CLEVELAND, Ohio -- According to the World Atlas, cats are the most popular pets in the world, with one in every three homes in the United States owning at least one feline.
But it’s not just the U.S. where cats reign supreme. They are very common pets on all the world’s continents except in Antarctica. Human beings have kept cats since ancient times for companionship, pest control or religious rituals.
The global population of cats is almost impossible to hard to determine, estimates range from 200 million to more than 600 million -- including feral cats, strays, and pets.
We have managed to gather more than 100 cute kitties from across Northeast Ohio as part of cleveland.com’s celebration of all things feline, leading up to National Cat Day on Oct. 29.
We put the call out for 100 cute cat photos and our readers responded in a big way -- so much so that we, sadly, had to close submissions early. But we decided to publish all the photos emailed to us prior to the early deadline.
Related: We’re looking for the cutest cat in all The Land: Check out these contestants Abracadabra - Elise
Meet contestants Fluff - Kobe in our Cutest Cat Contest.
Going forward, a committee of Cleveland.com staffers will be tasked with the tough assignment of choosing the Top 20 contestants -- which will move on to compete for the ultimate title. Be sure to check back with us on Monday, Oc. 25, when we will announce which adorable kitties are finalists.
Then, it is up to you. Our readers will choose the ultimate winner. You may vote in an online poll for which cat you think is the cutest October 26-28.
We will announce the ultimate winner on Oct. 29, which just happens to be National Cat Day.
Today -- we are introducing you to Lando through Ozzy.
Lando
Meet Lando, a 5-year-old rescue. He is described by his human, Leanne Soworowski as “a little on the clumsy side but that’s just part of his charm.” Lando likes to lay down and lounge while eating his meals. The Soworowskis and Lando live in Seven Hills.
Larry & Casper
These brothers, Larry and Casper, are 2-year-old domestic shorthairs. They are completely devoted to one another. They belong to Betty Schnitzler of Akron.
Leo (Grover)
This 4-year-old rescue is Leo. He lives with his humans, Ken and Sue Grover in Medina. Sue describes Leo as a “troublemaker,” who enjoys napping and playing with toys, but is afraid of birds.
Leo (Keenan)
Leo is a 12-year-old Siberian who doesn’t like it when his humans travel. As soon as the suitcases come out, he jumps on top of them so they can’t pack. Leo belongs to Melissa Keenan of Chagrin Falls.
Lily
Lily is a 4-month-old energetic kitten with a knack for getting into trouble. She loves chasing shoestrings and her favorite toy is a stuffed piece of sushi. Lily lives with her human, Samantha Phillips, in Lakewood.
Lincoln
This is Lincoln, a 5-year-old domestic shorthair. According to his human, Yale Evans, “he loves to make constant eye contact with me. We stare at each other for hours.” The two live in Cleveland.
Lola
This is Lola, a 5-year-old American domestic shorthair, who loves to play and roll over to show off her fluffy belly. Lola lives with her human, Andrea Barbour in Wadsworth.
Luna (Hons)
Meet Luna, a 4-year-old Maine Coon mix rescue, who lives with her owners, Maureen Nagg and Justin Hons, in South Euclid. Justin is the only human who can get close to her and she loves to cuddle his feet.
Luna (Moss)
Luna is a 4-year-old domestic Siamese mix rescue. Luna serves up more sass than any other cat. Her human, Alexis Moss of Lorain, describes her as “a straight diva, demanding your undivided attention.” She is never satisfied with her meal portions and always has to plop herself down in the middle of the action.
Luna & Apollo
Luna (left) and Apollo (right) are both rescues. Luna was adopted last December, followed by Apollo a few months ago. Their owner, Jenalle Hughes says “they fight like siblings do, but love each other just the same.” They live in Medina.
Margot
Meet Margot, a 2-year-old Russian Blue, owned by Dina Dejanovic, of Cleveland.
Marsha-Mello (AKA Little Miss)
Meet Marsh-a-Mellow, AKA Little Miss. She is described by her human, Barbara Holliman as “sweetness with a whole lot of sassy.” Marsh-a-Mellow became part of the Holliman family when she was found as a tiny kitty abandoned in Holliman’s daughter’s neighborhood.”
Max
This 15-month-old tuxedo cat is named Max. He is described as “having the sweetest disposition.” He greets everyone he sees with a rub and carries belts and toys all around the house. Max lives with the Saltzman family in Beachwood.
Maya
Meet Maya, a 10-month-old Mainlander – Maine Coon and Hylander mix. She is described as acting “like a dog, following me all over the house and even greets me at the door,” by her owner, Keelie Cline.
Maze
Maze is a 9-month-old rescue who lives in Concord with her human, John Ervine. John says Maze sleeps each night with her head on his pillow, and she is not a morning cat. When the alarm goes off in the morning, she lays on top of it to try and muffle the sound.
