"Night Twonks."
We love cat guys around here (heck we love anyone who's not afraid to show their unabashed love for kitties), and hot on the heels of the news that actor Robert Downey, Jr. is a newly minted cat man, comes word that British comedian Ricky Gervais is a bona fide feline enthusiast as well.
Long times fans of the controversial funny man, perhaps best known in America for creating the original BBC version of The Office and Extras, are probably already aware of his cat loving ways, but I recently discovered them while accidentally stumbling across his Twitter account over the holidays. It was there I learned that Gervais regularly gives gratuitous tweet time to his gorgeous cat Ollie, a striking Siamese who loves being in front of the camera as much as her famous owner.
On Christmas Eve, Ricky posted a picture of a slumbering Ollie (look at those paws!), with the message, "Peace to all the lovely Twonks of the world. Happy Holidays. Oh dear, someone's over done it already..."
While on New Year's Eve, he posted this lovely close-up, along with the heartfelt tweet, "Believe in yourself. Be kind. Have fun. Do your best. And respect the unconditional beauty of nature. Happy new year."
Further investigation into Ollie's origins revealed this fateful clip from a 2003 episode of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, where the host presents Gervais with the tiny kitten as a gift. While I don't advocate surprising anyone with a pet, the cheeky Brit was visibly touched by the gesture, and eight years later, the kitty has clearly grown up to become an important member of the Gervais household, which also includes Ricky's longtime partner, Jane Fallon.
I was already a fan of Ricky and his comedy, but I have to say the news that he's both a staunch animal rights advocate (check out this tweet where he encouraged his million plus Twitter followers to visit an animal rescue to "cuddle a critter" and leave a donation), and a proud cat owner made him even more likable in my book. Here's to hoping he squeezes a few cat related jokes in between skewering celebs when he takes the stage to host the 69th annual Golden Globes awards ceremony on January 15th!
