• 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, ā€œembassy cat.ā€

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.

ā€œI live in the Ecuadorian Embassy with Julian Assange,ā€ the cat’s Twitter bio reads. ā€œInterested in counter-purrveillance.ā€

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 £12.6 million.)

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

— Embassy Cat (@EmbassyCat) May 9, 2016

Confirmed: Even more adorable from the front.

.@namangels 😺 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 😺 pic.twitter.com/GeMtAy0a3v

— Embassy Cat (@EmbassyCat) May 9, 2016

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

Nothing suspicious under here… 😼 #counterpurrveillance pic.twitter.com/k5udp0zTJS

— Embassy Cat (@EmbassyCat) May 10, 2016

In February, a United Nations panel said that Assange is being ā€œarbitrarily detainedā€ and that his confinement ā€œshould be brought to an end.ā€ 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
Fortune Secondary Logo
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
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • 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

farley
Future of WorkInfrastructure
Ford CEO Jim Farley says America is sleepwalking past its ā€˜essential economy’ crisis. Goldman Sachs just showed how big it really is
By Nick LichtenbergApril 2, 2026
2 hours ago
Nima Ghamsari smiles
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Blend’s post-IPO reset: CEO Nima Ghamsari bets that AI can turn it all around
By Lily Mae LazarusApril 2, 2026
3 hours ago
Photo: President Trump
Big TechMarkets
Trump hails ā€˜tremendous progress’ in Iran but all Wall Street heard was ā€˜back to escalation’
By Jim EdwardsApril 2, 2026
3 hours ago
Can Elon Musk take SpaceX IPO to infinity and beyond?
NewslettersFortune Tech
Can Elon Musk take SpaceX IPO to infinity and beyond?
By Alexei OreskovicApril 2, 2026
3 hours ago
Asia’s AI playbook gets a reality check as the Iran war sends energy prices higher and snarls supply chains
AsiaTech
Asia’s AI playbook gets a reality check as the Iran war sends energy prices higher and snarls supply chains
By Angelica AngApril 2, 2026
4 hours ago
The tax escape map: Billionaires are bolting for Florida from the West Coast and taking billions in tax revenue with them
Real EstateBillionaires
The tax escape map: Billionaires are bolting for Florida from the West Coast and taking billions in tax revenue with them
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 2, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they're turning 'welcomer cities' into the next big tech towns
Real Estate
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they're turning 'welcomer cities' into the next big tech towns
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
6 hours ago
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financiallyĀ  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financiallyĀ  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
1 day ago
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ā€˜not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ā€˜will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ā€˜not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ā€˜will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
3 days ago
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ā€˜closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
Economy
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ā€˜closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago

Ā© 2026 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 NoticeĀ | 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.