Freddie Mercury was one of the biggest stars in the world and he is still remembered today as one of the best lead singers who have ever lived. But you were probably not aware that Queen's lead band member was obsessed about his cats!
Mercury is all about glamor and his four-legged friends were as spoiled as one could ever be. At a time where fluffy cat videos on the Internet weren’t even a thing, Freddie Mercury was treating his pets with the same sort of passion he used to sing.
It All Started When His Girlfriend Brought A Couple Of Cats Home...
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It all started in the ‘70s when Freddie Mercury’s then-girlfriend, Mary Austin, bought a pair of cats for the couple’s house. Tom and Jerry were the first furry pets of Queen’s superstar, and they could not have been more loved!
While it was very likely that Freddie was into cats before, this was the moment that started it all for him. What would follow would be an everlasting love for cats, and it wasn't long before Tom and Jerry became part of a bigger family. At one point, Mercury owned a total of ten cats! He must have been an expert in animal care when it came to tending to his pets.
Freddie Mercury Would Often Call His Cats On The Phone
Being a successful musician, Freddie Mercury had spent a lot of time away from home and from his beloved cats. Calling your pets through the phone in order to tell them about your day seemed crazy, but it certainly helped Freddie to get through the day.
If you ever feel blue and miss your furry friends, just follow Freddie Mercury’s example and dial home. Your cats will probably not be able to answer your call with their little paws, but you will find a lot of comfort in feeling closer to your four-legged friends.
Delilah Is Actually About a Cat
We have already mentioned Delilah, a song named after one of Mercury’s ten cats, but wait until we get into the lyrics! While many people have interpreted it as a traditional man-woman love song, a closer look into the verses makes it clear that it stands as a beautiful hymn to the very special relationship between a man and his cat.
If you ever need a soundtrack to pet your cat, you may want to consider this amazing track. It was arguably the first rock and roll song ever to explicitly talk about how much one could love a cat.
A Feline Friend in The Studio
Recording an album can be dangerous for your mental health, as you spend a lot of hours in the studio and you normally have a very narrow window of time to achieve results. For that reason, a relaxing presence in the studio, like a cute kitten, can be very helpful. In this picture, Mercury chills with one of his cats in the studio.
But Mercury wasn’t always in favor of having animals in his recording sessions. Mr. Bad Guy was initially meant to feature one duet with Michael Jackson, but Mercury just couldn’t stand working with Jackson’s pet llama and the collaboration was canceled.
Parties Don't Last Long, But Cats Are Forever
Freddie Mercury was a party monster. He was involved with drugs for the entirety of his adult life and there were numerous reports regarding his flamboyant partying habits, that included a soirée where dwarves carried trays of cocaine in their heads. Mercury’s cocaine consumption even cost him a collaboration with Michael Jackson: The King of Pop was apparently shocked after seeing Mercury snort a heap of cocaine through a $100 bill.
But in the end, Mercury found comfort in the sweetest and simplest of things. And yes, once again, we mean cats. In this picture, he sits in his Garden Lodge porch, while holding his beloved Delilah.
Mr. Bad Guy Was Dedicated to Jerry
Remember Jerry? This cutie was one of Freddie Mercury’s first cats (alongside his brother Tom) and the very special furry friend to whom Mercury dedicated his first and only solo album, Mr. Bad Guy.
The liner notes on the record read as follows: “this album is dedicated to my cat Jerry – also Tom, Oscar and Tiffany, and all the cat lovers across the Universe..." There's a clear message of love towards cats and the expression of the subliminal idea that felines are better than humans in more ways than one (and we're inclined to agree!).
Garden Lodge Was A Veritable Cat's Paradise
Garden Lodge was Freddie Mercury’s home in Kensington, London. The house where Queen’s lead singer had spent his last years was covered by all-around thick stone walls that were probably meant to keep the curious lot outside... and the cats inside.
During the day, Mercury’s cats would walk around the property and explore freely. But at night, somebody would have to round up all the cats and get them inside the house, in what could prove to be a very difficult task. Garden Lodge is currently managed by Mercury’s ex-lover and best friend Mary Austin, so it’s possible that some cats still live in this feline sanctuary.
