• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Meet WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange’s Cute and Cuddly Embassy Cat

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 10, 2016, 7:20 PM ET
Julian Assange
This is an undated handout photo issued by Sunshine Press made available Tuesday May 10, 2016 of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with a kitten in Ecuador's embassy in London . It may not be so lonely for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in the embassy quarters he's called home for nearly four years. Now he has a kitten to keep him company.The kitten had not been named yet. (Sunshine Press/Wikileaks via AP)Sunshine Press/Wikileaks via AP

Julian Assange, founder of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks, has a feline friend, “embassy cat.”

The pet, a gift from Assange’s children, has no official name yet, reports the Daily Mail. On Twitter, however, the 10-week-old kitten goes by @EmbassyCat.

“I live in the Ecuadorian Embassy with Julian Assange,” the cat’s Twitter bio reads. “Interested in counter-purrveillance.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for four years, facing extradition to Sweden for even longer. Swedish authorities have been seeking his extradition since 2010 for questioning following allegations that he sexually assaulted two women, which he has denied.

Assange refuses to leave the embassy for fear that doing so will lead to his arrest and extradition to the United States on potential charges for his role in disseminating state secrets through WikiLeaks.

For more cute animals, watch:

Since its founding a decade ago, WikiLeaks has published confidential documents stolen from sources such as governments (like the U.S.’s massive diplomatic cables leak), corporations (like the Sony (SNE) Pictures data dump), and public figures (like top U.S. intelligence officials’ hacked personal email accounts). Say what you will about Assange and his uncompromising brand of Internet activism—the cat is undeniably cute.

Here are some of the Embassy Cat’s Tweets:

Welcome! Cat got your chin-rest?

New home! I've arrived! pic.twitter.com/N7PeuSti4I

— Embassy Cat (@EmbassyCat) May 9, 2016

No, Embassy Cat! Don’t be fooled!

(Fun fact: the British stopped stationing police outside the embassy in the fall, after spending a reported ÂŁ12.6 million.)

Everyone loves me! Looks who's shown up to greet me! đŸ˜»đŸ’ą #nodogsnomasters #counterpurrveillance pic.twitter.com/IZavaOY51m

— Embassy Cat (@EmbassyCat) May 9, 2016

Confirmed: Even more adorable from the front.

.@namangels đŸ˜ș pic.twitter.com/KSZv6zKzSr

— Embassy Cat (@EmbassyCat) May 9, 2016

Better stretch. You might be cooped up in that office for
a while.

Exciting first day but finally settled down and feline fine đŸ˜ș pic.twitter.com/GeMtAy0a3v

— Embassy Cat (@EmbassyCat) May 9, 2016

Already plotting a getaway? And without an escape dress??

Nothing suspicious under here
 đŸ˜Œ #counterpurrveillance pic.twitter.com/k5udp0zTJS

— Embassy Cat (@EmbassyCat) May 10, 2016

In February, a United Nations panel said that Assange is being “arbitrarily detained” and that his confinement “should be brought to an end.” The Swedish Supreme Court, on the other hand, doesn’t appear to agree.

At least he’s got some company now.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

outage
North Americasmartphones and mobile devices
If your phone is on SOS (and you can see this), yes, Verizon is having a major outage across the U.S.
By The Associated PressJanuary 14, 2026
11 hours ago
AIHiring
McKinsey challenges graduates to master AI tools as it shifts hiring hunt toward liberal arts majors
By Jake AngeloJanuary 14, 2026
14 hours ago
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How Expedia’s CTO is using AI to transform work for 17,000 employees—and travel for millions
By John KellJanuary 14, 2026
15 hours ago
thiel
Personal FinanceTaxes
Peter Thiel makes his biggest donation in years to help defeat California’s billionaire wealth tax
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 14, 2026
15 hours ago
Jensen Huang
SuccessProductivity
The job market is broken, but Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is ‘fairly confident’ that AI will increase productivity and therefore, hiring—but there’s a catch
By Preston ForeJanuary 14, 2026
16 hours ago
Illustration of Google logo and Gemini open on a smartphone.
AIGoogle
Google connects Gemini to users’ emails and photos in push to build a personal assistant
By Beatrice NolanJanuary 14, 2026
17 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Peter Thiel makes his biggest donation in years to help defeat California’s billionaire wealth tax
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 14, 2026
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Despite his $2.6 billion net worth, MrBeast says he’s having to borrow cash and doesn’t even have enough money in his bank account to buy McDonald’s
By Emma BurleighJanuary 13, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
'Godfather of AI' says the technology will create massive unemployment and send profits soaring — 'that is the capitalist system'
By Jason MaJanuary 12, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Being mean to ChatGPT can boost its accuracy, but scientists warn you may regret it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 13, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
'Microshifting,' an extreme form of hybrid working that breaks work into short, non-continuous blocks, is on the rise
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 13, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Goldman Sachs top economist says Powell probe won’t change the Fed: 'Decisions are going to be made based on employment and inflation'
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 12, 2026
3 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.