Picture walking into the U.S. State Department on a regular August afternoon in 2004, expecting the usual heavy diplomatic briefings, foreign policy updates, and press pools. Instead, you find a glossy black cat with striking copper eyes sitting comfortably in the middle of official Washington.
That cat was named "Caricature's Colin Powell." And yes, he actually met then-Secretary of State Colin Powell.
It sounds like the setup for a weird internet meme, but this bizarre, lighthearted collision of politics and pet fancy really happened. Let's talk about how a rare Bombay cat ended up face-to-face with one of the most powerful statesmen in the world, and why the internet still loves looking back at it.
The Cat Behind the Name
Before we get to the White House-adjacent photo ops, you need to understand who Colin the cat actually was. Owned by breeders in Connecticut, this particular feline belonged to the Bombay breed—a striking, sleek black cat with a coat that looks like patent leather.
At the time, Bombay cats were rare. Back in the late nineties and early noughties, breeders like the Haucks worked hard to keep the lineage alive when numbers dwindled. But this specific cat wasn't just any ordinary show animal. He took top honors at the New York Cat Show at Madison Square Garden and eventually earned the prestigious title of Cat of the Year for 2004 from the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).
Mrs. Alma Powell—wife of the Secretary of State—actually caught wind of the cat during that Madison Square Garden show. Being a noted cat person herself, the wheels started turning. Someone realized the comedic and PR goldmine of bringing a prize-winning Bombay cat named after the Secretary of State straight into his office.
Inside the State Department Visit
On August 13, 2004, Colin the cat arrived in Washington, DC, accompanied by CFA representatives, including Pam DelaBar, who had an interesting connection of her own having served under Powell in the military.
You'd expect a cat thrust into a high-security government building surrounded by cameras and strangers to freak out. Not this cat. Witnesses noted that as soon as Secretary Powell placed his hands on the feline, the black cat warmed right up. Powell, visibly amused, didn't just pose for pictures. He actually enjoyed the cat's company so much that he accidentally tried to walk out of the room with him when the meeting wrapped up.
It was a rare moment of genuine, unscripted humor in a career defined by intense geopolitical crises. For a few minutes, speeches on international relations took a backseat to a conversation about rare cat breeds and breeding statistics.
Why This Weird Story Still Matters
We live in an era where celebrity pets have millions of Instagram followers, but twenty years ago, political crossovers of this scale were wildly uncommon. It gave the public a different side of Colin Powell, showcasing a relaxed, warm demeanor that rarely made the evening news during a turbulent decade.
Furthermore, the event gave a massive spotlight to Bombay cats. While fluffy Persians routinely racked up nearly 19,000 annual registrations at the time, rare breeds like Bombays struggled with low numbers, hovering around a few hundred registrations a year. Having a CFA Cat of the Year champion rubbing shoulders with the Secretary of State put a rare breed on the map.
If you ever stumble across those vintage State Department archives from August 2004, take a second to look at the photos. Two Colins, one room, zero diplomatic incidents. Sometimes the internet digs up history that's just plain fun, and this remains one of the best.