He Mostly Stayed Home With His Cats
Freddie Mercury was a flamboyant character on stage. His outfits and stage presence were a perfect match for his powerful voice and for Queen’s epic pop-rock stadium anthems. But, like a cat, Mercury was incredibly shy in his private life and didn’t enjoy giving interviews.
As Mercury’s health condition deteriorated and Garden Lodge became less and less a place for parties and rock and roll, Mercury’s cats were a growingly stable presence in his life. We’re positive that, for being such powerful creatures, Mercury’s cats had been like a ray of light into the singer’s dark last days.
Mercury Feline Family Included 10 Cats
Cats were big in Freddie Mercury’s life. In one of the last known pictures of him, we can see Oscar, a white-and-orange furry beauty and one of Freddie's family of felines at home. Humans and cats all lived together happily in Garden Lodge, Mercury’s massive London property, and these pets were loved and spoiled like children.
In a recent interview, Freddie’s personal assistant, Peter Freestone, was able to name each one of Mercury’s ten cats. We'll tell you more about Dorothy, Tiffany, Tom, Jerry, Delilah, Goliath, Lily, Miko, Romeo, and Oscar.
Flaunted His Love For Felines In Every Way
Freddie Mercury had proven several times that he loved his cats and that he took that love rather seriously. For his last video clip appearance, in 1991 (he died in November of that same year), Mercury proudly wore a sensational cat-covered waistcoat in another public display of feline appreciation.
The song was These Are the Days of Our Lives and The Telegraph reported that the waistcoat was specially designed by Mercury’s friend Donald McKenzie, in order to portray the actual cats of Queen's band leader. That was a beautiful homage to the feline species!
Delilah, Freddie's Favorite
Delilah is not just the name of a song about cats. It is the name of the cat itself; and according to Jim Hutton, Freddie Mercury’s former partner, Delilah was the one he brought to bed every time he went to sleep. Of course, we don't know if she slept on the mattress back then!
Bed privileges could make a cat feel very special, and that was certainly the case with Delilah! According to Jim Hutton, Delilah was the most spoiled of all 10 of Freddie's little friends, and she depended on her loving owner for everything, including protection from the rest of the cats.
Tiffany, The Purebred Princess
One of Freddie Mercury’s most glamorous and spoiled cats was Tiffany. Actually, she was the only cat in the family that wasn’t originally from a shelter. This purebred grey princess was a gift from Mary Austin, Mercury’s former fiancée, and best friend. Tiffany looks wonderfully grumpy in this picture while being held by her loving owner who's proudly looking at the camera.
Tiffany was probably not the biggest fan of human affection, at least if we take this picture as an example, but we still cannot stop ourselves from wanting to smoosh that beautiful furry face.
Tom & Jerry, Freddie's First Cats
Jim Hutton, Freddie’s last partner, and husband, once said that Freddie had truly loved all his pets like sons. But Tom and Jerry were the two fluffy guys that started it all. They say there’s always a special place in your heart for your first love, and even we are unable to resist the fuzzy face of these two cuties.
If you need any confirmation about how special these two were, please keep in mind that Freddie Mercury dedicated his solo album, Mr. Bad Guy, to his “first-born” Jerry. It was like a parent honoring his eldest child!
Freddie Worried A Lot About His Cats
If you have never heard of cat-induced stress, that’s probably because you have never owned one. When we are away from our little friends, it’s easy to wonder about what can go wrong. Mercury was definitely familiar with this kind of anxiety since he would make a scene every time there was something even slightly wrong with one of his kittens. This was especially noticeable when Freddie was away.
Being a successful musician, Mercury had spent a lot of time in different cities and hotel room. But every time he would get back home, he would find his precious furry friends waiting for him.
An Obsession?
Freddie’s cats were like his children. He really loved each member of his pet family like one would love a child! According to former partner Jim Hutton, he was obsessed about his cat’s health, and he would send them straight to the clinic at any sign of disease (even the slightest, like a sneeze).
