All About Taylor Swift's Cats, Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button

Mar. 15, 2025

Taylor Swift and her cat.Photo: Taylor Swift Instagram

Taylor Swiftis a proud cat lady with her three felines, Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button.

TheLoversinger featured Benjamin on her TIMEPerson of the Year coverin 2023 and later used one of the photo shoot imagesto endorse Vice President Kamala Harrisin the 2024 presidential election.

Swift has never been shy about making her cats part of her personality, and fans love her all the more for it. All three cats have made multiple appearances on her social media pages and even in some of her music videos. In 2020, the superstar’s pets werealso featured in her holiday card, wearing cute winter gear against a black-and-white background reminiscent of her 2020 albumfolklore.

The Grammy winner has also said that her beloved cats have had some influence over her career. In 2019, she toldTIME, “I have cats. I’m obsessed with them. I love my cats so much that when a role came up in a movie calledCats, I just thought, like, I gotta do this.” In fact, Swift even attended a “cat school” on set to prepare for her role.

TheMidnightssinger has spoken several times over the years about why she developed such an affinity for cats, telling TIME, “They’re very dignified. They’re independent. They’re very capable of dealing with their own life.”

Taylor Swift Instagram

Swift’s self-proclaimed cat-lover status has even done some good. Ahead of the Houston stop on her Eras Tour, a local animal shelter announced it wasreducing its cat adoption feesas a nod to Swift’s passion for the animal.

Posting the program announcement — aptly named “Lucky $13” — to its website, theHHSshared: “KARMA IS A CAT, PURRING IN MY LAP ‘CAUSE IT LOVES ME!!!”

Here’s a look at everything to know about Swift’s three cats: Meredith, Olivia and Benjamin.

Meredith Grey

Swift’s first famous cat is a Scottish Fold named Meredith Grey (yes, she is named after Meredith Grey ofGrey’s Anatomy). The pop stargot Meredith in 2011.

The kitten has always had a special place in Swift’s heart. “She is awesome. She’s, like, the most adorable cat in the world,” the singer said not long after bringing her home.

Their relationship, however, is not one-sided — Swift has a loyal fan in Meredith. In 2012, when her then-new single, “I Knew You Were Trouble,” was playing on the radio, Swift filmed Meredith meowing along to the song.

That said, Meredith might be Swift’s most reclusive cat. In 2020, Swiftencouraged her fans to self-quarantineduring the COVID-19 pandemic with a cute photo of Meredith sitting in a toy, barely visible. In a tweet, the pop star wrote, “For Meredith, self quarantining is a way of life. Be like Meredith.”

In 2021, fans became concerned about Meredith when they realized they hadn’t seen many photos of her recently.Swift had to reassure everyone that the cat was fine— she just doesn’t like being the center of attention.

“We’ve been hearing some rumors on the internet recently,” Swift said in a video online, while holding her cat Benjamin Button. “I mean, they’re not about you, Benj, they’re about your sister.”

“The truth is, Meredith just hates having her picture taken,” she explained, displaying a few photos of the cat looking annoyed. Swift even included a clip of the cat running away as she confronted her with the “recent allegations” that she was a “missing cat.”

Olivia Benson

In 2015, Olivia even got the chance to meet her namesake. Swift shared a video of the whitekitten cuddling up to Hargitayas she knelt down to feed her. “This is Olivia Benson meeting Olivia Benson, and um, things are going well so far,” she said in the video.

Olivia has also joined her mom in aDiet Coke ad. In the clip, Swift plays with the cat while she drinks a can of soda — but every time she takes a sip, more cats appear to surround Olivia.

The Scottish Fold even helped Swift prep for herReputationstadium tour in 2018. The “Shake It Off” singerposted a photo of Oliviastaring at the camera mid-stretch with the caption, “We are all stretching to prep for that tour choreo.”

In 2019, Oliviajoined her mom and brother Benjaminat the Billboard Music Awards, where she had yet another brush with fame after running intoPaula Abdul.

“I’m trying to give them a normal upbringing but when the little ones and I ran into the flawless @paulaabdul on the way to red carpet we STRAIGHT UP had to get a pic,” Swift captioned a snap of her, Abdul and the two cats. The encounter was particularly memorable for Abdul, who later toldAccess Hollywoodshe’s actually allergic to cats!

In October 2024, Olivia appeared in a video Swift shared onInstagramto celebrate the final leg of the Eras Tour kicking off in Miami.

“Back in the office… 😎,” she captioned the video, which shows the singer holding the feline while walking into Hard Rock Stadium.

Benjamin Button

Swift got her third cat, Benjamin Button, in 2019. In keeping with tradition, she named him after a fictional character she loves:Brad Pitt’s Benjamin Button in the film of the same name. Unlike his cat sisters, Benjamin is a Ragdoll.

The kitten’s sweet adoption story started when Swift met him onthe set of the music videofor “ME!” Benjamin starred in the video alongside Meredith and Olivia, though Swift wasn’t his cat mom just yet.

When the handler asked Swift if she wanted to hold the cat before their scene, she said she knew then he would be coming home with her. “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,” Swift said. “I looked at Brendon and he’s like, ‘You’re going to get the cat aren’t you?’ "

A few days later, Swift introduced him to the world on Instagram with a cute photo of the two of them, writing, “And then there were three … "

In December 2021, Swift hadBenjamin join in on the viral “#ImFeeling22” hashtag. She posted a TikTok video of herself lip-syncing to her song “22,” panning the camera to feature a shot of Benjamin. She captioned the video, “Benjamin is 22 in cat years. #ImFeeling22.”

Swift’s cats have been a constant in her life, and even herex-boyfriends have had bonding momentswith them, includingJoe Alwyn, whom the singersplit from in April 2023.

Benjamin joined Swifton the cover of TIME in December 2023. The cat looked like a fluffy accessory as it rested gracefully on the singer’s shoulders.

“Time Magazine: We’d like to name you Person of the Yea- / Me: Can I bring my cat,” Swift jokingly wrote on Instagram. Benjamin made another appearance on the social media platform in September 2024, when Swift used a photo from the TIME shoot to endorse Harris for president.

source: people.com