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Taylor Swift’s three publicly documented cats are Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button. Meredith joined Swift’s household in 2011, Olivia was introduced in 2014, and Benjamin was adopted after Swift met him during the production surrounding the 2019 “ME!” video. Their names come from fictional characters, and the cats have appeared in Swift’s music videos, promotional work, social-media posts, merchandise and major editorial photographs.
Some details repeated online—especially exact birth dates, ages, private travel arrangements and supposed individual net worths—are not supported by sufficiently authoritative public documentation. The reliable story is more interesting: the cats have become part of Swift’s domestic image and a recurring visual link between her private interests and public pop-culture persona.
The three cats at a glance
| Cat | Namesake | Publicly reported breed | Joined Swift’s household |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meredith Grey | Dr. Meredith Grey from Grey’s Anatomy | Scottish Fold, according to secondary reporting | October 2011 |
| Olivia Benson | Detective Olivia Benson from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Scottish Fold, according to secondary reporting | 2014 |
| Benjamin Button | The title character from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button | Ragdoll, according to secondary reporting | 2019 |
The breed descriptions are widely repeated, but no official veterinary pedigree documents were located for this article. They are therefore best treated as reported identifications rather than formally documented public records.
Taylor Swift’s cat-adoption timeline
- October 2011 — Meredith Grey: Swift adopted Meredith, reportedly around Halloween. The kitten was named after the central doctor from Grey’s Anatomy, played by Ellen Pompeo.
- 2014 — Olivia Benson: Swift introduced Olivia as a new kitten joining Meredith. Olivia’s name refers to Detective Olivia Benson, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit character played by Mariska Hargitay.
- 2019 — Benjamin Button: Swift encountered Benjamin during production connected with the “ME!” video. Contemporary reports described him as a homeless kitten involved in a commercial or advertising adoption initiative. Swift later adopted him.
Exact dates of birth and precise ages for all three cats circulate widely online, but they are not included here because this research did not find authoritative primary documentation for them.
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Meredith Grey: the private first cat
Meredith is the oldest member of the trio and the cat who established Swift’s public association with Scottish Folds. Her name is a direct reference to Dr. Meredith Grey from Grey’s Anatomy.
Meredith has appeared in Swift-related photographs and video, including the domestic scenes of the 2019 “ME!” music video. She has generally been less visible than Olivia and Benjamin in later public material. In an April 2021 social-media update, Swift described Meredith as private and said she did not enjoy having a camera pointed at her. That comment offers a better explanation for Meredith’s relative absence than the many unsupported internet theories about her whereabouts.
Meredith’s public personality, as documented by Swift, is therefore less that of a regular celebrity sidekick and more that of a cat who does not particularly want the job. Her limited appearances are part of the story: Swift’s public image includes the idea that her pets have distinct personalities and do not exist solely for photographs.
Olivia Benson: the recognizable second cat
Olivia Benson joined Swift’s household in 2014 and was named for Mariska Hargitay’s detective character in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The name created an especially memorable connection between Swift’s real cat and the fictional police detective.
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Olivia has been more consistently visible in public-facing material than Meredith. She has appeared in Swift’s social-media content, advertising and promotional imagery, as well as music-video material. One of the most widely reported encounters came when Olivia met the human Olivia Benson, Mariska Hargitay. The meeting turned a long-running pop-culture name reference into a real celebrity photograph.
Olivia’s image has also become part of Swift’s commercial universe. The official Taylor Swift Store has exposed a “MEREDITH & OLIVIA SWIFT®” collection or category, although products, prices, availability and regional access can change. The existence of that category shows how the two cats have been incorporated into licensed Swift merchandise; it does not establish that every product is always in stock or that an affiliate program is available.
Benjamin Button: the “ME!” kitten
Benjamin Button is named after the title character in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He is generally identified in secondary coverage as a Ragdoll, although no official breed certificate was located for this article.
Benjamin’s adoption story is closely tied to the 2019 “ME!” rollout. The music video includes a kitten as the gift Swift actually wants, and reports from the production period connected that kitten with Benjamin. The kitten had reportedly been brought into the production through an adoption initiative after being found homeless. Swift ultimately adopted him.
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Benjamin became the most internationally recognizable of the three after appearing with Swift on the cover of TIME magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year issue. According to TIME’s account, Swift asked to bring her cat when she learned she had received the honor. The cover transformed Benjamin from a familiar fan-community figure into part of one of the year’s defining celebrity images.
Benjamin also appeared in the image Swift used for her September 2024 presidential endorsement. In that photograph, Swift signed herself “Childless Cat Lady.” This is a documented public-image moment—not evidence about Benjamin’s private life, political views or daily routine.
Where you have seen Swift’s cats
The “ME!” music video
The 2019 “ME!” video is central to Benjamin’s origin story. Its colorful domestic fantasy presents a kitten as the present Swift really wants, and contemporary reporting linked the on-screen kitten to Benjamin’s eventual adoption. Meredith and Olivia are also visible in the video’s home setting, making it one of the clearest group appearances by the trio.
Advertising and promotional media
Swift’s cats have appeared in advertising and promotional content over the years. Those appearances helped turn the cats into recognizable extensions of her public identity, but exact campaign dates, commercial values and contractual details should not be inferred unless a specific campaign is independently documented.
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Social media
Social posts have supplied many of the informal glimpses fans have of Meredith, Olivia and Benjamin. They also show why it is important not to treat every cat-related image as evidence of a current routine. A photograph confirms that a cat appeared in that particular piece of content; it does not establish where the cat lives now, how often the cat travels or what the cat’s health is.
TIME Person of the Year
Benjamin’s appearance on the 2023 TIME Person of the Year cover is arguably the trio’s most prominent editorial appearance. It also provides unusually strong documentation because the magazine identified Benjamin and recorded Swift’s reason for bringing him to the shoot.
“Anti-Hero”
The official “Anti-Hero” music video uses a fictionalized family-and-inheritance sequence that includes a future cat-sanctuary joke. The scene works as a cat-related comic motif within the video. It should not be read literally as a statement about Swift’s estate plans, a promise to create a sanctuary or a forecast of the cats’ future.
Why cats matter to Taylor Swift’s public image
Swift has spoken directly about her relationship with cats. In a 2019 TIME video, she said she was obsessed with her cats and described cats as dignified, independent and capable of handling their own lives. That interview is important because it supports the idea that the cat connection comes from Swift herself, rather than being purely a fan-created narrative.
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A 2014 Rolling Stone profile also depicted time at home with Swift and her cats, including watching television. That account is useful historical color, but it should not be treated as evidence of the cats’ current household routines.
Together, the three cats reinforce several familiar elements of Swift’s public persona: strong pop-culture references, a carefully observed domestic life, humor about celebrity and a willingness to let pets appear in major professional settings. Their names also form a consistent pattern. Meredith, Olivia and Benjamin are each borrowed from recognizable fictional characters, giving Swift’s personal interests a natural connection to television, film and fan culture.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is confirmed—and what remains uncertain
Well-supported facts
- The publicly documented trio is Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button.
- Meredith was adopted in 2011, Olivia was introduced in 2014 and Benjamin was adopted in connection with the 2019 “ME!” production.
- Meredith is named after Grey’s Anatomy’s Meredith Grey; Olivia is named after Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’s Olivia Benson; and Benjamin is named after the protagonist of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
- The cats have appeared in Swift’s music-video material, advertising or promotional media, social content and editorial photography.
- Benjamin appeared with Swift on the 2023 TIME Person of the Year cover.
- The official Taylor Swift Store has used a “MEREDITH & OLIVIA SWIFT®” collection or category.
Claims to treat cautiously
- Exact birth dates and ages: widely circulated, but not sufficiently verified here.
- Individual net worths: viral multimillion-dollar estimates are not reliable facts. Pets do not have independently documented celebrity net worths simply because they appear in commercial media.
- Current health and residence: private details should not be stated without a recent, direct source.
- Travel arrangements: public photographs do not prove that a cat routinely travels with Swift or establish how travel is managed.
- Breed: Scottish Fold and Ragdoll identifications come from secondary reporting, not publicly located pedigree records.
- Current ownership details: the safest formulation is that Meredith, Olivia and Benjamin are Swift’s three publicly documented cats. That wording avoids claiming that no other pet has ever entered her life or making unsupported statements about their present private circumstances.
For younger Swifties: a book about the trio
Readers looking for a dedicated introduction to the cats may enjoy Karma Is a Cat: The True Stories of Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button Swift by Farrin Jacobs, published by Ten Speed Press on January 7, 2025. The publisher describes it as a 64-page illustrated book aimed approximately at grades 3–7 and ages 8–12, covering the cats’ adoptions, reported breeds, personalities and public appearances.
This is a third-party publication, not a book presented here as authored or officially endorsed by Taylor Swift. A second 2025 title, Karma Is Three Cats: Life According to Taylor Swift’s Kitty Best Friends, has also been listed by publisher and bibliographic sources as a picture book about the trio. Retailer availability and affiliate eligibility for that title should be checked before publication or purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cats does Taylor Swift have?
Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button are Taylor Swift’s three publicly documented cats. This article does not claim that she has never owned or cared for any other pet, because that broader statement is not established by the available research.
What breeds are Taylor Swift’s cats?
Secondary sources commonly identify Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson as Scottish Folds and Benjamin Button as a Ragdoll. No official veterinary pedigree records were located for this article, so those descriptions should be treated as widely reported rather than formally documented.
Which Taylor Swift cat appeared on the TIME Person of the Year cover?
Benjamin Button appeared with Swift on the 2023 TIME Person of the Year cover.
Are Taylor Swift’s cats named after real people?
No. Their names reference fictional characters: Meredith Grey from Grey’s Anatomy, Olivia Benson from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Benjamin Button from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
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Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button are more than recurring celebrity-pet names. Their documented appearances in Swift’s music, promotional work and editorial imagery have made them part of her storytelling and public identity. The adoption timeline is clear; many private details are not—and separating those two categories makes the story more accurate.
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