Taylor Swift has been doing photo-ops with her youngest kitty, Olivia Benson, for more than a week now. The paparazzi are always outside of Swifty’s apartment building, so they’ve gotten three different sets of photos on multiple days of Swifty carrying Olivia in her arms. There is no kitty carrier, no leash, nothing to protect the cat if Olivia decides she wants no part in Swifty’s album promotion. People have shown some concern. But Swifty says it’s all a misunderstanding:
Taylor Swift fans have all seen those paparazzi photos of her walking around New York City apartment carrying her new kitten named Olivia Benson. While there’s been much speculation about this practice — and even suggestions that she’s committing a serious error with such cavalier cat-handling — Swift said there’s a simple explanation.
“The kitten freaks out about being put in the cat carrier … she freaks out when she’s in there,” she told Access Hollywood. “So I was just like, ‘OK, all right, we’re gonna just do this!'”
Swift also noted that she’s not walking the streets of New York City holding her cat on one arm.
“It was like a ten foot walk from my door to the car!” she explained. “What I thought was funny about those pictures is that, like, the cat is looking straight at the cameras!”
Yeah, she totally doesn’t answer the most important question: why is Olivia rolling with Swifty’s crew these days? Why does the cat need to leave the house in her mom’s arms three times (at least) in a nine-day time frame? As for Olivia’s hatred of kitty carriers… some cats hate them, some love them. My mom’s Maine Coons love the kitty carriers. Sidenote: I recently picked up one of the Maine Coons, thinking she would be light because she just seems like she’s all-fur and I was astonished by how heavy she is. I would not be able to carry her around like this with one arm. Then again, Swifty’s Scottish Fold kitties are a lot smaller.
Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News, Fame/Flynet.
Dammit if she isn’t growing on me.
Me too. Dammit.
Dammit…She had me at Kanye. I friggin’ love cats.
I’ve always liked her a lot (not her music though). I like the fact she dresses decently, she treats her fans well and hasn’t gotten called out for diva-ish behavior. Out of all the popstars currently out there, she seems the most stable and level-headed.
So yes, if all of the above means that we have to listen to her break-up songs 24/7 on air, so be it.
I agree. She’s a better role model than Miley, AG, etc for young women.
Looking at the paparazzi, just like her momma. I can’t take how much Taylof loves the attention. No other star has photos taken EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Granted I’m a dude, but wouldn’t dressing to the nines with perfect makeup every time you exit your front door just be exhausting after a while? I think that’s why she’s always “lonely girl in PJs or sweats” in her videos. It allows her to dress down for “work”
How often is she the lonely girl in pjs for her videos? I know of 1. The never ever ever one.
And yea. It’s exhausting, but some ladies love it and don’t find it such a chore.
I think she enjoys the attention and even tips the paps.
I know plenty of non famous people who dress everyday like she does (with less expensive clothes obviously) just because they feel like it. Many girls enjoy dressing up.
Chinoiserie
Yes. Loads of girls love to play dress up.And are you talking men and women who dress up daily to the nines? The phrasing makes this unclear to me.
And everyday to literally mean every single day? That seems embellished.
Dutch
End of the day Swifty has help to look this way and loads of free time when not touring. The average woman might dress up for work, but in their offtime You’ll find many in comfy clothes of jeans.
I remember a co-workers grandmother telling me once “Back in the 40’s, 50’s and the early 60’s, you never left the house without being dressed to the nine.”. It was the mid to late 60’s and beyond that people started not to give a S/hit. I like the primpyness and a need to look “put together” to be honest.
@FLORC: I’m a little surprised at your disbelief. Haven’t you wver met someone that needs a full face of makeup just to run to the store? Or makes sure that even their casual ‘sweats’ are a coordinated ensemble? There are absolutely people out there that get dressed and made up every day, just because they like it. And they look at us and wonder why we’re such slobs! Plus apparently once you give it practice beauty routines can go very quickly.
Like broken twigs
sapped of their spark,
bare bark
Kitteh hates cage
Kitteh makes fire
10 feet
on street
with camera
for mama.
Have you ever thought
That perhaps you are a bit
Misinformed? The End.
