What Kind Of Cat Is Grudge On Star Trek?

If you have fallen in love with one of the more recent feline stars of Star Trek, you might wonder, what kind of cat is Grudge on Star Trek Discovery?

Read on to find out what kind of cat Grudge is, and to learn more about the other cat stars of Star Trek!

Grudge is played by two Maine Coon cats. The cats are brothers, and look nearly identical. The script originally called for an overweight cat, but the animal handlers did not want to cause any stress or health problems, and they opted to train Maine Coons for the role instead.

If you are a fan of Star Trek, you have probably noticed that the show is filled with cats. Grudge, however, may be one of the most popular feline characters on Star Trek to date.

Read on to find out which talented feline actors play this popular character.

What Kind Of Cat Is Grudge On Star Trek?

Star Trek is a beloved franchise that has existed for over 50 years. With an expansive universe and diverse, ever-changing cast, there are always new planets and storylines to discover.

In the more recent reboot of the show, Star Trek: Discovery has made some bold and exciting decisions.

If you have ever seen the Star Trek Discovery cat, you are probably impressed by its size but might be wondering, what type of cat is Grudge in Discovery?

The queenly Grudge is a Maine Coon cat.

The original script called for an overweight cat, but the animal handlers knew that overweight animals generally become stressed more easily during filming.

As a result, they decided the role of Grudge should be played by a Maine Coon. Not only are Maine Coons huge, but they are also known to be:

• Gentle
• Docile
• Easy To Train

These relaxed cats make a popular choice for animal handlers working on film and television, and their large, expressive eyes and long, beautiful fur make them especially eye-catching (source 1).

Why Is Grudge So Big?

Below are the main reasons why Grudge the Maine Coon cat is so big:

1. Hypothyroidism

In the Stark Trek series, when asked why Grudge is so huge, her companion Book explains, after a pause, that she has a thyroid issue.

While Grudge’s actors in real life do not suffer from any thyroid problems, it is a plausible explanation for her size.

2. Secret Backstory

Grudge’s humanoid companion, Book, often refers to Grudge as a queen throughout the series.

This has prompted many fans to wonder if Grudge is a cat at all, or perhaps an alien shapeshifter.

This could explain her enormous size in the Star Trek universe, though there is much to be revealed about Grudge’s backstory.

3. Maine Coon

The reason Grudge appears so enormous on TV is because she is played by Maine Coon cats, which is the largest domesticated cat breed in the world, weighing up to 22 lbs!

One of the feline actors who plays her weighed 18 pounds when they first started filming (source 1).

How Many Cats Play The Role Of Grudge In Star Trek Discovery?

Grudge is played by two cats in Star Trek: Discovery.

While Grudge is referred to by she/her pronouns and is often called a queen by her humanoid companion, Book, the stars that play her are male.

Male Maine Coons are typically larger than females.

According to The International Cat Association, female Maine Coons weigh between 12 – 15 pounds on average, while males weigh between 18 – 22 lbs.

The actors behind Grudge are a pair of brothers named Leeu and Durban.

They are brown tabby Maine Coons that look almost identical, and even though Star Trek: Discovery is their first experience as actors, their handlers and owner have been very impressed with their performances! (source 1).

5 Facts About Grudge The Maine Coon Cat

The Star Trek universe is filled with mysteries and easter eggs, and Grudge’s story is no different.

There is much about Grudge’s backstory that we still do not know, but there are plenty of behind-the-scenes facts about the actors who play her!

Here are some fun facts about Leeu and Durban, the two cats who take turns playing her role:

1. Grudge Might Not Be A Cat At All!

Grudge’s companion, Book, regularly refers to her as a queen rather than a cat.

While this is not unusual in itself, he also hesitated when asked why she was so big before explaining she has a thyroid issue, making many fans wonder if he was telling the truth.

Since Grudge has her own social media accounts where she posts her musings, as well as her book that has paragraphs and even haiku from her perspective, it is possible Grudge is not just a feline.

After all, Star Trek has featured shape-shifting cats before!

