Legendary comedian John Cleese may be “already dead” at 84, but he still adores “proper cats” nonetheless. After Cleese appeared prematurely in an obituary, he has continued his career with his zest for life. One of his most famous Monty Python skits is about a pet shop with only one dead parrot, but in real life, he and his wife prefer cats, and the bigger and fluffier, the better!
It’s noteworthy that his social media profile picture since 2020 has been wearing a spotted cat plush hooded jacket.
Image via Facebook/John Cleese
Purrhaps, it’s a nod to the Monty Python “Meaning of Life” moment when Eric Idle and Michael Palin are randomly dressed as tigers? It’s hard to believe Monty Python is 55 years old in 2024.
“‘Tiger’ brand coffee is a real treat. Even tigers prefer a cup of it to real meat!” from Monty Python’s Meaning of Life
John Cleese and His Magnificent Maine Coons
Cleese and his wife, Jennifer Wade, have “magnificent” Maine Coon cats. These fluffy cats need constant grooming, and she has made mews for bringing Heaven, a ragdoll, and enormous fluffy Maine Coons, Teddy and Felix to a groomer once weekly.
“I think it is very good for them,’ Cleese said of the grooming. “My cats are certainly more important than any of my friends. I spend more time with them.”
A New Furry Member of the Cleese Household
Cleese’s nickname for his wife is “Fish” due to her swimming abilities. The couple has been together for 12 years and love spending time with their kitties.
Cleese has said that he loves “The sheer coziness of sitting in the flat” and “playing with the cats.”
“We have four and they are a huge part of our life,” he said.
Although he might be “surprisingly poor,” living with cats makes life much richer!
Maine Coons Teddy and Frankie via Facebook/ John Cleese
Recently, Cleese shared on Instagram that the couple has adopted another kitten named Lucky, who is “already being spoiled.”
“This is Lucky, the latest addition to our family. He comes from Nottingham but is keen not to go back,” he joked.
Lucky Cleese the cat via Instagram/John Cleese
‘Cat Confessions’ with John Cleese
In a previous “Cat Confessions” skit, John Cleese confessed how much he liked cats (see video below).
“I like cats. I just like them better than I like human beings,” the comedian confessed.
From an early age, he learned to ‘talk’ to cats, particularly one female ginger cat.
“I guess it was because when I was young, I found it very difficult to talk to girls. And then this ginger cat who was a girl, came along and I just found I could talk to her.”
Once upon a time, an actress, Dana Smith, even reminded him of a feline. But Cleese said he didn’t think her cat, which had folded ears, was “a proper cat,” so he intended to deliver her one!
Video by BuzzFeed of “John Cleese’s Cat Confessions”:
Letting the Cat Out of the Bag
Over his five-decade + career, John Cleese has made numerous TV appearances with his cats, including orange fluffy Frankie in 2022 ( Full name: Francis Feline-Cleese). In the interview with “The Last Leg,” Cleese “let the cat out of the bag,” showing off baby Francis to the studio audience.
“And the nice thing is, you see, he’s evidently qualified to be a celebrity because he has no talent at all!” Cleese joked.
Sadly, Frankie suddenly crossed the rainbow bridge in 2023 followed by Teddy, who passed in April of 2024.
Video by The Last Leg:
Cat Factories
In 2021, Cleese appeared on TV before school kids with his two cats, Felix and Heather the ragdoll. What started as an attempt to explain “how incredibly important cats are and how they simply must have one in their lives” turned into something much funnier.
A student unexpectedly asked how baby cats are made. Immediately, the master improv actor replied, “Well, they’re made in cat factories.”
“You know the cat factory down the road from here about 200 yards down on the right? It says ‘cat factory,’ and that’s where they make the cats.”
Cleese with Felix the Maine Coon
Cleese also had a funny answer when a child asked what cats get up to at night while we sleep.
“Well, they have a party. They pretend that they can’t talk to each other. But, that’s just to fool us because they don’t want us to know what they’re saying,” he said to the giggling kids.
Hey, that sounds pretty accurate, really!
On ‘Proper Cats’ with Epic Cat Lady Taylor Swift
In an instantly classic interview with famed Cat Lady extraordinaire, Taylor Swift, Cleese once more made fun of a cat with folded ears. It was her Scottish Fold cat, Olivia Benson.
“How did it have the accident?” Cleese asked Swift of her cat Olivia. “Is that a proper cat? It’s the weirdest cat I’ve ever seen in my life!”
Taylor took the jest in good humor and didn’t say much until she saw Cleese’s gigantic “monster” cat. Graham Norton then showed a picture of Cleese’s wife holding Felix, causing the crowd to erupt in laughter.
“It’s a monster!” joked Swift.
Jennifer Cleese holds one of their huge Maine Coons
One never knows what Cleese will say next, which is part of what made him a comedy legend.
“I much prefer cats! They are unpredictable and cussed, like women,” said Cleese.
“Oh, we don’t want to do that!” retorted Swift,
Jennifer Cleese with Teddy via Twitter/or X