Mia
Meet Mia, this 4-year-old is described as “a streetcar from Akron living in Brooklyn.” Her human, Janet Antochow says she is “every bit a kitten at heart.” The two live in Old Brooklyn.
Millie, AKA Millie, the Sausage
Millie, AKA Milly the Sausage, is a 5-year-old rescue. Milly is described as “a lovable lap cat, who loves chasing balls, soccer-style, and going for walks in the woods on her leash.” Milly lives with Laura Strauss in Rocky River.
Milo & Binx
Milo and Binx had just finished running around the living room last Christmas when their owner managed to snap this shot. Binx, the 1-year-old black cat, and Milo, a 1-year-old Tabby were best friends and loved playing together. Sadly, Milo passed away shortly after this photo was taken. Binx lives with Jason and Cindy Miller in Copley. Their owners say they are lucky to have this photo of the pair together.
Minx
Minx is a 12-year-old Tabby, described by her owner, Lew Bodee of Seven Hills as “so sweet. She cuddles with our dogs, and her purrs are delicious.”
Miss Scarlet
Miss Scarlet is a 6-month-old gray tabby. She came along while her human, Lesley Patterson was mourning the loss of her beloved cat. Patterson says that while the two cats never met, Scarlet seems to exhibit very specific personality traits that bring back warm memories of her predecessor. The two live in Ohio City.
Mizar
Mizar is a 4-year-old rescue, who now serves as a support cat for the Kobella family in Garfield Heights. He enjoys playing in his tunnel, with his human brother, Matthew, taking naps and bird watching. Miriam Kobella said: “Even though he runs around the house like crazy at 3 a.m,, we love him.”
Mo
Mo is a 4-year-old Maine Coon rescue, who loves playing with feathers, ice cubes and chasing bugs, though he never kills them. He lives in Berea with his human, Shannon Mondrach, and likes laying next to her belly now that she is pregnant.
Mochi
This 4-month-old rescue kitten is Mochi, born on her human’s wedding anniversary, so they took that as a sign that she was meant for them. She loves to play in boxes, sit by the window or curl up on the top of her cat condo. Mochi lives with Chris Nierstheimer and Samantha Baker in Shaker Heights.
Molly
Meet Molly, a three-legged cat, who lives with her human, Keith Ely in Strongsville, is described as “by far the worst behaved of the four cats -- always into something and pestering the other cats. She, as with all our cats, is well-loved and well cared for by our family.”
Mona
Mona is a rescue, believed to be about 3-years-old. Her owner, Erica Maysey of Cleveland, describes her as “very much a princess and rules the house. She acts like she doesn’t love her brother Huey, but I catch her grooming him all the time.”
Mr. Mo
Mr. Mo is a 12-year-old Bengal who enjoys being loud and giving humans his “evil look.” He is described as “loud and proud.” Mr. Mo belongs to Kenneth Mills, of Cuyahoga Falls.
Mya
Meet Mya, a 7-year-old rescue who was found nearly frozen to death in a field on a cold winter’s day. She was adopted by the Gonzalez family and now lives with them in Cleveland. She is described as “well-behaved, loves to cuddle and gets along well with my Dachshund and Yorkie. I have three children, that have since moved out, and all three keep asking me if they can take her with them and all the time...the answer is no.”
Nacho
Nacho may only be 6-months-old, but his human, Wendy Benson of Elyria Township, says he is already as big as his 2-year-old “sister.” He loves people, sneaking into the dog’s food bowl, teasing his sister, belly rubs, and crazy midnight zoomies.
Nurse Ferret
Nurse Ferret is a 4-year-old calico rescue who nurtures the three other rescues in the Weidner home. She lives in Westlake with her human, Deb Weidner.
Oliver (Dejanovic)
Meet Oliver, a 3-year-old domestic short air, owned by Dina Dejanovic of Cleveland.
Oliver (Moss)
Oliver is a 5-month-old rescue, whose owner is guessing he had his eyes removed at a shelter due to infection, though you would never know Oliver is blind. He chases every ankle that crosses his path, hunts all of his toys like a pro, and purrs endlessly when he’s around his human mom, Alexis Moss of Lorain.
Oreo
Oreo belongs to Dahlia Freeman of Bainbridge, who begged for a kitten for two years before her dad finally agreed. Orea has recently started sitting politely on Dahlia’s lap at dinner every night, hoping she will slip him a treat.
Oswald
Meet Oswald, a Manx – meaning he doesn’t have a tail. Owner Rebecca Bittala says he runs “around the whole house or is climbing into everything. Here he is in our Christmas tree showing us that he is truly the only Christmas Star we need.” Oswald is the family’s most vocal cat and sometimes even comes when he is called. Oswald and his siblings live with the Bittalas in Middleburg Heights.
Ozzy
Ozzy is a 10-year-old rescue, who serves as good company for Karla Estep of Parma Heights, now that her kids are grown and her husband has passed away. Karla describes Ozzy as “just a big old lovable good boy.”
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