From celebrity pet food critics to feline fashionistas, alley cats to (maybe) made-up mutts, we take a peek inside the world of some of history’s richest pets. But with all that preening and pampering it begs to ask the question, have they really been happy with their purr-fect lives? Read our ratings below to find out.
Marcel
Marcel is the hottest corgi influencer on Instagram right now. So if you don’t already, make sure you follow him for a parade of hilarious and entertaining travel blogging and food critiquing. What makes Marcel even more lovable is what he gives back as well, he’s a regular on the ‘therapy dog for the elderly’ scene and is always up for a pooch pat or caring cuddle. We love Marcel's exotic adventures and cheeky grin.
Credit: Charlotte Graham Photography
Happiness rating 10/10; Jet setting around the world as a food critic and professional cuddler sounds like a happy life to us.
Gunther VI
This is the remarkable story of Gunther VI, a German Shepard with a net worth today of $400 million. This pooch inherited his fortunes from his Grandfather (Gunther III, also a German Shepard) who had been owned by a very mysterious German countess Karlotta Leibenstein. According to legend, when Leibenstein died, she left her $80 million estate to Gunther II after having no living (human) heirs. She did this by leaving it in the hands of Italian Maurizo Mian, who used it to build a large and extremely lavish empire for the Gunther family. This whole ‘tail’ has been shrouded in mystery and Mian’s actions seem questionable. So much so that Netflix released a four-part documentary ‘Gunther’s Millions’ this year around this fascinating story.
Happiness Rating: 8/10, we had to deduct a few ‘shrouded in mystery’ points.
Tommaso, who wants to be a cat millionaire?
In 2011, a stray cat that had been rescued from the streets of Rome became an overnight millionaire. A true rags-to-riches ‘tail’ was written for Tommaso, who was the beloved kitty of Maria Assunta, the wealthy widow of an Italian property tycoon. When Assunta died at the age of 94, she bequeathed a $13 million fortune to this alley cat, which included cash and properties peppered throughout Italy. Assunta left all her money to Tommaso via her own nurse, Stefania, who had cared for her in her final years and would care for Tommaso in his.
A Tommaso-inspired cat, his image was protected to prevent from kidnapping and ransom attempts.
Happiness rating: 5/10, we are splitting right down the middle on this one, it is debatable whether Tommaso missed his renegade alley cat lifestyle or preferred comforting the elderly Maria, who had (without any close family) suffered from much loneliness in her older years. It’s rumoured Tommaso had a penchant for biscuits and milk, so his latter years perhaps included a happily expanding waistline.
Karl Lagerfield and his cat Choupette
German-born fashion designer Karl Lagerfield left behind two things when he sadly passed away in 2019, a fashion legacy spanning over 60 years and his beloved Burmese cat, Choupette (who actor Jared Leto famously dressed up as at the recent Met Gala which paid homage to the great designer).
Choupette is living in the lap of luxury, with a schedule of private jet journeys and a plethora of servants to maintain her impeccable fur and laser blue eyes. She has also used her impeccable good looks to promote car brands and like all good influencers, launched her own beauty line.
Happiness rating: 3/10, even though Choupette has everything a cat could wish for, she seems to mourn for her owner Karl, reminding us that the best things in life are actually free.
Grumpy Cat
Grumpy Cat aka Tardar sauce, is one of the most recognised internet felines. She had built an empire for herself (and owner Tabatha Bundesen) based on her unique ‘grumpy resting face’. The grumpy cat empire spawned appearances, modelling, book deals and films, all culminating in bringing in the cash for this special cat, who sadly passed away in 2019. Some publications have estimated earnings were around $100 million, but this was never confirmed by Tardar’s owner.
Happiness rating: 0/10, the name says it all really.