Cats have become massive stars on social media platforms like Instagram. With their cute faces, silly antics, and inherent photogenic nature, felines are perfectly suited to go viral online. It’s not uncommon for some cats to gain millions of followers, transforming into bonafide cat-lebrities. Their popularity spans continents, with cat accounts attracting devoted fans from all over the world. Given how many famous felines there are on Instagram, it raises the question – who is the most popular cat on the platform? This article aims to determine the most famous Instagram cat by examining contenders, their followings, and their impact on pop culture.
What Makes a Cat Instagram Famous
There are several factors that can make an Instagram cat famous and help them gain a large following of devoted fans:
Cuteness and unique looks play a big role. Cats like Lil Bub, who has a number of genetic anomalies that make her extra cute, or Venus, who has a striking two-face coat of black and orange, attract attention for their unusual and adorable appearance. People can’t help but fawn over an exceptionally fluffy, silly-looking or beautiful cat.
Funny or adorable behavior captured in photos and videos is also key. Cats who get up to all kinds of hilarious antics on camera, or have heart-melting reactions and facial expressions, keep their audience engaged and entertained.
Having a consistent posting schedule from an active owner helps cats build and maintain their following. Owners who frequently share new pictures and videos of their famous felines keep fans checking back for more. The most successful Instagram cats post multiple times a week.
Strategic use of trending hashtags allows content to reach wider audiences outside of existing followers. Owners keep an eye out for popular hashtags and make sure to include relevant ones, like #catsofinstagram, #cutecats and #instacats.
Sources:
https://www.rover.com/blog/cat-lover-follow-fluffy-insta-famous-cats/
Top Contenders for Most Famous
When it comes to famous Instagram cats, a few feline superstars stand out from the rest. Here are profiles of some of the top contenders for most famous Instagram cat:
Nala Cat
With nearly 5 million Instagram followers, Nala Cat is one of the most popular felines on the platform. This Siamese and tabby mix was adopted in 2010 and quickly charmed fans with her photogenic good looks and playful personality. Sadly, Nala passed away in 2019 at the age of 14, but her Instagram account lives on in her memory.
Grumpy Cat
Named for her permanent scowl, Grumpy Cat rocketed to fame after her photo went viral on Reddit in 2012. She garnered over 8 million followers across social media before her death in 2019. With her cranky expression and petite size, Grumpy Cat became an internet celebrity and even starred in her own film.
Lil Bub
This adorable “perma-kitten” has a severe case of feline dwarfism that makes her look eternally kittenish. With 2.5 million Instagram followers, Lil Bub is known for her giant eyes, stubby legs, and prominent tongue. She collaborates with animal charities and has raised over $700,000 for special needs pets.
Other top cats on Instagram include photogenic felines like Maru, Maya, Venmo, and the famous sideways glare cat Smudge. But when it comes to overall fame and impact, Nala Cat, Grumpy Cat, and Lil Bub lead the pack.
Nala Cat
Nala Cat is one of the most popular cat Instagram stars with over 4.5 million followers. She is a Siamese/tabby mix who was adopted in 2010 by Varisiri Mathachittiphan. Her Instagram account was created in 2012 and she quickly amassed a huge following thanks to her striking blue eyes, cute face, and playful personality.
Some of Nala’s most popular photos and videos feature her peeking out from bags or boxes, playing with toys, striking cute poses, or wearing adorable costumes. Fans love her expressive eyes and enjoy her daily antics. She has over 7,000 posts showing her charming everyday life.
Beyond Instagram, Nala has accounts on other platforms like YouTube and TikTok with millions of followers. She even has her own merchandise line featuring her photo. Her wide social media presence and consistent posting helped her build an internationally recognized brand as a celebrity feline.
According to this Instagram post, Nala holds two Guinness World Records – one for being the most popular cat on Instagram and another for having the most followers on TikTok for a cat. Her huge fanbase across platforms and instantly recognizable photos have made her one of the most famous cat stars on the internet.
Grumpy Cat
Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, is one of the most famous cat celebrities on Instagram. Born on April 4, 2012, Grumpy Cat’s iconic frown is caused by feline dwarfism and an underbite. She was discovered by the owner’s brother Bryan, who posted a photo of her scowl on Reddit in late 2012. It quickly went viral for her hilarious grumpy expression.
Grumpy Cat now has over 3 million Instagram followers and became an internet celebrity. Some of her most popular memes feature captions like “NO”, “GO AWAY”, and “I HAD FUN ONCE. IT WAS AWFUL.” Her grumpy look spawned endless Photoshopped images, YoutTube parody videos, merchandise, and even a Lifetime holiday movie called Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever.
Grumpy Cat’s online fame translated into real world appearances and publicity events. She’s been featured on magazine covers, advertisements, television shows and more. Grumpy Cat has official websites, books, calendars, a plush doll, tee shirts, posters, and other branded products. Her Instagram and Twitter showcase her playful grumpy personality.
Sadly, Grumpy Cat passed away in May 2019 at age 7 due to complications from a urinary tract infection. But her legacy lives on through new content and products released by her official social media accounts and owners. She remains one of the most famous cat celebrities on the internet.
Lil Bub
Lil Bub is an American celebrity cat known for her unique appearance. According to her official bio, she was the “runt of a healthy feral litter” found in a tool shed in rural Indiana in 2011. Lil Bub was born with several genetic anomalies, including dwarfism and polydactylism, which give her a distinctive look with a wrinkly face, bulging eyes, a shortened lower jaw, and extra toes. Her owner, Mike Bridavsky, began posting photos of Lil Bub on Tumblr and YouTube, gaining a following for her adorable appearance.