Pfft, You’re just jealous that I wrote the next deeply evocative Joni Mitchell Swift Grammy song. And so, yes, I am deeply misinformed and delusional. The end.
Guess I got what I deserved…
If you were reading that out loud, I could close my eyes and snap my fingers like a beatnik.
LMAO @ The visual, and you’d be wearing all black; a turtle neck, pencil slacks and a beret, while Mathew Mc would be playing sweaty naked bongos, in rhythm.
Don’t encourage her, GoodNames. Crime scene tape has been put up around Kiddo’s imagination.
LMAO,Joni Mitchell would be proud:)
Olivia looks so soft and snuggly!
That cat!!! She is so cute. She has a coat exactly like my baby Scottish Fold— makes them really fun to pet because they’re so plush.
I believe her. I think I might just have a bias though because Scottish Fold–but I like Swifty because she loves her kitties.
@Kitten..HEY, I wrote a song for you in the Jennifer Lawrence thread.
“Plush” is the perfect description. I am glad that you said that Scottish Folds are chill and like to be cuddled, because if I had one, I don’t I could hold myself back from snuggling all the time!
I think if you hadn’t shared your insight about the breed, I might be more suspicious about Taylor’s moves with her cats. But since you put their vibe into perspective, it actually makes sense, and I believe her too. I do notice that in all of the pictures she is facing the street, like she is headed directly into a car.
Ha, I’m jealous cause you hold my kitten and try to carry him anywhere, he’s biting at your hands. But he does love to cuddle, so it’s a trade off.
@Tiffany-they really are. As I said, people cannot believe that you can just hold a cat forever without it moving but you can with my Folds.
That being said, the little one is a nightmare to sleep next two. Bed hog and total dead weight.
@Kiddo-your poem made me weep. I wrote a response poem.
@Blue-yay you’re here 🙂
How is your kitten?
That cat won’t look so cute when it is smushed under a taxi because a loud noise frightened her and she jump out of Dum-Dum’s arms and ran into the street.
This!!!
It’s simply irresponsible, carrier-hating cat or not.
My cat screams like a wild banshee when she goes in the carrier. Goes = me shoving her and dodging claws.
She still has to go in it though. I like Swifty, but she needs to use a cat carrier.
My cat turns into the devil incarnate when I try to put him in his carrier, and I have the scratch scars to prove it. It’s so bad that I try not to take him to the vet unless I really need to. (Thankfully he’s made it to 14 so I guess I’m doing ok, lol). I agree that the cat should be in a carrier, or better yet just leave it at home.
Yes. My cat acted like she was facing the devil himself when she knew it was time to leave the house in her carrier. To soothe the situation I would have to hold the carrier in one hand and her body with the other. And then she would only rest quietly if I put her over my shoulder like one would a baby. Lol It was so annoying back then but it’s one of the sweetest, funniest memories I have of my beautiful little girl.
My cats never liked a carrier either, but they went in them. Why? Because it was for their safety. Not so I felt like I was a good pet owner. What if someone had a dog being walked at that time? Or was the sidewalked cleared while Swifty did her pap stroll?
exactly, it is stupid
why is she taking the cat everywhere she goes? If there isn’t a legitimate reason to take them somewhere, why not let the cat stay at home where she can sleep or play or hack Tay’s twitterfeed?
maybe she is going to her other home? or to the vet? I only saw that cat twice actually.
Generally, none of my cats have enjoyed the carrier when it was my idea that they go in rather than their own, but I could for the most part sidle up to them and shove them in against their will.
However, I’m faced with a very skittish cat who won’t let me pick her up or hold her! She will cuddle with me, but only when I’m in a reclining position. When it came time to take her to the vet this summer, I attempted to grab her while we were cuddling first thing in the morning, and she was having NONE of it. Because she’s an under-the-bed and behind-the-couch stealth ninja, that was the end of it and I had to cancel the appointment.
I told my vet this, and she was all, oh, maybe you can grab her while she’s eating. Um, lady, did you not get the part where I can’t even grab her when she’s lulled into a cuddle haze??? So frustrating.
I’m hoping by the winter I’ll be able to better lull her into a cuddle coma so I can grab her, but I probably need to work on my reflexes too!
