If you’re an animal-lover, you probably already know cute and cuddly pets are capable of winning over just about every heart.
With that in mind, it’s really no surprise that plenty of famous folks throughout history have felt similarly about their own pets. After all, even celebrities can’t resist the right pair of puppy dog eyes!
Presidents, painters, and plenty of Hollywood legends have all been famous pet-owners in their time. Even busy starlet Marilyn Monroe made room in her life for animal companionship, in between jet setting for new films and posing in Playboy.
And while there are plenty of perfectly ordinary pooches and kitty cats among the ranks of celebrity pets, there were also quite a few surprises just a tad more exotic than the critters the rest of us share our homes with.
Check out the list below to see which famous faces of the past were just as fond of their pets as we are!
1. Audrey Hepburn And Pippin
When Audrey Hepburn starred in the 1959 film Green Mansions, she played a character who has a friendship with a tiny fawn.
Hepburn brought her animal co-star home to bond, and eventually decided to adopt the tiny deer and name her Pippin, or "Ip" for short!
2. Alfred Hitchcock And Sarah
Though Alfred Hitchcock is best known today for gripping thrillers like Vertigo and Rear Window, those who knew him personally also remember him for his devotion to his dogs.
He had a succession of West Highland White Terriers (or "Westies"), ending with Sarah. And several of his dogs even made cameos in his films!
3. Josephine Baker And Chiquita
Josephine Baker was a woman who knew how to live life to the fullest, and her choice of pet was no exception.
Living in France to escape the racism and persecution of the U.S., Baker was often spotted walking around Paris with her pet cheetah, Chiquita, who was never seen without her diamond-studded collar.
4. Pablo Picasso And Lump
The world-famous artist loved dogs and always had at least one in his company.
One of his most beloved pooches was a dachshund named Lump, who originally belonged to photographer David Douglas Duncan, but "jumped ship" when he met Picasso.
5. Tippi Hedren And Neil
The star of The Birds and Marnie, Tippi Hedren was also known for her love of big cats.
She allowed the full-grown lion Neil to live in her home and sleep in bed with her daughter, actress Melanie Griffith. Today, she lives on a big cat preserve in California.
6. Marilyn Monroe, Arthur Miller, And Hugo
The blonde bombshell had several pets over the course of her career, including a basset hound named Hugo during her marriage to the playwright Arthur Miller.
Miller kept Hugo in the divorce, and Marilyn went on receive a Maltese terrier, named Maf, from Frank Sinatra.
7. Franklin D. Roosevelt And Fala
The White House has always been home to plenty of animal companions, from President Obama's Portuguese Water Dogs to George Washington's parrot.
One of the more famous presidential pets was FDR's Scottish Terrier, Fala, who was well-known for following the President everywhere he went.
8. Salvador Dalí And Babou
The Catalan surrealist also kept some truly surreal pets, including a number of swans and an anteater.
However, of his unusual menagerie, his constant companion was an ocelot called Babou.
Only slightly bigger than an ordinary housecat, Babou went everywhere with Dalí and shared in his strange and luxurious lifestyle.
