Published Feb 21, 2026
ilia_quadg0d_malinin / Instagram.com
As I enjoy the final week of being glued to our televisions nightly to tune into the 2026 Winter Olympics, I am smiling at the sweet cat story that somehow slipped its way into the parade of athletes winning medals in Milano Cortina. Figure skater Ilia Malinin, known as the “Quad God” for his daring quadruple jumps, loves his two new cats so much that he posted a photo on social media showing one wearing a reproduction of his Gold medal!
Ilia, 21, was part of the Team USA squad that won first place in the team figure skating event in Italy. Shortly after getting his Gold medal, Ilia posted a social media picture showing his black cat, Mysti, wearing her own golden medal with this caption: “Thank you for all the support especially this supporter, Mysti (heart emoji).” The NBC Sports X account posted a screenshot of the photo with this caption: “Ilia’s cat wearing a gold medal is content we LOVE.”
Ilia introduced his two cats in July 2025 on an Instagram Threads post, where a reel shows the two kittens frolicking and playing in a tunnel. In a caption, Ilia introduces Mysti and Miu Miu as the “Quadcats.”
On Ilia’s Instagram page, if you scroll through the 600-plus posts, you’ll spot a post about the cats and the Maria Bamford Questionnaire, where Ilia talks about Mysti and Miu Miu. One follower commented on this post: “It’s a pleasure to watch you grow, my fellow cat lover.” Another one adds: “I love that you love cats!”
The detailed questionnaire with Ilia’s answers is published in Vulture.
“What just happened in your life?” the fifth question says.
“Getting two cats. That has been the most recent, most impactful thing that has happened. I have two cats – black and white. Their names are Mysti and Miu Miu,” Ilia responded.
NBC Sports / x.com
“What are you jealous of in a family member?” the 15th question asks.
“Does it count to say I’m jealous that my parents are two-time Olympians?” Ilia responded. “I want to say something else: I’m jealous that my sister gets more attention from the cats than I do.”
“Describe something that was funny to you,” the 20th question says.
“Honestly, my cats can be very funny,” Ilia responded. “They’re very chaotic at times, and they just run around at midnight while I’m trying to sleep. They jump into my room and start running around, jumping on the bed, jumping on things. They’re around six months old.”
teamusa / Instagram.com
Ilia’s inclusion of his cat in his Olympic Gold medal win illustrates for us just how big and important a part of our lives our cats become, and we often see people make their cats part of special occasions like this. We have heard about people incorporating their cats into their weddings, their holiday celebrations, and more. And when a beloved cat dies – like Nitama, a calico who served as a train stationmaster in Japan – they sometimes get a humanlike funeral where hundreds of people attend.
A decade ago, a teenager named Sam Steingard took his cat, Ruby, to his high school prom. And recently, Pudge – the football mascot we wrote about who has become a celebrity at Bowling Green State University – donned his own cap and gown to graduate at the December 2025 commencement with his human!
We say cats should be included in whatever we can include them in, so long as they are happy with the activity and cooperate!