Any suggestions, cat wranglers?
My vet gave me two pieces of advice when I asked for her suggestions…I think she might have even felt sorry for me, lol.
1. Leave the carrier / cage out for a few days before you actually go to the vet. That way the cat will have time to sniff it, get used to it, etc.
2. If your cat is like mine and doesn’t like to be picked up, get an old pillowcase and try and lure them into it. Then when they’re inside you can pick them up in the case and put the whole thing in the carrier. Since the front of the pillowcase isn’t closed up they’ll just crawl out but they’ll already be in the cat carrier. My furball is super curious so he’ll always zip inside an open pillowcase, just because.
And voila! I hope this helps you out. 🙂
Thanks LadyMTL and Mean Hannah, I’ll try!
@Lady, thanks for the pillowcase tip!
Yup, mine, too. I once had to reschedule my vacation because the morning if my departure, she wouldn’t get into the carrier, scratched me for the first and only time, then hid. I was going away for the first time in a million years, but it was for over two weeks so I decided to leave her with the only person other than me whom she tolerated but she needed me to leave my kitty at her house. She never likes the carrier and the only way I could put her in was wrap her (she doesn’t let anyone hold her) in a towel, then shove her unceremoniously and quickly, butt first. With reluctant kitties, try putting them into the carrier butt first – that always works other than that one time I was distracted by my baby.
It usually is better with the carrier if they see it as part of the furniture from a young age (you know, leave it there next to the scratch post with a comfy blanket in it or leave some treats in it from time to time).
If they still hate the carrier it’s a problem – but not for Taylor Swift! She has the money to have the vet come to her house or get people to take care of her cat into her home instead the cat into the home of others. This strolling around with the cat on her arm is nothing but PR and totally stupid.
Agreed. Waiting for the headline that Olivia was squished by a taxi when she jumped of out Swifty’s arms. I’ve actually seen that happen before. My cats hate the carrier, but I’d rather them be alive.
Some cats act more like dogs. I had a cat that used to love going out with us and even enjoyed car rides looking out the window. (She, too, had a strong anti cat carrier stance.)
My parents’ little Yorkie dog, on the other hand, freaks out and is extremely annoying on even short trips. She howls, whimpers, and shakes even if you hold her. Some of it is excitement but, it is SO annoying.
Funny, I was just talking about Maine Coons with a coworker today – he had no idea domestic cats could get so big (they’re the largest breed and I WANT THEM ALL).
Neither of my kitties like the carrier. One freaks out and even starts panting, the other whines like a baby. If I knew I could carry them safely on my arm to the car, I would – but they’d freak out all the same.
I have a Maine Coon, he is one solid mass of kitty. When he leaps from his beloved top-of-the-chest-of-drawers to the floor, it almost shakes the house. Definitely could not carry him in one arm, maybe not in two (for very long).
We’ve got two white Maine Coons, and they are great. (Each are 16 pounds). Both hate the cat carriers, probably because the only time they are in them is when they go to the vet. (When they were babies though, they’d nap in one together…LOL). I’d never be able to walk around NYC with them in my arms though, they’d freak.
We once had a Manx that was very dog-like. I used to drive around town with him in the car, he loved it. Never had him in a carrier, even when we went to the vet. So, it does sort of depend on the personalities of the animal. Taylor gets no shade from me, her kitty seems docile.
Glad the Maine Coon is being discussed. Such solid kittens! All muscle and extra toes to love.
A simple pleasure of life is watching a Maine coon play with a faucet. They have such fascination with water.
There is no safely carrying a cat on your arms, unfortunately. I love cats but it’s a totally different situation than with dogs who are trained to walk on the street with a leash on etc. – not go out once (or thrice) in a lifetime and be possibly freaked out by a loud noise etc.
Some cats accept a leash, especially if they connect it with something enjoyable like going out into the garden with it or something like this. So if you absolutely cannot get a cat into a carrier, then it would still be safer to have her on your arm AND on a leash than just nothing. It’s still better to have a carrier though.
I wonder if animals ever want to call a People Control hotline.
Swift is a lot like the cat, looks straight at the cameras.
