LOS ANGELES – Is it fate that actress Tricia Helfer, best known for playing Cylon Number Six on Battlestar Galactica, shares her home with six rescue cats? The Canadian star jokes that her feline family—Lily, Bug, Bella, Delilah, Mr. Nix, and Frankie—might just be written in the stars.
In an interview with PEOPLE Pets, Helfer opened up about life with her furry housemates, ranging in age from two to 15, and how she manages the chaos (and fur) that comes with them.
A Full House—and a Full Bed
Helfer admits her bed often turns into a feline battleground. “Frankie, Bella, Delilah, and Mr. Nix take turns—or sometimes convene—on the bed,” she says. “Lily and Bug prefer sleeping underneath.” But territorial disputes arise: “Delilah will attack Frankie if she’s hogging too much human attention, and then Frankie retreats to my husband’s pillow.”
Despite the nightly squabbles, Helfer wouldn’t have it any other way. “They have full reign of the house. There’s not a spot they don’t think is theirs.”
The Never-Ending Fur Battle
With four Maine Coon mixes and two domestic shorthairs, shedding is inevitable. “I should invest in a lint brush company,” Helfer laughs. While some of her cats love being brushed (Frankie, Lily, and Mr. Nix “would let me brush them all day”), others—Bella, Delilah, and Bug—require strategic grooming when they’re relaxed.
Still, she embraces the furry side effects. “A little cat hair on my clothes just completes the outfit.”
Traveling with Cats? Not Anymore.
Helfer once brought three of her cats to Vancouver while filming Battlestar Galactica, but those days are over. “Bug especially hates traveling, and with six now, it’s a mission just getting them to the vet.” She avoids flying with them whenever possible, fearing the stress of cargo transport. Instead, a trusted cat-sitter stays at her home. “Bug takes it the hardest—he gets depressed and barely eats when we’re gone.”
From Farm Cats to Hollywood Meows
Growing up on a farm, Helfer was no stranger to cats—though her parents kept them outdoors. “I snuck them inside anyway,” she admits. Her first pet was Lady, a Border Collie, whom she remembers as “sweet and calm.” Now, her proudest pet-parenting moment revolves around Lily’s adoption.
“Lily was tiny, and we worried Bug—a big cat—might hurt her. Instead, they became best friends,” she recalls. “He’d let her jump all over him, then gently pin her with a paw. As she grew, he toughened up, but their bond stayed strong.”
For Helfer, rescue cats aren’t just pets—they’re family. “Animals are pure love,” she says. And with six of them ruling her home, that love is clearly multiplying.
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