On July 13, 1973, exactly 50 years ago, a band of complete unknowns called Queen released their first album in a vibrant market. While none of its ten songs became their major hits decades later, it was a success at the time, catapulting them to fame they would hold onto until their separation in 1991 after the death of their frontman, Freddie Mercury, a person who is remembered, idolized, and who discovered only one thing he loved more than music: cats.
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Dorothy, Tiffany, Tom, Jerry, Delilah, Goliath, Lily, Miko, Oscar, Romeo… These are not random names; they are ten of the cats that the lead singer of Queen had throughout his life, for whom he even requested a professional portraitist to immortalize them. In fact, it is known that while on tour, he would call them and they would come to the phone. That’s what you call a true cat parent.
Moreover, every Christmas, the cats received personalized gifts. Freddie dedicated a song to Delilah, his favorite cat, which some band members disliked, but he managed to include it on their last album during his lifetime, ‘Innuendo’ (“When you curl up and sleep with me, and then you make me a little crazy when you pee on my Chippendale sofa”).
Mary Austin, Freddie Mercury‘s first partner who remained close to him, was the one who initially brought two cats home, named Tom and Jerry. She fell in love with these feline companions and started adopting more cats, ensuring they lived a life of luxury. Their meals consisted of freshly prepared chicken and fish, rather than regular Whiskas. It was all for the well-being of these furry family members.
In fact, in his will, Freddie left everything to Mary… and the cats. As inheritors of his fortune, one can only wonder what became of them after his death. Fortunately, it has been documented, so we won’t leave you in suspense. Romeo, a violent cat who couldn’t live with other cats, was eventually relocated to a home where he could be the sole resident (alongside his new owners, of course). In fact, one of the animals, Oscar, who was constantly traumatized by Romeo, fled permanently shortly after Freddie’s funeral, and news of him only emerged days later.
Don’t worry, there is a happy ending: a couple found Oscar and lived with him for a while until Mary Austin adopted him back. As for the remaining cats out of the ten we mentioned (Tom, Jerry, and Tiffany), they were taken care of with love by Freddie’s ex-partner until the end of their days. As for Mary, at 72 years old, she is still alive, thriving, and showering cats with affection wherever she goes. Just as it should be.
