Did Taylor Swift's Cat Meredith Die? Fan Speculation Explained

Taylor Swift fans may be concerned about a rumor that the singer's cat Meredith allegedly died, while others may be wondering if the rumor has any truth to it in the first place.

At roughly three years old, Meredith is the oldest of Swift's three cats. She is named (per Elle) after the character Meredith Grey from Grey's Anatomy and is beloved by fans almost as much as by Swift herself.

Both Meredith and one of Swift's other cats, Olivia, are Scottish Folds. This is a particular breed of cat that has a genetic mutation, which, according to The Guardian, "condemn[s] [a Scottish Fold] to a life of constant pain."

Speaking to The Guardian, Sarah Elliott — the central veterinary officer of a charity devoted to cat welfare — did emphasize that no one is "saying that Taylor herself is at fault for owning them."

Elliott explained that many pet owners are not even aware of the genetic mutation or pain it causes, saying "it’s quite devastating to find out that your cat has this condition that can’t be cured."

Did Taylor Swift's Cat Meredith Die?

Despite speculation to the contrary, Taylor Swift's oldest cat, Meredith, did not die, as far as the public knows.

These recent rumors about Meredith having allegedly died began on TikTok.

User @leia_lou_1985 posted a slideshow of three photos of the cat, with the first slide inaccurately saying the cat "passed away today," the second with the text "2011-2024," and the third with no text:

"Sad news out today, Taylor Swift's beloved cat Meredith Grey has passed away today."

There is no evidence proving this to be the case, and the claim in the original post is entirely unsourced. As such, barring something official from Team Swift or Swift herself, it can be reliably believed that this rumor is untrue.

In fact, similar false rumors that Meredith did die have been spread before, with @fwd_mar on X (formerly Twitter) posting that "tiktok’s saying meredith (the cat) is dead again," and that the "poor thing has died eight times the past year."

Fans React To False Meredith Death Rumor

With nowhere else reporting this, no source given, and no word from Team Swift or Swift herself, some in the comments immediately clocked the fabrication.

@my_dog_is_satanic: "MEREDITH GREY NEVER DIES"

@little.rad.riding.hood: "meredith swift never beating the dead allegations"

@thomas4543: "YOU'RE A MONSTER"

Unfortunately, many others did believe the rumor. While some have since realized their mistake, others seem not to have.

@tswiftsuperfan13 posted a montage of photos, with recordings of Swift talking about Meredith in the background. The video has surpassed 10,000 likes but has zero comments. The account has not posted anything else since, as of now.

@sydneysanatomy, on the other hand, did realize that the rumor was untrue. The user made a video comparing the supposed death of Meredith Grey the cat to Grey's Anatomy's Meredith Grey. She was shocked that "Meredith Grey the character has outlived an entire cat."

After learning that the cat was fine, @sydneysanatomy commented how it was "my bad then:"

"AH THIS IS MY BAD THEN!!! I was just trying to show how immortal the character Meredith grey was!!!"

@clarasmusical.ly22 posted that she "had to go into another room to cry" after hearing the rumors, as "no one with me seemed to care." She acknowledged in the caption of the post that there was a chance this was not straight-up fact, saying she "NEED[S] someone to confirm it pls."

Upon realizing the rumor's false status, she commented that she "didn’t really believe it," but was still "SO sad:"

"okay so apparently it’s not true!! i didn’t really believe it but i was SO sad!"

Plus, @ahoaxedprophecy on X pointed out how "insensitive" the rumor was in the first place, saying, "imagine half the world saying your cat died:"

"why are there rumours that meredith (taylor’s cat) passed away, if that’s not true or even confirmed that’s insensitive as fuck what the hell. imagine half the world saying your cat died. 'god save the most judgemental creeps' i hate all of you"