But Mercury was also concerned about his cats’ "moral" integrity. Hutton said that every time he and Freddie jumped in the bedroom for some physical intimacy, he would make sure that none of his four-legged friends were watching the scene.
Innuendo is Filled With Cat References
Innuendo was the 14th studio album of Queen and one of the most celebrated work by music critics and rock lovers all over the world. Being the ultimate cat lover, Freddie Mercury was, of course, keen on filling the record with hidden cat references.
Besides including an upbeat song called Delilah (one of Mercury’s 10 cats), Innuendo included artwork that depicted Freddie Mercury dressed as a jester and surrounded by four cats. His pet Tom’s cool whiskers are even softly touching Mercury's left shoulder and instead of jewelry, Freddie's wearing a choker of hearts.
Miko, The Photogenic One
Just take a look at this lovely creature! He's Milko, one of Freddie Mercury’s 10 cats. And while she’s not as famous and celebrated as Delilah, we’re pretty sure that Freddie loved all of his pets equally. After all, Peter Freestone, the former assistant of Queen’s lead singer, revealed on a Washington Post interview that Mercury “treated the cats like his own children."
Miko was certainly having fun in Mercury’s Garden Lodge property, alongside her brothers and sisters, and she was as photogenic as her Rockstar owner. Just look at this photo to know what we mean.
Goliath, The Ninja
Goliath was a small black cat that arrived at Freddie Mercury’s cat-filled household on the same day as Delilah. Apparently, he had the habit of disappearing, especially during the times when other people were at the house.
This shy but fluffy creature was once gone for longer than usual and startled Mercury and his staff into a frantic search. He was later found sleeping in the marble sink in the bathroom. We are not sure about who grabbed the camera and took this funny picture of Goliath, but we can hardly resist to pet the screen.
Oscar, The Cat Rescue Survivor
Freddie’s cat Oscar was snapped while escaping from a stone flower box, back in Garden Lodge. Like many of his brothers and sisters, Oscar was rescued from a shelter before assuming the heavenly role of becoming one of Freddie Mercury’s cats.
Originally, Oscar was picked up by Jim Hutton, a man that certainly helped to feed Freddie’s obsession with felines. He rapidly became one of the 10 lovely creatures that filled Garden Lodge with joy and life, and he accompanied Freddie Mercury throughout the final days of his life. We daresay that the cats did wonders to his well-being.
Dorothy Got Presents For Christmas (And So Did The Others)
We take it from this close-up shot of Dorothy that she was the feline symbol in the Freddie Mercury household. Looking lovely with her green eyes and grey-shaded fur pattern, Dorothy’s whiskers were previously seen on Jim Hutton’s lap, back when she was still very young.
Every Christmas, Dorothy and the rest of the cats would have a lot of Christmas gifts waiting for them under the tree. And while many people nowadays include their pets in their gift list for the holidays, back in the ‘80s, Freddie Mercury had pioneered the trend.
Life Is Good When You're Freddie Mercury's Cat
When you’re a cat living under Freddie Mercury’s roof, there are lots of fun things to do. We're positive that Mercury’s cats had done a lot for him, but it’s important to remember that Mercury had also done a lot for his cats. Since he got most of these creatures from the Blue Cross shelter, for instance, he was saving their life.
In this picture, Goliath (the black cat on the left) and Delilah (on the right) are posing as cute as always while standing on one of Garden Lodge’s roofs. Of course, the photo was taken not through the use of a modern-day phone.
"When You Pee All Over My Chippendale Suit"
This is a photo of Lily back when she was just a baby. This cute fluffy creature seems absolutely harmless, but having 10 cats around the house (even if you live in Gardens Lodge) can take a toll on your most prized possessions, especially once your cats are no longer babies.
Mercury's cats were far from having bad behavior, but they would occasionally pee on the expensive curtains and tapestry of Freddie's house. There's a famous verse in Delilah (the song, not the cat) that famously illustrates this, as Freddie sings: "You make me slightly mad / When you pee all over my Chippendale suit."
