What a cool cat.
Bagel, 10, has the purrfect style, often sporting spunky shades because a medical condition prevented her eyelids from developing.
The fashionable feline belongs to Karen McGill, 55, from California, who has spent thousands to build Bagel’s sunglasses stash, with funky accessories to match.
“Her sunglasses are medically necessary since she was born without eyelids,” McGill told Caters News about the congenital condition, which is said to be eyelid agenesis. “However, she has a huge collection of other sunglasses that she wears for fun.”
Some $6,200 later, Bagel is now the proud owner of 100 pairs of stylish sunnies to protect her eyes.
They vary in shape, size and color — some are bedazzled, others are round and a few are cherry red — and McGill “can’t help” herself from capturing her cat’s effortless swag on camera. Bagel often rocks matching sweaters, straw hats, bandanas and dresses to boot.
With the Instagram alter ego “Sunglass Cat,” Bagel has clawed her way to 841,000 followers and a blue checkmark, sharing her pawsitively picturesque travels online. In her decade of life, the feline has journeyed on three road trips across the country and several flights since she was 6 months old.
But the draw is her chic sense of style, which has even earned her coveted invitations to strut her stuff on catwalks around the country.
“She’s been to New York Fashion Week twice and walked LA fashion week three times, however, Paris is definitely on the cards next,” McGill said. “People cannot believe that she wears such long gowns and that she’s been in fashion week. They think it’s really cool and always ask how she’s so chill.”
But it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there — and Bagel is often overlooked or snubbed in favor of pooches.
“Everything is always about the dogs, and I feel that cats are always underrepresented and that a lot of people have a disdain towards cats,” explained McGill, who said she’s noticed “major brands” refuse to work with her beloved pet. “I’m trying to break that stereotype with people and show them that cats are just as amazing animals as dogs.”
“I’m hoping one day that we can break the mold and have cats like Bagel represented on store shelves,” she added.
And this may very well be the year of the feline — the pet cat of the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who will be honored at this year’s Met Gala, could be a guest of honor at the event.
In January, Taylor Swift’s cat, Olivia Benson, named for the famed “Law & Order: SVU” detective, was deemed the third-richest pet in the world.