11. Salvador Dalí’s ocelot

Salvador Dalí, the iconic surrealist artist, had a profound affinity for the unusual, and his choice of pet reflected this perfectly. Meet Babou, the ocelot that became Dalí’s beloved companion during the 1960s. This wild feline, gifted to him by the Colombian Head of State, accompanied Dalí on numerous adventures, confidently striding on a leash bedecked with studded stones.

Babou’s presence was not without its share of surprises and raised eyebrows. From causing alarm in a Manhattan restaurant—where Dalí reassured a worried diner that the ocelot was merely a “regular cat painted over in an op art design”—to venturing on transatlantic journeys aboard the luxurious SS France, Babou never failed to seize attention. Yet, behind this glamorous spectacle, concerns arose about the welfare of a wild creature held captive in an artificial environment.

Even amidst Babou’s extravagant lifestyle, doubts persisted about the ocelot’s genuine happiness. Carlos Lozano, a close friend of Dalí, later voiced uncertainties about the animal’s contentment, acknowledging the inherent difficulties of confining a wild creature far from its natural habitat. In his memoirs, Lozano nostalgically recalled, “I only witnessed the ocelot smile once, on the day it managed to escape, causing the guests at the Meurice to scatter in fear, resembling startled rats seeking cover.”