Today, Lil Bub has over 2.4 million followers on Instagram, making her one of the most popular cat accounts on the platform. She posts a variety of content, including cute photos, funny videos, behind-the-scenes peeks, and advocacy for special needs pets. Some of her most liked photos on Instagram include her posing with celebrities like Robert De Niro and Whoopi Goldberg. She also appeared on The View, Good Morning America, and various talk shows.
Aside from social media, Lil Bub starred in Lil Bub & Friendz, a documentary about internet cat sensations, and authored a book titled Lil Bub’s Lil Book. She was the face of campaigns for animal welfare organizations like the ASPCA and collaborated on a line of merchandise featuring her image. Lil Bub’s wholesome personality and underbite smile captivated fans worldwide, making her Instagram famous despite her physical differences.
Other Notable Mentions
There are several other cats that have gained huge followings on Instagram, even if they don’t quite have the numbers of the top contenders. For example, Maru is a Scottish Fold cat from Japan who loves jumping into boxes. With over 2.5 million followers, Maru’s YouTube videos get millions of views. Maya the Samoyed has over 1.6 million followers thanks to her fluffy white appearance and adorable smile. Venmo, an orange tabby, has a distinctive grumpy face that earned him over 800,000 followers before he sadly passed away in 2022. Smudge the Cat became a viral meme sensation in 2019 thanks to a photo of him sitting behind a plate of salad. While Smudge only has around 650k followers himself, his meme page has over 2 million.
These social media cat stars all have distinctive looks or personalities that appeal to their fanbases. Even if they aren’t the most followed overall, they have carved out their own niche followings with big numbers. Their success shows just how captivating cat content can be for social media audiences.
The Most Famous Instagram Cat is…
When analyzing and comparing the top contenders for the most famous Instagram cat, three names stand out – Nala Cat, Grumpy Cat, and Lil Bub. Each of these cats rose to enormous popularity on Instagram and beyond.
Looking at the numbers, Nala Cat emerges as the clear winner. With 5 million Instagram followers, Nala far surpasses the others. Grumpy Cat had 1.5 million followers at her peak, while Lil Bub had 2.3 million. Nala also leads in engagement, regularly garnering over 100,000 likes per post. Her cute photos and videos consistently go viral.
Beyond Instagram, Nala achieved mainstream celebrity status. She appeared on talk shows, earned corporate sponsorships, inspired books and merchandise, and worked as an advocate for shelter cats. While Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub had significant cultural impact, Nala’s success across platforms makes her the most famous cat on Instagram.
With unmatched popularity on Instagram along with widespread public recognition and influence, Nala Cat stands out as the most famous Instagram cat. Her combination of cuteness, personality, marketing, and fan connection propelled her to the top spot. While many cats have found Instagram fame, Nala’s status remains unrivaled.
Why This Cat Rose to Fame
Nala Cat rose to fame thanks to her unique personality and striking appearance. Her wide, round eyes and permanently surprised expression captured the hearts of cat lovers everywhere. Nala’s owner Dean struck gold when he adopted her and started posting photos of her online. Dean had a knack for capturing Nala at her silliest and most endearing. He shared the photos on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, highlighting Nala’s silly antics and photogenic expressions.
Nala quickly amassed a huge following across social platforms. Instagram was the main engine driving her fame. Dean capitalized on viral memes and relatable captions to showcase Nala’s personality. He involved Nala in trending jokes, pop culture events, and holidays to help her content stand out. Nala’s shocked wide-eyed look lend itself perfectly to funny reaction shots and memes. Dean had an innate talent for promoting Nala in a way that allowed her unique inner cat spirit to shine through.
While Nala provided the cute looks, Dean provided the marketing and creative content that catapulted her to internet stardom. The duo was perfectly matched to create an Instagram sensation. Nala’s photogenic allure and Dean’s hilarious posts showcasing her personality were the perfect recipe for social media success. Their content was perfectly tailored to go viral among cat lovers. Thanks to Dean’s masterful promotion of her endearing personality, Nala charmed her way to becoming the most famous cat on Instagram.
Impact and Legacy
Nala Cat has had a tremendous impact on internet and pop culture. With over 4 million Instagram followers, Nala’s fame helped usher in the era of influencer pets on social media. Her popularity paved the way for other famous animal influencers like Doug the Pug, Jiffpom, and Lil Bub to also gain huge followings.
Nala’s rise to prominence showed the appeal of cute cat photos and videos to social media users. She helped ignite a trend of pets with their own social media channels, Instagram accounts, merchandise lines, and sponsorship deals. Her success inspired many other pet owners to try and make their animals famous online as well.
Even years after rising to fame, Nala’s popularity endures. She continues to have one of the largest followings on Instagram among animal influencers. Fans still delight in her wide-eyed curiosity, playful antics, and affectionate personality. Nala’s ongoing fame is a testament to her charm and the deep connection she has forged with her many admirers.
In closing, Nala Cat’s impact on internet culture cannot be overstated. As one of the original famous felines on social media, her influence and appeal sparked the rise of an entire industry of animal influencers. Even with many new pet stars, Nala remains one of the most beloved of all. Her longstanding fame and adorable charm solidify her place as a true Instagram legend.