Mercury's Cats Were Mostly Rescued From Shelters
Despite having all the money he could ever need to buy the very best breed of cats, Freddie Mercury had always shown to be the kind of guy who was more interested in loving his cats than in showcasing them as some sort of prized possession. Hence his decision to often rescue cats from the Blue Cross Shelter.
Miko, Romeo, Lily, and Goliath were just some of the cats that were rescued by Mercury. If anything, he proved that you don’t need to buy a $1.9K hairless Egyptian Sphynx to know what it's like to be loved by a furry kitten...
The 4 Kittens From The Blue Cross Shelter
These are the four lovely kittens that Mercury rescued from the Blue Cross shelter. Miko, Oscar, Romeo, and Delilah might have spent their first days in a cat shelter, but they would eventually live like real feline kings under the wing of one of rock and roll’s top lead singers.
Mercury loved all kinds of cats and he made sure that his family included a diverse amount of feline personalities. And while Mercury was loved by devoted fans all over the world, his own love and devotion always went first toward his very lucky cats. We wouldn't be surprised if these pets received an inheritance!
Definitely Not A Dog Person
One time or another, we have all been part of the centuries-old debate regarding cats and dogs. We can all agree they’re both great, but there’s a natural tendency to choose one rather than the other. Dog owners often praise their selflessness, while cat owners proudly mention their elegance and cleanliness.
Freddie Mercury loved all animals, but there is just something very different about the way he's holding a dog in the first picture and the way he's holding his cat in the second. In our book, Mercury was 100%, absolutely verified, an official cat person.
Why Did He Love Love Cats So Much? Why Do People In General?
Some people split the world into two categories: there are dog-people and cat-people. Freddie Mercury was definitely of the second kind and he loved his feline friends with everything he got. But what is it really that makes so many people fall in love and be obsessed with cats?
According to a recent 10-year research study, cat owners are less likely to die from a heart attack, In addition, contact with cats can reduce blood pressure and induce the release of dopamine and serotonin (which are basically the chemical properties responsible for making you feel happiness).
Mercury's Partner Was Also A Cat Lover
Jim Hutton was Freddie Mercury’s longtime partner and his written testimony regarding his private life with Queen’s lead singer was vital in providing details about Mercury and his love for cats. Sadly, Jim Hutton would die from lung cancer in 2010, but he will always be remembered for being the man that Freddie Mercury called husband.
In this picture, Freddie Mercury watches as Jim Hutton holds a puffy kitten with the same sort of care that one would hold a child. He was a cat lover himself, as most of us inevitably are.
What Happened To The Famous Delilah?
When we talk about Freddie Mercury and his love of cats, we always end up coming back at Delilah. We have mentioned her special place in the household since she was the most spoiled of Mercury’s cats, and the only one that was awarded with a custom-made song.
Adopted in late 1987, Delilah is the most famous of Mercury’s four-legged friends, and it’s rumored that she’s still alive after all these years! It’s unlikely that any cat can live past 25 years (unless it has a super enduring DNA). However, some sources claimed that Delilah was spotted well and alive in 2003, many years after Mercury’s death in 1991.
Feline Love Lasts Forever
There's not much stability in a rock star's life. You hardly find yourself staying in the same place for a long period, you have to deal with the ups and downs of fame, and you’re definitely invited to way too many crazy parties. But some things stay the same throughout your life; in Freddie Mercury’s case, it would be his love for cats.
Freddie Mercury was loving cats even before he was rich and famous, and as he was battling AIDS, later in life, this love remained with the same strength and presence. According to Peter Freestone, stroking Delilah’s fur was one of Mercury’s final actions.
The Ultimate Cat Lover
Freddie Mercury will never be forgotten. His music, his remarkable personality, and his long battle with AIDS are just too significant to possibly disappear from the collective memory of the human species. He is one of the most relevant figures of the 20th century.
But it’s now time to start remembering Freddie Mercury for being such a passionate and dedicated cat owner. We're certain that he was proud of his cats, and that he would find happiness in being remembered not only as a rock star but as the ultimate cat lover as well.