Salvador Dali had a penchant for the eccentric. His choice of pet? No mere dog or domestic house cat. Dali preferred an Ocelot.
The Ocelot species is also known as a dwarf wildcat. Dali named his pet Babou and took him on strolls and even a cruise aboard the SS France. Once, Dali took Babou into a New York City restaurant and placed him on the table. In order to clam down a horrified dinner guest, Dali simply told her that Babou was a normal cat that he personally painted in op art design to look exotic. Contrary to popular belief, Dali didn’t keep an anteater as a pet, he was just photographed walking it.
So, next time you read about the frivolity of Karl Lagerfeld and his cat Choupette, remember that Dali came first with the fabulous Babou.
Dali had two Ocelots named “Babou” and “Bouba”. They traveled with him to New York on the SS FRANCE. and stayed with him in his Suite at the St. Regis Hotel.
Bouba was a little larger than Bouba and once took a delicious (haha) bite from a guest’s earlobe.