How TikTok cat, Kurt, earned his owner nearly 9M followers
TikToker Abram Engle of Nashville tells Fox News Digital how posting videos with his cat scored him internet fame.
Cats can be a man's best friend.
This is the case with TikTok celebrity Abram Engle, who has gained nearly nine million followers with the help of his beloved cat, Kurt.
In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, Nashville-based Engle, 20, shared how his TikTok account blew up overnight after he posted with his rescued orange tabby. (SEE the video with Engle and Kurt at the top of this article.)
Engle explained that he was in a competition with his friends back in 2019 to see who could reach 10,000 followers first on the then-up-and-coming app.
"I always saw dancing videos and I always saw videos of cats," he said.
Abram Engle (pictured here with Kurt) has more than 8 million followers on TikTok. (Abram Engle)
"And so I was like, I’ll combine the two and see what happens," he said.
Beginning of TikTok fame
After posting a video of his cat Kurt dancing to the song "No Idea" by Don Toliver in December 2019, Engle's account — then at 8,000 followers — took off.
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"I looked at it and I had 20,000 followers when I woke up," he said. "That night, I had 100,000."
"I went from 8,000 to 100,000 in one day, and I was like, ‘What in the world is going on?’"
The video that launched them into a viral fame trajectory has 6.3 million likes and 34.5 million views currently.
Engle’s TikTok account currently has 8.8 million followers and 518 million likes.
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"I just kept posting videos of him and people kept falling in love with him," he said. "And we’re here now."
Saving Kurt
In November 2019, during his senior year of high school, Engle found Kurt, who was then a street cat in Engle's small town of Purvis, Mississippi.
Although his mother always said "no" to bringing cats into their home, Engle showed up with Kurt anyway, he explained.
TikToker Abram Engle told Fox News Digital that people keep "falling in love" with the three-year-old orange tabby. (Abram Engle)
Since Kurt was only a few weeks old — and was "super small" and skinny — his mother allowed Engle to care for the tiny cat "temporarily."
But as Engle and Kurt’s bond grew, it was clear they would be together for the long haul.
"I think it just came to a point where they basically watched him grow up from a baby kitten … and he’s also so trusting of me."
"Ever since then, he just trusts me," Engle said of the cat, who is now three years old.
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"And [my mom] ended up falling in love with him, too," he added.
Little did they know that Kurt would pave the way to Engle’s future in social media.
Abram Engle rescued Kurt from the streets of his hometown of Purvis, Mississippi, in Nov. 2019. (Abram Engle)
After recognizing he could make a living from posting videos, Engle decided to opt out of higher education and pursue social media full-time.
"It created my career path for me," he said.
"I can always go back to school … so right now, I’m putting all I have into [social media] and seeing where it takes me."
‘What’s so special about this cat?’
Since venturing into TikTok stardom, Engle said he believes his account has gained attention because his followers have been able to keep up with Kurt the cat as he's grown.
"People ask, ‘What’s so special about this cat?’" he said. "I think it just came to a point where they basically watched him grow up from a baby kitten … and he’s also so trusting of me."
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Kurt’s unique personality has also become evident – and familiar – to viewers, Engle noted.
"He does the same mannerisms and people catch on," he said.
"They basically know him at this point."
Kurt "knows how to act in front of a camera, so it just appeals to people," he added.
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In traditional TikTok fashion, the videos that perform the best for Engle involve popular sounds and trending dances.
"[Rescue pets] rescue you as well. The bond with a pet is 100% worth it."
His most viral video, posted on Aug. 5, 2020, featured Kurt dancing along to a slowed-down version of "I Wanna Love You" by Akon and Snoop Dogg, Engle noted.
The video has received 25.3 million likes and a whopping 203.7 million views as of right now.
Another viral video, currently at 6.2 million likes, shows Engle wrapping Kurt in a "burrito blanket" — using a red towel as tomatoes and a green towel as lettuce.
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"It’s either just random videos that I came up with, or it’s those trending sounds," he said.
His unique "cat dad" persona resonates with their large fan base, Engle believes.
Abram Engle and his cat, Kurt, are pursuing content creation full-time. Far right, Kurt is turned into a "burrito" for a TikTok video. (TikTok @abrameng)
"I’m definitely a cat person," he said.
"I do think [the cat dad persona] is a little more rare, because usually it’s the crazy cat lady … but I’m here," he said.
Plans for helping other animals
As an all-around animal lover, Engle revealed that he has plans to expand his brand past just dancing with Kurt.
This includes possibly partnering with local rescue organizations, he said.
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He also encouraged potential pet parents to "take the leap of faith" and consider adopting an animal.
"[Rescue pets] rescue you as well," he said.
"The bond with a pet is 100% worth it."
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