is a certifiable giant — just look at this video of her in Taylor’s lap!
Technically, Kitty belongs to Taylor’s mom, Andrea. But the story of how Kitty came into their lives shows that dogs can be family no matter whose name is on the adoption papers.
In 2015, Andrea was diagnosed with breast cancer. Taylor was about to embark on a long tour, which meant that she wouldn’t always be able to be with Andrea during treatment — a prospect that was difficult for both mother and daughter.
Between the difficult diagnosis and the looming reality of months of loneliness, Andrea decided to do something she had always wanted to do: adopt a giant dog. She reasoned that doing so would keep her occupied and ensure that she was never without a loving companion, even while Taylor was on the road.
Thus, Kitty the Great Dane became part of the Swift family. And though she initially entered Taylor and Andrea’s lives as a “cancer dog,” she quickly built up a fanbase of her own after Taylor started posting videos of her on Instagram.
Since her original diagnosis, Andrea has relapsed several times, most recently with a brain tumor in 2020. Kitty has remained by her side, which can only be a good thing: studies have shown that being around dogs is highly therapeutic for cancer patients, improving everything from anxiety to depression to blood pressure.
Taylor Swift’s Other Pets
Pet lovers know how hard it is to restrict yourself to just one species, so it’s no wonder that Taylor Swift is both a dog mom and a cat mom. We’ve met her canine companions; now let’s meet a few of her feline friends!
Indy and Eliehsen the Siamese/Tabby Mixes
Growing up, Taylor’s family had two cats: Indy and Eliehsen, both Siamese/Tabby mixes.
Well, technically, they were the family’s cats, but in practice, they were Taylor’s: the cats hated everybody in the family except her!
Very little is known about Eliehsen, but Indy, like Taylor, was known for her vocal abilities. According to Taylor, Indy loved to run around the house screaming in her very distinctive voice — a trait that’s probably explained by her Siamese ancestry.
Indy’s vocal talents extended beyond her waking life: she was also a prolific snorer. Taylor says that when her best friend Abigail was away at college, Taylor would call her and hold the phone next to Indy while she slept so that Abigail could hear the snoring.
Unfortunately, Indy is believed to have passed away in 2012. It’s not known if Eliehsen is still alive, though it’s unlikely given that she was one of Taylor’s first pets.
Meredith Grey the Scottish Fold
Taylor is a big fan of the TV series Grey’s Anatomy, so it’s no surprise that when she adopted a Scottish Fold kitten on Halloween 2011, she named her after the main character, Meredith Grey.
Unlike her namesake, Meredith the cat lives a laid-back, drama-free life. Taylor says that Meredith is a great travel companion because she never gets aggressive or anxious around new people — and because she never sheds or coughs up hairballs!
Meredith appears in the music video for Taylor’s song “ME!” and in several Instagram posts, but she’s not crazy about the starlet lifestyle. Taylor says that for the most part, she hates having her photo taken, so she tends to stay behind the scenes when the cameras come out.
Olivia Benson the Scottish Fold
Law and Order: SVU is another one of Taylor’s TV addictions, and that’s reflected perfectly in the name she chose for her second Scottish Fold: Olivia Benson.
Taylor adopted Olivia in June of 2014, and it took no time at all for the new kitten to go viral on social media. Olivia, unlike her older sister Meredith, loves being in the spotlight, and her photos and videos have racked up millions of likes on Twitter and Instagram.
Few cats can boast the body of work that Olivia has under her belt. In addition to appearing in Taylor’s music videos for “Blank Space” and “ME!”, she’s also played a part in one of Taylor’s Diet Coke commercials — and even had her own emoji set in Taylor’s old mobile app, The Swift Life.
And like her mom, Olivia is an awards season favorite, having been nominated for “Favorite Cat/Pet” at the Australian and UK Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards and “Cutest Musician’s Pet” at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Benjamin Button the Ragdoll
Taylor’s newest pet is Benjamin Button the Ragdoll cat. His origin story is about as cute — and as Hollywood — as it gets!
In 2019, Taylor was filming her music video for “ME!” with Meredith and Olivia, but they weren’t the only cats on set. Taylor was drawn to a ragdoll kitten who wouldn’t stop purring when she picked him up.
After confirming with the cat’s handler that he was available for adoption, Taylor knew she had to have him. She couldn’t stop thinking and talking about the kitten all throughout the shoot and brought him home as soon as filming was done.
But she waited for the music video to come out before announcing to her fans that Benjamin Button (aka Benji) had joined her family. In keeping with her tradition of teasing fans with clues and secrets, she kept Benji to herself for months so he could make his big debut in her video.
Since then, Benji has appeared alongside Taylor in her ad for Amazon Music, and a wristwatch with an illustration of his face on it was offered as merch during the rollout for her single, “You Need to Calm Down.”
Check out more articles about celebrities’ dogs: How Many Dogs Does RACHAEL RAY Have and Kelly Clarkson and Her Dogs.
