Person wearing "2024" glasses, smiling while holding a famous pet cat.

Famous Pets (and People and Their Pets) with Pictures!

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Famous pet come in all shapes and sizes – some are even virtual! As cat and dog lovers, you might be interested in scrolling through some top celebrity pets, or even celeb cartoon pets.

In this article we’ve rounded up top dogs and cats from social media influencers to celebrity pets (and celebrity’s pets) along with famous pet names for new puppies and kittens.

Browse to your heart’s content!

Most famous celebrity pets of all time

Famous pets have been the apple of our eyes for as long as screen time has existed. Some of the top celebrity dogs and cats are known for stealing the show on the silver screen.

Like human celebrities, celebrity pets also had to do photo shoots and appear in the news (they just didn’t have to give interviews). Here are some of the best known and well-loved celebrity pets of all time:

Lassie is one of the most famous pets of all time

Lassie

Did you know Lassie was not one but many dogs? That’s because over the course of filming, every dog grows, ages and changes. As a boy, Bob Kerridge, founder of our very own Companion Animal Register visited the U.S with his dad and met the real life Lassie dog (or one of them anyway).

A black and white photo of Dorothy and Toto the famous dog from the Wizard of Oz

Toto in the movies

Remember Dorothy in her snazzy red slippers and her long trip to find the Wizard of Oz? The trusty pup named Toto that was always in her arms was a cute little rescue dog. He was Cairn Terrier and his real name was Terry.

Toto in music

The famous rock band Toto kept the media abuzz for years with some band members claiming they were named after Dorothy’s dog Toto. Eventually they officially told the media their name came from the Latin phrase “In Toto,” meaning “all-encompassing” because of their genre-mixing music style.

Toto in geography

Incidentally, Toto the dog is named after the town of Toto in Indiana and he also has a music connection… The young actress who played Dorothy is Judy Garland. She is none other than the daughter of the iconic actress/singer, Liza Minnelli.

That’s a Toto wrap!

A famous St Bernard pet dog peacefully laying in the grass.

Beethoven

As one of the biggest dogs in the world, the Saint Bernard is literally a ‘giant dog breed’. The original famous Saint Bernard dog that played Beethoven (along with 12 doubles) weighed in at 91 kilos. Saint Bernards are named after a snowy Swiss Alps hospice positioned on the Great St Bernard Pass.

Find out more about the Saint Bernard dog breed’s origins and dog-o-nality.

Cartoon illustration of a smug-looking orange tabby cat with a bell collar, sitting with a casual expression and an upright tail—resembling one of those famous pets you'd see gracing the covers of celebrity pet magazines.

Famous cartoon pets

Cartoon pets live large in our imaginations. For many of us, Garfield holds just as special a spot as Lassie, for example. That’s why famous cartoon pets deserve a spot in this blog article. And we’re sure you’re just as keen to hear who we’ve selected as we are to present them to you.

In no particular order, here are the top dogs and fat cats of the cartoon world. (After you check them out, here are some great cat movies to get watching):

Garfield

Of course, Garfield needs his own spot here. While we’re not advocating for feeding cats lasagna, or overfeeding them in general (average cat weight ahoy!), we’ve got to give it to this feline for accurately representing cat authority. Do you agree?

Here’s the updated version of Garfield:

Snoopy

What’s not to love about Charlie Brown’s famous pet dog Snoopy? For one thing, he gets along with pets and people (Woodstock the bird being his trusty side kick). And other being that just like real dogs, he takes all the hard blows for his human. This little Beagle is timeless and iconic and will always have a place in our hearts.

May our kids and their kids watch the Peanuts/Snoopy series, take a look:

The Cheshire cat

The Cheshire cat isn’t just one of those mythical creatures that goes from grinning in a tree to being invisible. He also made the transition from classic kid’s literature to film star when the book was made into a movie and was just as loved.

And, this Alice in Wonderland star happens to be based on an actual cat breed: the British Shorthair. Here’s a snippet from Tim Burton’s version of Alice in Wonderland featuring the Cheshire cat:

Famous people and their pets

Famous people and their pets are sort of like a double famous duo. If you think about it, being famous and having people know about your pets is a bit like being twice as famous… Or is that having your fame be twice as meaningful. As pet lovers, that’s what we’re inclined towards thinking!

Here are famous people and their pets:

Taylor Swift’s famous pet cats

Not only did Swift play the role of a cat in the (failed) movie Cats, but she sings about cats too. (“Guess I’ll just stumble on home to my cats, alone.”). The real stars of the show are undoubtedly her very own cats, Benjamin Button, Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson.

Check out how many cat breeds Ms Swift can name in 10 seconds:

The Queen’s Corgis

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth owned more than 30 Pembroke Welsh Corgis. In fact, she even became an avid breeder of these short-legged pups.

In William’s recent memoir he reveals that he and Prince William had to share a bedroom as kids. The Royal Corgis, on the other hand, were given their own room in Buckingham palace complete with individual raised wicker baskets to escape the draught.

Here’s more about the Corgi history, personality and health.

Paris Hilton’s menagerie of famous pets

Paris Hilton has, or has had, so many pets they have a website gallery dedicated to them. On the Meet the Hilton Pets page, you get to scroll through 24 – yes 24! – slides of Paris alongside each pet. That includes Diamond Baby (slide 8) who went missing in 2022. (And who Paris plans to clone using stem cells she collected.)

Looks like she’s cooking up some homemade pet treats below:

Check out my cozy holiday cooking special with Demi Lovato! Join us as we dish out the gossip and whip up delicious treats for our furry friends! 🐶❤️ Love you sis! 💕 Watch now on Roku! #ThatsHot

Posted by Paris Hilton on Friday, 8 December 2023

Social media pet influencers

The skies the limit for famous pets on social media. That said, good pet photography isn’t about the viewers – it’s about making sure your pet is comfortable and happy.

We’ve rounded up some top pet celebs that are dominating the internet, both in New Zealand and beyond.

Check out these famous pets:

While we’re talking about celebrity pets of all types, also check out famous dogs from New Zealand that saved the lives of people. You might also want to read about all sorts of famous cats who’ve shaped society.

And! Why not take the Pet Personality Quiz and find out what pet you’d be?

A person capturing a snapshot of a celebrity pet on their phone.

Famous pet names

Thinking of getting a new puppy or new kitten? Then we’ve got you covered for naming ideas. Or rather, we’ve got the A-lister pet names in New Zealand. You might even want to not choose them, just so there’s no confusion in the park…

Read about the top 10 kitten and puppy names from 2023. If you’re thinking of taking another route (cat parents) then we’ve also rounded up some top Egyptian cat names to choose from.

While we’re on the topic of new (and existing pets) let’s talk about giving them a soft landing too, with….

Multi award winning pet plans with PD Insurance

Our multi award winning dog insurance and cat insurance comes in three tiers. That means you get to choose the most suitable level of cover from accident, accident and illness to dental (that includes accident and illness).

It means you can Taylor your pet plan to your budget and to your pet. Oh, and we’re Swift when it comes to reimbursing eligible vet bills – we aim to get your money back in your account within two days. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the bad Taylor Swift jokes).

In short, you give your pet the safety of being able to go in for unexpected vet visits when they need too. You also protect your finances by having us onside to help cover the costs. PD Insurance gives you one or more months of FREE pet insurance when you buy an online pet policy.

Click below to get your quote today.

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