Choupette, Karl Lagerfeld’s pampered cat, became an Instagram star

CNN — He spoke openly of his adoration for her; she was photographed staring tenderly at him. But in his latter years, he also gained fame as the adoptive parent of Choupette Lagerfeld, a Birman breed cat that came to stay one Christmas and never left. Lagerfeld told CNN of his enduring love for Choupette in 2013: “There is no marriage, yet, for human beings and animals… I never thought I would fall in love like this with a cat.” The designer agreed to look after the Birman for a friend, but grew so attached to the animal that he refused to give her back. The cat’s jet-set lifestyle, traveling the world at Lagerfeld’s side, became social media legend; a tribute Instagram account created by a fan has over 120,000 followers, tracing her every move around the world. Lagerfeld designed a whole fashion collection based on her, called “Choupette in Love,” and Lagerfeld’s luxury fashion house Chanel put out a haute couture collection inspired by her eyes.