Cats are the purrfect friends for these television actresses

Who doesn’t love to come home to a pet? Television actors are no different. While most are known to flaunt their pet dogs, some have a special place in their hearts for their playful felines. On International Cat Day today, BT spoke to celebs who not only spoke about pet cats, but also shared pictures with them.
Resham Tipnis
Resham Tipnis, who was recently seen in Bigg Boss Marathi, has 18 cats.“I have just one original breed, which is a Persian cat that I gifted to my daughter, rest all are adopted. My favourite amongst them is Whiskey. I gave him that name because when I got him home he was ill, under heavy medication and used to walk around in a dazed condition, which made him look like he was drunk,” she informs. “Cats give you unconditional love and they generate a lot of positivity. You don’t feel lonely with them around in the house, as they always shower you with their attention,” adds the actress.

Ridhi Dogra
Ridhi Dogra and Raquesh Bapat share a common love for cats. Says Ridhi, “We had two cats. Raquesh already had a black Persian cat, who was named Nemo since he always had a tough time finding him in the house. After we got married, I got a Turkish Angora breed cat five years ago and named her Dory. She was a hyperactive, curious cat, but we lost her last year after. I was devastated. We just have Nemo now.” Talking about Nemo, she adds, “He’s over 13 years old and is always on his own. I feel he is teaching us a lesson on how to take care of yourselves.”

Hiba Nawab
Hiba Nawab has a pet cat called Snowy. “I have always been fond of kittens, so my parents gifted me a Persian cat on my birthday. I named her Snowy as she’s as white as snow. In fact, I call her just Snow sometimes,” she says. “I love to spend time with her. As soon as I enter the house, she’s ready to play and whenever I’m ready to go to bed, she tries to show her love and affection towards me by pressing my legs with her cute little paws. She sleeps besides me with her head on the pillow we share,” adds the actress, who’s currently seen in the show Jijaji Chhat Par Hai.

Sana Saeed
Actress Sana Saeed has two cats — Honey, a Norwegian Forest female cat and Godiva, a Himalayan clear male cat. “ Honey has beautiful honey coloured eyes. She has been with us for 14 years, but every single time I enter home, I still feel the same rush of joy, love and excitement that I felt when we brought her home as a six-months-old kitten. It’s the most amazing feeling, and the best moment I truly live for in the day. She’s my happiest place,” gushes the actress.
Godiva is her birthday present, which she got in 2012 . “He was just 20 days old when we got him home. He will be six years old this August. I gave him the name Godiva because his white and dark colour reminds me of one of my favourite chocolates. He has very little so-called cat traits. He will lick you and follow you around. He will also fetch a ball and bring it back to you. And he will never paw or hiss at you. He’s an adorable baby,” adds Sana.

Neha Kaul
The Bitti Businesswali actress loves to spend time with her pet cat. Says Neha Kaul, “I love all animals equally, but I decided to keep a cat as a pet because unlike dogs, they requires less attention and space to roam around as compared to dogs. Since actors have long hours of shoot, we are not usually able to give a lot of time to our pets. Cats are independent animals that way.” The actress has a unique name for her cat. “A cross-breed of Persian and Chartreux, I have a grey coloured male cat and his name is Mister. I wanted to keep an unusual name. And only a sophisticated name would have complemented his regal appearance. I could not think of another name than ‘Mister’ as it brings out a lot of respect and a royal feeling,” she says.
The actress is all for having pets in the house as she believes they bring in a lot of joy, love and togetherness in families. “Having a pet is like having a companion in all your good and bad times. Learning to care for them, grooming and feeding them helps us develop more humane characteristics,” she says.

Jia Shankar
An ardent animal lover, Jia Shankar, who’s currently seen in the show Meri Hanikarak Biwi, says she would love to pet even a lion or a tiger. Therefore, it is no surprise that she has a cat as a pet at home. “While I have taken care of my friend’s cat, I never owned one until my last birthday, five months ago. A close friend gifted me a month-old Persian kitten and when I held him, it felt like I had the entire world in my arms and I named him Sky,” she shares. “My mom takes care of him on regular days, but once in a while, I like to get him on the set with me. He is one of the most playful cats that I have met in a while. He absorbs and understands much more than most cats,” adds the actress, who has plans to get another cat in the future.