2. The Actors Behind Grudge Share Their Job

Grudge is played by two Maine Coon brothers, Leeu and Durban.

Leeu is the more outgoing of the two, while Durban is more reserved and prone to anxiety. Still, their owner was impressed with both cats’ performances as they quickly relaxed into the role.

Whenever one cat is having a hard day, he can rely on his brother to take over! This prevents the animals from becoming bored, stressed, or restless while filming.

3. Grudge Is An Aquarius

Though it is hard to understand exactly how a cat from space knows her astrological sign on Earth, she announced she was an Aquarius on her Twitter.

She also promised to vomit in the shoe of her new human, though it is unclear which human she is referring to in the Tweet.

4. Grudge’s Actors Like To Take Creative Liberties

Maine Coons are famous for being affectionate and friendly.

Even though it took Leeu and Durban a bit to warm up to all the new actors and special effects, they eventually became so comfortable that they started doing their own thing on set!

There are several shots in the series where Leeu or Durban decided to leap into an actor’s arms while filming, leading to some adorable and natural feeling scenes.

5. Grudge May Have Lost Her Companion

When Grudge was first introduced in Star Trek: Discovery, her humanoid companion Book was incredibly protective of her.

During the most recent season finale of the show, however, Book’s ship exploded while Grudge was still aboard Discovery.

The cliffhanger left many fans distraught, and while it is not confirmed that Book has died, people are wondering how Grudge will react in season 5 (source 1).

Grudge’s Social Media Accounts

Grudge the Cat has become so popular that she even has several of her own social media accounts!

You can find her official Instagram here and her official Twitter account here.

On both accounts, you can find Grudge’s lore and musings and some adorable photos of her.

Star Trek Discovery: The Book Of Grudge

The Book of Grudge came out on January 4th, 2022, shortly before season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery wrapped up.

It is mainly an art book, but it also contains photographs and personal musings from Grudge’s perspective aboard the ship, as well as haiku about Grudge’s favorite things, like napping (source 1)

Other Star Trek Cats

Grudge is far from the first cat to make an appearance on Star Trek!

Here are some of the other famous felines to show up in this iconic sci-fi series:

Spot

Perhaps the most famous cat in Star Trek was Spot, a longhaired, orange Somali cat owned by the AI Lt. Commander Data.

She was originally referred to as a male, but she was later replaced with a shorthaired orange cat and referred to as a female from then on.

Spot was incredibly loving to her owner, but had a mean streak towards just about anyone else aboard the ship!

Spot was played by the following four cats throughout the show:

• Brandy
• Monster
• Bud
• Tyler

Brandy’s animal handlers found her the easiest to work with.

Spot II

In Stark Trek: Picard, Dr. Altan Soong creates a synthetic cat named Spot II in honor of the original Spot.

While Spot’s death was never made official, the existence of Spot II confirms she did indeed die before the events of Star Trek: Picard.

Isis

Isis was Gary Seven’s “pet” cat, though it was later revealed she could communicate with him via telepathy, and was also capable of shapeshifting.

In cat form, she had black fur and wore a sparkling collar. In human form, she wore the same collar and had black hair.

Sylvia

In the Halloween-themed episode “Cat’s Paw,” another black cat named Sylvia met Kirk on the spooky planet Pyris VII.

It is later revealed that Sylvia can shapeshift into a human, as well, but at the end of the episode, she shapeshifts into a giant cat and attempts to kill Kirk and Spock’s savior.

Chester

Chester was the cat of Liam Bilby, who tragically died during an operation.

Chester fell into the care of Miles O’Brien and became a beloved family member to him, his wife, and his child (source 1,2).

Conclusion

If you are wondering what kind of cat is Grudge on Star Trek, you might be surprised to learn that she is played by two nearly identical cats of the same breed!

So, what kind of cat is Grudge? Grudge is played by two brown tabby Maine Coon cats who are also brothers.

In the show, however, it is not yet revealed whether Grudge is a regular cat or something more fantastical.