Canyon Lake’s famous feline
Canyon Lake’s Nala the Cat is a Guinness World Records holder for a reason. This feline sensation has captured the hearts of people all around the world. Nala’s adorable face, quirky personality, and cute antics quickly caught the attention of cat lovers on social media. Her follower count soared as people became enamored with her expressive eyes, her fluffy fur, and her playful nature.
Nala and her parents Varisiri Methachittiphan and Shannon Ellis moved to Canyon Lake in May 2021. Nala’s parents have two teenagers, Shayla Ellis, 19, and Shanna Ellis, 17.
Nala also shares her home with five other cats and one dog. Nala was adopted by her parents from the Castaic Animal Shelter. Little did they know Nala would become the world’s most famous social media kitty.
Nala entertains the audience on the Steve Harvey show.
“Nala’s star began to rise when we started her social media accounts in 2012 as a way to share her cute photos with our family in Thailand,” Shannon said. “Her early start, consistency, and cute face has contributed towards her success on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok. Nala was awarded Tik Toker of the year in 2018.”
Nala earned Guinness World Records titles in 2017 and 2019 for the most followers on Instagram for a cat. Nala is known as the Queen of Instagram. She has 4.5 million followers, which is more than any other cat on the platform.
Because of her social media fame, Nala has been on multiple television shows and has been featured in a number of magazines, newspapers and websites. She has been on the Kids Choice Awards as a nominee, the game show To Tell the Truth and on Steve Harvey’s television show. Nala and her family have also been interviewed by Yahoo Finance, Forbes, USA Today, Variety and others.
Nala with the legendary Angela Kinsey from The Office.
“We’ve met some amazing people along our journey and we feel pretty blessed,” Shannon said. “Nala is even in a photo with Angela Kinsey from The Office.”
Nala is a true Canyon Laker and gives back to her fellow felines. Nala has used her platform to raise awareness for animal rescue and adoption and to inspire her followers to give shelter pets a second chance at life. Nala the Cat sponsored a fundraising event at the Animal Friends of the Valley, the local pet shelter.
“This is our way of pitching in to make a difference for our furry friends that need some love and support,” Shannon said. “Nala has her own super-supreme cat food brand called ‘Love, Nala.’ We look forward to continue to lend a paw to animals in need. Our motto is to spread love, happiness and kindness wherever we go.”
Varisiri Methachittiphan (aka Pookie) holding Nala and Shannon Ellis holding their adopted 10-year-old pup Spencer.
Despite her fame and fortune, Nala remains a down-to-earth and loving companion to her owners.
“We have formed so many awesome relationships,” Shannon said. “Our favorite part about Canyon Lake is the people. Nala loves the lake itself because it brings so much to look at, like the boats zipping by, birds flying over the lake, and all of the 4th of July action.”
Nala and her family can be found on Instagram under the name, Nala_cat. Gaining more followers will help her keep her title in the Guinness World Records.