• 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 £12.6 million.)

Everyone loves me! Looks who's shown up to greet me! 😻💢 #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 “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
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

zuckerberg on a screen in court
LawMeta
One in three teens ‘experienced problematic use’ of Meta platforms: closing arguments begin in landmark New Mexico social media trial
By The Associated Press and Morgan LeeMarch 23, 2026
9 hours ago
man on stage at conference
CryptoCryptocurrency
Strategy purchases another $76 million worth of Bitcoin, all through sales of common stock
By Carlos GarciaMarch 23, 2026
10 hours ago
woman in blue button down looking at a piece of paper
Future of WorkHiring
‘AI killed the cover letter.’ This Wharton economist says the hiring ritual’s days are numbered
By Catherina GioinoMarch 23, 2026
12 hours ago
Reddit cofounder and CEO Steve Huffman
SuccessJobs
Billionaire Reddit CEO Steve Huffman says his company will ‘go heavy’ on hiring graduates because ‘they’re so much more AI native’ than older peers
By Emma BurleighMarch 23, 2026
13 hours ago
CryptoVenture Capital
Exclusive: The CEOs of Kalshi and Polymarket are arch rivals—but are investing in the same $35 million prediction market VC fund
By Ben WeissMarch 23, 2026
14 hours ago
Will Wilson smiles
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Startup Antithesis turns years of real-world chaos into hours of simulated mayhem—and key trading firms and crypto networks are paying close attention
By Lily Mae LazarusMarch 23, 2026
16 hours ago

© 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 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.