When Danielle and Justin Foley adopted Coco a little over three years ago they never expected that she would become a superstar. Yet the Houston calico has become an Internet sensation in a series of the couple's wedding photos. Despite the happy occasion, Coco's almost possessed-looking face was caught on camera — and a star was born.
Overwhelmed by the wedding crowd of 20 in the Foley's Rice Military-area townhome on the Fourth of July weekend, Coco hid upstairs for most of the wedding ceremony until it was time for her dinner, which happened to land in the middle of the wedding vows. Seizing the opportunity, Danielle asked Katy-based photographer Luciana Justice to snap a shot of the couple with the cat.
"The most beneficial part of this is being able to give a shout out to the no kill shelter Friends for Life, where we got Coco," Danielle said.
"After she was done eating I snatched her up and grabbed Justin," Danielle explained. "She was responding to her dislike of the flash and all the people staring at her."
A few days later, Danielle posted a series of photos on her Facebook page and they immediately became popular. One of her Facebook friends commented, "I want to make funny internet memes with your wedding/cat photos. Xo" — and apparently she did.
Two days late the photos appeared on The Chive under "Daily Morning Awesomeness," and such sites as Reddit, the Huffington Post, Life with Cats, and Daily Mail followed up.
Despite being upstaged on her big day, Danielle is amused by her cat's recent stardom, along with the different ways the photos have been spun and the range of comments about the cat's reaction.
It's also had a positive side in raising awareness about pet adoption. "The most beneficial part of this is being able to give a shout out to the no kill shelter, Friends for Life, where we got Coco," Danielle said.
Abandoned by her previous owner, Coco spent two years at the no kill shelter located in the Heights before the couple adopted her. Though Coco's life had a rough start, she now has fame, so fortune should be just around the corner.
Wonder if she and Grumpy will become friends?
Danielle and Justin Foley pose for a picture with their beloved cat, Coco.
