TikTok star ‘Kurt the Cat’ sparks internet fame for owner Abram Engle, who encourages pet adoption
Cats can be man’s best friend.
Such is the case of TikTok celebrity Abram Engle, who gained almost nine million followers with the help of his beloved cat, Kurt.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, 20-year-old Nashville-based Engle explained how his TikTok account exploded overnight after posting with his rescued orange tabby.
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Engle explained that he was entering a competition with his friends in 2019 to see who could hit 10,000 subscribers first on the then-booming app.
“I’ve always seen dance videos and I’ve always seen cat videos,” he said.
Abram Engle (pictured here with Kurt) has over 8 million followers on TikTok. (Abram Engel)
“And so I was like, I’m going to combine the two and see what happens,” he said.
Start of TikTok fame
After posting a video of her cat Kurt dancing to Don Toliver’s song “No Idea” in December 2019, Engle’s account — then at 8,000 subscribers — took off.
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“I watched it and had 20,000 subscribers 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 on a trajectory of viral fame currently has 6.3 million likes and 34.5 million views.
Engle’s TikTok account currently has 8.8 million followers and 518 million likes.
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“I kept posting videos of him and people were falling in love with him,” he said. “And we are here now.”
Save Kurt
In November 2019, during his senior year of high school, Engle found Kurt, who was then a street cat in the small town of Engle, Purvis, Mississippi.
Although his mother always said “no” to bringing cats into their home, Engle still showed up with Kurt, he explained.
TikToker Abram Engle told Fox News Digital that people continue to “fall in love” with the three-year-old orange tabby. (Abram Engel)
Since Kurt was only a few weeks old – and “super small” and skinny – his mother allowed Engle to care for the little cat “temporarily”.
But as Engle and Kurt’s bond grew, it was clear they would be together for the long haul.
“I think it’s gotten to a point where they’ve seen him grow from a baby kitten…and he trusts me so much too.”
“Since then he has trusted 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 for Engle’s future in social media.
Abram Engle rescued Kurt from the streets of his hometown of Purvis, Mississippi in November 2019. (Abram Engle)
After recognizing that he could make a living by posting videos, Engle decided to retire from higher education and pursue social media full-time.
“It created my career path for me,” he said.
“I can still go back to school…so right now I’m putting everything I’ve got into [social media] and see 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 follow Kurt the cat as he grows.
“People ask, ‘What’s so special about this cat? “”, Did he declare. “I think it’s gotten to a point where they’ve seen him grow from a baby kitten…and he trusts me so much too.”
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Kurt’s unique personality also became apparent — and familiar — to viewers, Engle noted.
“He does the same manners and people understand,” he said.
“They basically know him at this point.”
Kurt “knows how to act in front of a camera, so people like it,” he added.
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In traditional TikTok fashion, top-performing videos for Engle involve popular sounds and trendy dances.
“[Rescue pets] also save you. The bond with a pet is 100% worth it.”
His most viral video, posted Aug. 5, 2020, featured Kurt dancing to a slowed-down version of Akon and Snoop Dogg’s “I Wanna Love You,” Engle noted.
The video has received 25.3 million likes and 203.7 million views so far.
Another viral video, currently at 6.2 million likes, shows Engle wrapping Kurt in a “burrito blanket” – using a red napkin as tomatoes and a green napkin as lettuce.
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“It’s either random videos I created or trending sounds,” he said.
His unique “daddy cat” persona resonates with their large fanbase, Engle believes.
Abram Engle and his cat, Kurt, continue to create content full-time. Far right, Kurt is transformed into a “burrito” for a TikTok video. (TikTok @abrameng)
“I’m definitely a cat,” he said.
“I think [the cat dad persona] is a little rarer, because usually it’s crazy about cats… but I’m here,” he said.
Plans to help other animals
As an animal lover, Engle revealed that he plans to expand his brand beyond just dancing with Kurt.
This possibly includes partnering with local relief organizations, he said.
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He also encouraged potential pet parents to “take the leap of faith” and consider adopting a pet.
“[Rescue pets] save you too,” he said.
“The bond with a pet is 100% worth it.”
Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle editor for Fox News Digital.