Today co-host Jenna Bush Hager, 42, has added a fluffy new member to her household—a Christmas kitten named Mr. Mango Mellow. The feline, a gift for her 8-year-old daughter, Poppy, joins the family’s other cat, Hollywood, who was adopted last holiday season.
A Gift from Santa—and a Creative Name
Bush Hager shared the news on Today with Hoda & Jenna, revealing that Poppy was overjoyed by the surprise. “Santa gave Poppy the baby, and she was so excited she nearly started to cry. She told all her friends,” she said.
As for the kitten’s whimsical name? “I didn’t name him. He’s Poppy’s. I can’t go inside that brilliant brain,” Bush Hager joked, comparing the kitten’s appearance to “a marshmallow.”
Sibling Bond—and a Hilarious Reaction
Hollywood, the family’s first cat, has already taken to his new brother. “He’s happy to have a baby brother,” Bush Hager said, noting the two were seen “spooning”—a term that sparked a comical response from her 10-year-old daughter, Mila.
“Mila was like, ‘Eww, what is spooning?’… She’s like, ‘That sounds nasty,’” Bush Hager recalled with a laugh. After explaining it simply meant cuddling, Mila remained unconvinced, insisting, “Holly doesn’t like that!”
In addition to Poppy and Mila, Bush Hager shares 4-year-old son Hal with her husband, Henry Hager.
From Allergies to “Cat Lady” Status
Despite being allergic to cats—a fact she’s openly discussed—Bush Hager has wholeheartedly embraced her love for felines. “I took an extra Zyrtec, and everything’s all good,” she quipped.
Co-host Hoda Kotb teased whether Bush Hager had officially entered “cat lady” territory, especially after she recently recreated Taylor Swift’s Time magazine cover featuring cats.
“I think I’m there, and I’m comfortable standing there,” Bush Hager declared. “I feel happy being who I am.”
Reflecting on her lifelong affection for cats, she recalled her childhood with Dewey, the cat owned by her mother, former First Lady Laura Bush. “From the time we were born, we had a cat. And I would just sit there, sucking my thumb with my eyes swollen shut because I’m highly allergic. And I don’t care,” she laughed.
With two cats now in the family, Bush Hager’s home is officially fuller—and fuzzier—than ever.
Related topics:
