The only thing better than a rags-to-riches story is a cat’s rags-to-riches story.
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Nala the rescue cat went from living at a high-kill animal shelter in Los Angeles to being the most popular cat on Instagram. She’s the “Kim Kardashian of Cats,” and she totally lives up to the name! Nala has over 4 million followers and has even been nominated for a People’s Choice Award.
Nala’s fame is all thanks to her humans, Varisiri Pookie Methachittiphan and Shannon Ellis. Varisiri adopted Nala almost by accident.
“I had no intention to adopt a cat that day,” she told Reader’s Digest.
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She went to the animal shelter just to visit the cats and spend time with them. But when she made eye contact with Nala, she says she couldn’t resist her “big blue eyes.”
“Nala was so small. I asked the shelter if I could hold her.
Once I had Nala in my arms, Nala looked up at me and licked my face.
It was meant to be.”
Basically, she had no choice but to take the sweetest girl home.
In 2012, she started an Instagram account to keep her family and friends in Thailand up-to-date on her adorable kitty’s life.
It wasn’t long before her photos of Nala started landing on Instagram’s Popular page.
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“Each time Nala’s photo was featured on Instagram’s popular page, her account would gain 1,000 new followers.
I was overwhelmed with the response and began to realize she had something special here!”
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Next came merchandise, sponsorships, and extra rescue kitties. Nala is now a full-fledged Instagram influencer.
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She also works to promote pet adoption and responsible pet ownership. Her life is a kitty’s dream come true!
What do you think about Nala’s rise to fame? Let us know in the comments!
