Hey Taylor Swift! You’re Not Safely Carrying Your Cat

In general, I try to use my Pet-Lebrity News column to highlight the good deeds done by celebrities in the name of animal welfare. Yet, sometimes I must call out certain celebrities for engaging in pet-related activities that are unsafe or show questionable judgment.

Although I am a fan of Taylor Swift’s creativity, stage presence, fashion sense, and positive image projected towards her impressionable fans, I’m less-approving of the means by which she recently transported her cat Olivia.

The UK Daily Mail article Looking purrfect! Taylor Swift cuts classy figure in mini skirt and long socks as she  takes pet cat Olivia out for New York stroll features photos of Swift departing her New York City apartment carrying Olivia apparently without a collar, harness and leash, or carrier. She appears very content, but Olivia could easily escape from her owner’s supportive grasp and get lost or incur mild to severe injury.

For those of you not familiar with Olivia, she’s a Scottish Fold. Olivia’s not the first cat in Swift’s home, as another Scottish Fold, Meredith, ruled the roost before Olivia’s arrival. Like Meredith, Olivia’s name has origins in popular television; she’s named after Olivia Benson, who is a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit character on played by Mariska Hargitay. Meredith was named after Meredith Grey, who is portrayed by Ellen Pompeo on Grey’s Anatomy. 

Both Olivia and Meredith make frequent appearances on Swift’s Instagram page.  I’ve previously written about Meredith in the following article: Has Taylor Swift’s New Kitty Made Her a Crazy Cat Lady?

So, let’s now get back to Olivia’s less-than-safe means of transport outside of the secure confines of Swift’s Tribeca loft. Although Olivia looks cute as she languidly drapes across Swift’s slender arm, a pet carrier should have been used to protect Olivia from potential harm.

Not Purr-fect

In my clinical practice, I’ve encountered owners electing to take their cat along for the ride without first fitting their feline friend with some form of restraint, such as a carrier or harness-and-leash combination. Most commonly, the owner elects to carry the cat in their arms from the car to their destination. Once outside, a variety of stressors, including loud sounds, curious dogs, and other scary stimuli can prompt the cat’s attempted escape.

Not only could Olivia escape Swift’s grasp and become permanently lost, she could get struck and injured or killed by a passing car. Without being confined to a carrier, Olivia could even cause physical harm to Swift by clawing at her face or other clothed or exposed body parts. I speak from experience that having a cat attempt to achieve some semblance of security by clawing your skin isn’t an ordeal any cat owner should endure. Imagine the chaos and undesirable media exposure should the paparazzi get some prize photos or video of Swift enduring such a situation.

From the photos in the UK Daily Mail article, it appears that Swift is about to step into the passenger side of awaiting car. Permitting Olivia to walk around a moving car is also a potential hazard to both the all passengers inside the car and those with whom the road is shared. Pets should always be restrained away from the driver and airbags during vehicular travel.

My preference would be for Swift to prioritize Olivia’s safety by using a rigid carrier such as those manufactured by PetMate. Such carriers provide protection from crushing injury and are easy to clean should a pet urinate or defecate.  Alternatively, soft carriers, like the Sherpa, provide a easily collapsible option that won’t protect the pet from crushing injury but will provide adequate restraint.

Dogs aren’t the only companion animal species that can be taken for walks. If a harness and leash combination is used, owners can gradually acclimate their feline to the outdoors and safely go for a walk. If Swift doesn’t want to soil Olivia’s delicate paws on New York City’s sidewalks, a harness and leash can help to prevent her from escaping during transport should a carrier not be readily available.

Finally, where’s Olivia’s collar and identifying tag?  Is Olivia even microchipped?  Taking a non-microchipped and non-externally identified pet outside of the home is truly tempting fate should the unforeseeable happen.  After all, it’s always better to plan ahead and play it safe to prevent life-changing events from affecting our pets’ lives.

I hope all goes well during Olivia’s future outings and Swift chooses a safer means of transporting her feline friend.

Copyright of this article (2014) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.