How this ordinary cat became a pro sports team’s good luck charm

Let’s talk about the NFL New Orleans Saints game this past Thursday. Trust us, even if you’re not a fan of football, you’re going to want to hear about this one. Why, you ask? Well, because the game isn’t the story, the story is about the team’s new (totally unofficial, but totally Internet-approved) mascot: A cat that was mysteriously snuck into the game in a Vera Bradley bag?

The New Orleans Saints won a possibly season-saving victory, over the (previously undefeated) Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. A win like that should have been dominating headlines, social media and fans’ minds, and everyone was definitely happy for the Saints when it came to their victory. But, at the same time, the real story (at least the one buzzing the most on social media) was that there was a cat in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. And not just any cat… a black and gold cat (the Saints’ team colors), in a Vera Bradley bag.

Once a picture of the cat hit the interwebs, people on Twitter started freaking out. By the time Saints’ officials got to the section where the photo was taken, that cat was gone. Surrounding fans said that the cat was a service animal, and the owner was from out of town. NOLA reported that the actual name of the cat was never revealed, but they’re all for calling it “Who Cat” and getting #WhoCat trending on social media.

Now, we’re not saying this cat is a total good luck charm sent to the Saints game as some kind of furry guardian angel, but we’re not not saying that either. Whether the cat was some kind of mystical intervention to help the Saints win their much-needed victory or just a coincidentally-colored pet that made it into the game by chance, we love this story and the way the Internet is rallying behind this adorable feline.

There are a lot of mysteries surround Who Cat, but we’d love to take this opportunity to officially strip cats of their bad luck reputation (even black cats — because this kitten was technically kind of a black cat, right?) and celebrate their luck-bringing prowess.

(Image via Twitter.)