Most of us, whether we like to admit it or not, have an affinity for celebrity. We love the idea that we know someone, or know someone who knows someone. We like to be able to say that we went to school with the brother of, the former school teacher of, know the next door neighbor of…fill in the blank.

We all have our own standards for how we may fill in that blank. For some of us, it may be our favorite band, actor, author, professional athlete, activist, Olympian, chef, but I feel fairly confident that no matter how much some protest, we all have someone whose rarified air we’d like to be in.

I am lucky enough, that while my list of favorites is long, one of them actually lives with me. That’s right, I live with an Instagram star. Don’t get too excited, you may be imagining that I am friends with Brene Brown, or Lauren Graham (shout out just in case they are reading), but I brush the coat of celebrity at my house nearly ever day, it’s the coat of none other than Bhakti the Cat. That’s right, my cat!

Brace yourselves, she has all of 101 followers, but these people are serious. Their commitment to Bhakti is true and strong. They aren’t any fly-by-night fans, they are borderline stalkers. And as a cat, that’s the level of commitment and dedication that a feline like Bhakti not only appreciates, but naturally expects.

One of Bhakti’s followers, you can take that label any way you like, slightly panics if the daily post of Bhakti shows up later in the morning that he would like, or if Bhakti’s publicist, that would be me, opts to take the day off. He appreciates Bhakti’s bold use of stripes and her fearless flaunting of her cat-like figure, which is to say he likes her furry belly.

As Terry Pratchett so aptly said, “In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” 

Bhakti is no exception, in fact, she believe she is the rule…ahem, ruler.

Others think Bhakti is a role model for the ages. She is a rebel with herself as the only cause. She sleeps because she wants to. She begs for food because she can. She makes demands because her staff will listen. (For clarification, John and I are her staff).

This is the thing about a celebrity, we will attend to their every need and do so gladly. It never occurs to us that we are being taken advantage of or not appreciated. The only time we consider that possibly we’d let our “star” live elsewhere, gladly, is around 3:30 am when Contessa has determined she needs a snack. 

But by 6 am we are over it and once again under her spell of her adorable-ness. All she need do is meow, blink at us slowly, or just appear to be hilariously human while still fully in her cat-ness.

This is what it means to be the caretakers of Instagram sensation, Bhakti the Cat. We live to take care of her, work to meet her lifestyle needs, and speak to affirm her superior place in this world. 

Yes, friends this is what it’s like to live with an Instagram influencer. It’s demanding. It’s full of cat naps and catnip but we all have our special purpose and mine is scooping Princess Bhakti’s litter box. I mean, it’s not going to clean itself.

Sunshine & Sarcasm,
Lowi & G