by Heide Brandes | Photos courtesy of Skeletons: Museum of Osteology & Skulls Unlimited
Internet celebrity Sir Indiana Bones seems unfazed by his sudden stardom.
The four-year-old black male kitty is not interested today in posing for the camera, instead lolling lazily in an office chair before being lured by the irresistible siren song of a string toy that an employee teases him with.
For a cat that went from shelter to stardom, complete with his own TikTok and Instagram channels and line of clothing, he’s still humble and affectionate, not forgetting his colleagues at the only skeleton museum in North America.
Sir Indiana Bones is the chief morale officer (and mediocre mouser who recently caught his first mouse) at Skeletons: Museum of Osteology & Skulls Unlimited in Oklahoma City. He’s also social media’s new Internet sensation and viral celebrity, as of May 2, 2023.
Skeletons: Museum of Osteology is the only museum in the world dedicated to the study of osteology (bones and bone structure). It boasts 7,000 skeletons ranging from the smallest rodent in the world to a blue whale, but it apparently needed a homeless cat to really put the final special piece in place.
Getting that cat, however, took some finagling.
“The cat was adopted from the Moore animal shelter in 2019 because the museum staff wanted an office pet,” said Ashley Mason-Burns-Meerschaert, director of museum operations and education. “We formed a kitty committee because they wanted a pet to take care of. But everyone here loves cats, and we all have cats at home. I don’t think it took them long to arrive at the decision that we wanted a cat.”
The management wasn’t convinced at first, so the members of the kitty committee had their work cut out for them. The committee came up with a proposal that included feeding schedules, who would care for the cat during weekdays and weekends, and who would take the animal when bad weather such as tornadoes loomed.
“The museum ownership thought a cat would be a huge distraction, honestly,” said Mason-Burns-Meerschaert. “They wanted the staff to take possession of him, because it’s not like a traditional home for a pet. It’s not in someone’s house. It’s our company’s pet, but being that it’s our company’s pet, he has 35 people watching out for him to make sure he’s well taken care of. And the public has really taken a liking to him.”
A Boost in Popularity
The museum, which is popular to begin with for the numerous skeletal displays and classes, became even more popular because of its furry employee. Although Sir Indiana Bones’ sleek black form haunts the back offices and staging rooms when the museum is crowded, he does like to make cameo appearances when private events or classes are being held.
The museum hosts a variety of activities for schoolchildren who visit and monthly classes for adults such as Skullerrium, when visitors can create their own succulent gardens inside actual skulls. The wildly popular Forensics Nights let guests explore what forensic anthropologists, law enforcement officials, and investigators can learn by examining human skeletal remains. Each table is assigned a mystery case, and through hands-on investigation, guests learn to “read” the features of a human skull to determine the subject’s age,
sex, physical trauma, and/or pathology (disease).
Weddings, bachelorette parties, and corporate events are also held at the museum, and Sir Indiana Bones likes them all. “He likes to weave around the displays and check out all the stuff on the table,” said Mason-Burns-Meerschaert. “Sometimes the crowds can overwhelm him. We can get 150 schoolkids in here, and they all want to pet him.”
Staff members had their pick of shelter cats, but there was something special about Indy. His black fur and thoughtful yellow eyes belied a friendly and affectionate demeanor. After adoption, the full impact of his brilliance became obvious. “He’s the smartest cat I’ve ever seen,” said Trey Nester, digital and social media coordinator for Skeletons: Museum of Osteology. “He can open drawers. Once, we had to move his cage, and he went to all the drawers and just opened them.” “We all love him so much,” said Mason-Burns-Meerschaert. “He’s just the best cat.”
The Rise to Stardom
The first hint of Sir Indiana Bones’ fame became evident in the first couple of years. People would ask to see him when they made their museum visits. Soon, packages of gifts and treats began to arrive for the shelter cat turned museum employee. In fact, so many gifts arrived that the museum started a drive for the Moore Animal Welfare Adoption Center.
“There’s only so many treats one cat can use,” Mason-Burns-Meerschaert said.
Indy is no stranger to social media. The museum’s Instagram and social media pages featured shots of the cat on a regular basis, but one special photo on May 2, 2023, caught the world’s attention. “One of the staff got this picture from above on the second level of Indy, this tiny little black cat, next to a whale skeleton,” said Nester. “For some reason, that was the photo. He instantly went viral.”
Within days, Sir Indiana Bones amassed more than 10,000 followers on the social media platform. Nester, who runs all the museum’s digital platforms, had to dedicate a week to keeping up with the demand of the cat-crazy public, creating TikTok and Instagram channels just for the new celebrity staff member.
“He has 96,000 followers on TikTok now,” Trey said. “He has 34,000 followers on Instagram. We put it out there that if he gets 100,000 followers, we’ll get him a collar camera!”
In May, Sir Indiana Bones was named Employee of the Month for “his exceptional cuteness and mediocre mouser skills” after he caught his first mouse at the museum.
“It took a little bit of time because he was kind of afraid of the mouse, but he did it,” according to Natalie Lash, sales and events manager on a video on TikTok. “We are so proud of our boy, so give it up for Indy!”
Indy has his regular duties to attend to also. In addition to inspecting the skeletal displays, making public appearances, and promoting his own line of clothing, he hosts food drives from the shelter he was adopted from and will soon host adoption events at the museum.
Skeletons: Museum of Osteology & Skulls Unlimited is at 10301 South Sunnylane Road in Oklahoma City. It is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Visit https://www.skeletonmuseum.com.
