Justin Bieber Receives Backlash from PETA After Spending $35,000 on His New Part-Exotic Kittens
PETA is slamming Justin Bieber over his decision to buy two part-exotic kittens that cost a total of $35,000.
The animal rights organization spoke out on Thursday and attacked Bieber, 25, for his recent decision to purchase the expensive Savannah kittens, whom he named Sushi and Tuna, claiming that the singer does not “care” about helping animals.
“Baby, baby, baby, nooooooo,” PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange tells PEOPLE. “Justin Bieber could inspire his fans around the world to save a life by adopting a cat from a local animal shelter — rather than fueling the dangerous demand for hybrid cats, contributing to the animal overpopulation crisis, and proving that when it comes to helping animals, his stance so far is ‘I don’t care.'”
Though Bieber has yet to address the backlash, the singer appeared to be unbothered by PETA’s comments on Thursday.
Posting a screenshot of the Instagram account he created for Sushi and Tuna on his Stories shortly after PETA’s criticism, the star asked his fans to follow their account. (He previously promised the kittens’ millionth follower free merch from his fashion line Drew House.)
He also shared the photo on his Instagram, captioning the shot, “@kittysushiandtuna are my children”
A rep for Bieber did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
RELATED: Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin Reveal the Many Nicknames for Their New Cat Sushi
Ahead of his second wedding to Hailey Baldwin, Bieber bought the small beige and black kittens — Sushi at the end of August and then Tuna arrived a few weeks later.
Now the two felines now have their own Instagram account, which now has more than 176,000 followers and documents the kittens’ day-to-day adventures (and snuggles) in the Bieber household.
The felines are part-domestic cat and part-African Serval and were purchased for $20,000 and $15,000 respectively from the Illinois-based breeder Select Exotics, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Because Savannahs are considered “living room leopards,” they are legally restricted or banned in Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont, the Savannah Cat Association reports.
Other states, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia, allow all Savannah cats.
The pop star first announced he would be getting a new kitten at the end of August.
“I’m getting a cat tomorrow and The name will be sushi 🍣 !!!,” he excitedly wrote alongside a cartoon image of a cat. “I can call her sooosh Magooosh and I’m very happy about it.”
“I can also in a baby voice call her TOOSHIEEE BUM BUM or Shooshi wowl .. read it outloud how it’s spelt . Also sushi Poo.. or just TUNA,” he added.
A post shared by Justin (@kittysushiandtuna) on Oct 3, 2019 at 6:25pm PDT
Baldwin, 22, seemed to be on board with the new addition, commenting “Tushi buns” and “Soosh soosh magooooooosh💕💕💕” on her hubby’s post.
After bringing their fuzzy friend home, Bieber shared videos on his Instagram Stories of the feisty, black-spotted kitten jumping and rolling around in his room as he rested in bed. At one point, the cat pounced onto the remote changing the channel on the “Sorry” singer’s TV.
Weeks later, Bieber and Baldwin revealed that they had welcomed another kitty, who they named Tuna.
Along with Sushi and Tuna, the couple also recently welcomed a puppy named Oscar into their family in December.
