Imma let you finish, but Taylor Swift had a pretty good year. Not only did she come out of it making bank, she also became known for her friend-making skills and proved she's pretty much the nicest person who also happens to have four consecutive No. 1 albums. Still, could it be argued that someone -- two someones, in fact -- had an even more exciting year than Swift? Perhaps two someones who could enjoy all the spoils of a pop-star lifestyle while spending the majority of their day napping?
Yes, we're talking about Swift's two cuddly compatriots, her cats Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson. Throughout the year, they made appearances on tour, on her Instagram, even on her boyfriend's Instagram. Let's review the last 12 months through the eyes of some of the year's most famous felines.
Late 2014: Here, we see Taylor Swift's cats facing some limitations. There's video evidence that they appear to be lacking opposable thumbs, which would come in handy for opening treat bags. Mere days later, we see Meredith and Olivia in their new carriers -- quite chic, but highlighting their lack of agency in their own lives.
Later that same day, TayTay shares a snap of Olivia using her owner as an expensive private plane seat. Things are looking up. 2015 might hold promise after all.
February 2015: Olivia is shown finally getting her treat. (Though, it is likely this is not the first treat she finagled from Swift's hands, opposable thumbs or not.) A few weeks later, we see Olivia and Meredith hanging out together. A nice life, to be sure, but nowhere near the delightful cat pictures that would follow in the months ahead.
March 2015: "I woke up like thissss," Swift writes. "(With a cat on me.)" It's pretty much a portrait of cat-human bliss. But not all is purr-fect: just over a week later, Swift shares a snap of her leg, freshly mauled by Meredith. Here, we learn the greatest truth of this year: pop stars bleed when faced with a cat's claws, multibillion dollar recording artist or not.
Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes cat scratches -- oh, never mind, they totally do.
At the tail end of March, we see that Olivia has clearly used Jedi-like mind control to win the favor of a young human, sending a clear message to Swift: we will scratch you, and still be able to make you love us with overt displays of cuddliness.
April 2015: It seems that the species of Meredith and Olivia is called into question. First, Swift discovers an uncanny meerkat-cat connection in her pets. (Could you possibly even call them meercats?) Then, she records a video in which Meredith and Olivia can be heard offscreen, captioning it, "Living with Roosters: A Documentary."
There is, however, a stunning breakthrough: Swift's confirmed beau, Calvin Harris, shares a photo of Meredith and Olivia (who, it must be said, is tipping the scales more toward meerkat than cat). When Bae acknowledges your cats, you know it's real.
May 2015: The cats have different reactions, it seems, to their cat-hood being questioned. Meredith is, understandably, displeased, while it looks like Olivia is willing to overlook any misidentifications in order to receive a treat from her namesake -- Detective Olivia Benson, aka actress Mariska Hargitay, aka a new pal of Swift's.
Let us pause in our year-in-review for this close-up of Meredith drinking water, captured by Harris.
August and September 2015: The end of the summer is spent in exquisite chairs and even more meerkating (henceforth a real word).
October 2015: Swift expresses extreme devotion to her pets, hugging a cardboard cutout of one when they weren't able to be present on the international legs of her tour. Olivia, for her part, seems to be more satisfied by her love for fancy chairs than her excited pop star owner. Way to stay on brand.
And Halloween was not to be overlooked, as Swift herself revealed Olivia as a "melting snowman" -- which Swift then tried to replicate as a non-melting snowman on stage. Close, but Olivia is the clear winner of this costume contest.
November 2015: "Olivia Benson chewing on Olivia Benson's moon man because she is disrespectful," Swift writes on Instagram. It is unsurprising that Olivia believes Hargitay's MTV moonman to be hers. In Olivia's eyes, all awards are hers.
Thankfully, it is quite clear who this pie is for (baked by none other than Blake Lively). No question there.
December 2015: The year ends with a well-deserved purring session. A pretty good 12 months, indeed.
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