Let me straighten out my crazy cat lady hat….
My lovely cat… hates the carrier. If it is inside a car. With him in it. 🙂
If it is just sitting in the laundry room floor… he will sleep in it. On it. Not remotely offended about it.
But you place him in it… and then lock the door… and then put that carrier in the back seat of the car. He will lose his sh*t. Oh goodness the violent angry sounds that come out of him.
So when he does travel with me. I have a harness that fits on his body. That I attach to a leash… and clip him to the seat. Just to help keep him from being flung if there is a sudden stop.
But yea…. I have a crazy cat too. And carriers are not an option.
Maybe Olivia just feels like going to the gym with Taylor. To mock her about the daily pap walks.
ha!
love your opening line.
my one dog, the one who still needs to be crated when I go out, is the same way. If she doesn’t have to be in it, she will nap in it & play in it. Heck, she and the other dogs or a foster will all go into it and happily play in there despite the fact it’s too small for them all. When I tell them they have to come out, it looks like a clown car of never ending dogs. I should note that my dogs and my fosters are all medium-large dogs trying to see how many can fit in the smallest crate that’s out
Kesha has been seen carrying a cat. Is this a thing now? Leave your cats at home.
Why do people have to leave their cats at home? Do you say the same thing to people who take their dogs everywhere?
Because that is the same thing…
Though I love and have had both, dogs and cats are completely different creatures. I had a leash for my cat but he hated it. He wanted to be free, also hated cat carriers, etc. Dogs are much easier to break.
So what if the cat hates the carrier? ALL cats hate them. They are for their protection.
The cat doesn’t HAVE to go with her everywhere.
And, Taylor, 10 feet from the door to the car is more than enough time for the cat to freak, jab it’s claws into your arms, bolt away, and run into the street.
Olivia Benson is not going anywhere.
If she does, they’ll be hell to pay. We all know how Taylor deals with being left…
“I loved you so,
held you close on our walks,
Buy you still leapt away…
My heart was just your litter box”
Comment of the day. Made me LOL hard! 🙂
What great lyrics on this thread today. Enjoying them all.
BAHAHAHA! Nice.
my maine coon is small for maine but she’s still a lot heavier than most people realize. i also have to build the cat carrier around her otherwise she will not go in/get out.
I had a carrier that the top half and door were removed and the bottom half was a bed. So my cat would lay in there while I got the to and door on quickly and then screwed in the connectors. Otherwise he’d destroy my arms.
Kitty doesn’t like the carrier – tough! My kids don’t like their car seats either, but they still ride in them.
My cat HATES her carrier! When I bring it out, she hauls ass. She will continuously cry from the moment I put her in all the way to the vets office. And she sounds so sorrowful, my vet must think I’m a monster. Lol.
I’m typing this very quietly so my cats don’t know….
Olivia Benson is adorable.
My cats like the carrier if it isn’t in the car and the door stays open. They actually fight over who gets to sleep in it.
I hate to say it but I kind of sympathize with Swifty on this one… I had to evacuate my house once and trying to get my cats into the carrier was like torture. I’d have been better off just throwing them in the backseat of the car LOL especially after they left their business (1 and 2) in the carrier for me to clean… And then did it again when I had to put them back in to bring them home after the evacuation. NEVER want to deal with that again.
As a crazy cat lady I can sympathize with a cat being freaked out by a carrier. One of my own cats becomes so hysterical in a carrier that he has injured himself trying to claw his way out. Even so, I worry about Taylor’s cat jumping from her arms. she doesn’t appear to have a great hold on it. wouldn’t take much for the cat to become frightened by a flash and make a run for it.
I look at it this way, Mandy Moore won’t kick her ass as long as she’s holding Olivia Benson.
Exactly!
I wish Taylor would stand up straight. Kitty is cute. She is a dwerp.
It’s the tall girl slouch. I speak from experience.
She takes them with her when she leaves new york. Yesterday she was in montreal. Last week she took them to L.A. to the fans album listening party.
Also These pics dont show it but Meredith (the other cat) was being carried in a cat carrier behind Taylor. Meredith hates being held from what fans have said so she travels in the carrier, but Oliviz loves being held by Taylor or anyone, so she’s most easily transferred to the car that way.
