Bebe Neuwirth Talks About Her Love of Cats and Animal Rescue

Bebe Neuwirth holds her cat Bobby. Photo by Chris Calkins

It is difficult to say what actress Bebe Neuwirth is best known for. I guess it depends on who you ask, as some might say for playing Lilith Crane on TV shows Cheers and Frasier. Others might say for one of her Tony-winning performances on Broadway in Chicago or Sweet Charity, and still some might say for her current role of Nadine Tolliver on the CBS show Madam Secretary. To Catster readers, though, she might be best known for being a cat lover.
Brian Fischler for Catster: When did your love of animals begin?
Bebe Neuwirth: I have always loved them, all of them.
Tell us a little about your current cats?
Bobby is a 14-year-old boy — a sleek black sweetheart — who was rescued from the street by a friend of mine. Bobby and his two brothers were found at the age of two weeks in a cardboard box; my friend bottle raised them. Another friend, (another Broadway dancer) adopted his brothers. My husband Chris and I adopted Tallulah, a long-haired calico, from PAWS, a wonderful animal shelter in Philadelphia. She is an adorable little four-year-old demon with crazy copper eyes. She absolutely adores Chris and follows him like a dog.
we found at another wonderful shelter called SAVE in Princeton, New Jersey. Billie is a feral girl, who is nothing but sweetness and affection. She is still a bit fearful; the wild instinct to hide is very strong, but we are gaining her trust, and the Siamese part of her is very social. She is crazy about Bobby. She follows him, talks to him, rubs up against him, licks his face and ears. It was love at first sight.