Wherefore Art Thou Puppy?

If you're a Prince fan worth your weight you know that Prince had a cat named Paisley. But do you know exactly how many Paisley's there were? I can't say I know for sure!

The August 2002 issue of Cat Fancy magazine reported that Prince had named his cat, Paisley, CEO of his Paisley Park Enterprises. In the article a spokesperson for Paisley Park was quoted as saying, "She is a great boss, she never yells and spends most of the day sleeping in her office. The only problem is she likes to scratch the drapes."

The article went on to describe Paisley as a 7-year old tabby, which puts her birth year at 1995; however, it's been said that when Paisley Park was under construction in 1987 a cat was seen wandering about and was taken in by staff. This cat was reported to be named Paisley.

Now let me tell you about Scott Ogle, who first met Prince in the Summer of 1994. At that time Scott was working as Pro-Audio tech for another entertainer but eventually worked with Prince at Paisley Park as a late night audio tech. He describes yet another Paisley the cat who would find its way into Prince's heart and home.

"This happened sometime in 2006. I was on the phone with Prince late one night when he discovered a kitten must have followed him into the garage at Paisley Park. He was in the studio and saw it on the video monitor wandering around and he had a fit. (Like a real fit!)

I convinced him he should give it something to eat. 'What can I feed him?' he asked, so I ran through a list of things that cats can eat...hamburger, chicken, even a couple hot dogs cut up or bologna. There was dead silence on the phone. He says, 'You do remember I am a vegetarian, right? You think I have any bologna or hot dogs around here?' I suggested cheese or tuna and some milk. 'I think I've got some tuna and milk', he says. I told him to give the poor thing a little bit and then set the rest outside the door so he will go out, but I said he probably doesn't have any friends and will most likely die out there. There's dead silence on the phone again and then he says, 'I'll call you back' and hangs up.

Two hours later (3:30 am or so) the phone rings again and it's Prince asking, 'What should I name it?'"

According to Scott he saw the grey/white/black-striped cat around Paisley Park a few times after that phone call in 2006, but how long this cat lived there is a mystery. If you've been on a tour at Paisley Park since it opened in October 2016 you may have spotted the small pet carrier in Prince's office. It tugs on your heartstrings to see it there.