Well this is the thing: how many celebs get pets only to leave them at home for others to take care of while they travel?
At least Taylor brings her kitties with her. I agree that maybe she should have a firmer grip on her cat but she so clearly loves her kitties. I’m not gonna fault her when we have celebs like Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton out there-people who treat animals like accessories that are easily disposed of once they tire of them.
I agree – at least she keeps them with her. I have never taken a vacation where I’ve not fretted over missing my pets. I’ve only been away from my dog for a week in all her ten years. She’s an Am Staff (similar to a pitbull) and I trust her with no one but my mother.
One of my 3 cats HATES both the carrier, and being in the car…but to be fair, she came into our lives when some waste of flesh threw her out of the window of a moving vehicle onto a busy street, when she was approx. 4 weeks old. (The only injury she got was some road rash on her nose.) She’s 11 now, and we’ve tried setting out the carrier so she could just check it out without going anywhere, and we’ve tried taking her on short drives that don’t end at the vet…no go. She WAILS as soon as she sees the carrier.
Bless you for saving a precious kitteh!
Why does she even need to explain why she’s taking the cat places? That’s like my neighbor asking me why I’m taking my cat somewhere. Nunyabiznizz!
Yup. It’s not like the cat is being harmed. Do whatever. It’s the same as carrying a tiny dog around.
Does anyone else think Taylor looks like Kira (from The Dark Crystal) in the first pic?
Only thing I took from this post…
Taylor is treating the cat like an accessory . The only difference between her and some others is that people are making excuses why its ok for her to do it.
Taylor treats Meredith and Olivia Benson like family members, as her social media accounts have shown since she first git Meredith a few years ago.
Swifty is a crazy cat lady, as am I. She is just wealthier than me..
Some people bring their dogs everyone. Why can’t Swifty bring her cat?
Because cats are usually more home bound. There are cats of course who tolerate the travelling well, but most cats just don’t like to be constantly moved like dogs. Different species, different habits.
But even if her cats are of the vagabound variety (which is doubtful) she has to put – at least – a harness and leash on them for their safety.
I’m convinced this is about either Carrie Underwood and her husband and Swifty, or about Mandy Moore, Ryan Adams, and Swifty, in which case, maybe TSwift is desperate to promote the cat lady image and be like, “Who, me? Nooooooooo. I’m a spinster cat lady, see!”
http://www.laineygossip.com/Notes-on-a-love-triangle-blind-riddle/31393
Im convinced that there’s no way that has anything to do with Swift. She’s way to smart to get involved in anything like that, her career means more than any dude. Just cause the tabloids make up tons of headline grabbing tales about her doesn’t mean you have to believe everything you read. That’d be like high school rumor mills started by some kid that doesnt like another so everyone starts hating that kid cause its the popular thing to do. Very immature and sheep-like.
I’m convinced we don’t know her as far as we can throw her.
Also, tabloids do make up a lot of shit, but every one of Lainey’s blinds has been revealed to be true. Say what you will about Lainey, and I know plenty here don’t like her (I happen to like her), but her blind riddle track record is sterling.
I don’t understand what the big deal is that she’s carrying her cat and taking it out. Taylor probably does a lot of traveling and wants to get her cat more socialized with being in cars and such. If she was taking her cat outside without a leash and putting it on the ground then yes I could understand the animosity. Carrying it ten feet to a car in your arms? Big whoop.
Olivia seems perfectly content to be carried a short distance to the car, even with all the paparazi around. All cats are different but Main Coons especially are more chilled and loyal to their owners, Olivia is fine.
That cat is adorable.
While my kitty would never let me do this, my friend takes her cat for daily walks. She also likes water and will get in the tub with my friend, which freaked her out the first time, LOL. She only puts the cat in a leash at a very crowded place, like a county fair or taking her daughter trick or treating. And she’s no Scottish Fold or Coon…some kind of mix no one knows.
Too cute. I suddenly like her a lot more.
I used to dress up like that when I was her age and a little older as well. Full face of makeup, everything. Except the cat. I’m allergic and not a cat person at all. Then I had kids and it all went to hell.