Jenna Bush Hager's family has a new fuzzy friend in 2024!
On TODAY with Hoda and Jenna on Jan. 3, Hoda Kotb said to her co-host that she loves a fresh start to the new year, as well as new additions.
“And someone here at this table has a new addition to their family,” she said, as Jenna announced that they’ve added a new member to the Hager clan.
“It’s been a big, big deal because I’d like to introduce you to ... Mr. Mango Mellow Hager,” Jenna announced, adding that daughter Poppy, 8, received a fluffy, white kitten for Christmas.
She explained that the second part of the name comes from his “mellow” nature and that he resembles a marshmallow. As for why Poppy chose the first name Mango, Jenna told Hoda, “I can’t go inside that brilliant brain.”
“Santa gave Poppy the baby and she was so excited she nearly started to cry,” Jenna said. “She told all of her friends.”
The family officially adopted the kitten Jan. 2 and it’s been “so far, so good,” Jenna said, adding that she’s just had to pop some extra Zyrtec to ease her allergies.
This is the second cat to join the Hager family, after their first cat, Hollywood, was gifted to daughter Mila, 10, for Christmas at the end of 2022.
On Jan. 30, 2023, Jenna introduced Hollywood to her followers in a sweet video, writing on social media, “Instagram, meet Hollywood! My eyes are red from cat allergies, but I love her.”
“Hello, everybody. Meet Hollywood. Do you see why we call her Hollywood?” she asked in the video. “She’s beautiful. But we call her Holly for short. Holly, middle name Wood, last name Hager. But last night, she was covered in spaghetti. So we think she’s Italian because the kids kept dropping noodles on her body. So we think her name is Botticelli. Holly Botticelli Hager.”
When Hoda asked Jenna how Holly feels about the new little one around the house on Jan. 3, Jenna said that she’s “so happy to have a baby brother.”
Despite her allergies, Jenna has fully embraced having cats in the family, even recently posing like Taylor Swift in her iconic Time Person of the Year photo with a cat around her neck.
“Better late than never: @taylorswift you inspire in all the ways! I wish I had a black leotard and a red lip on, but I don’t. Wishing y’all a very merry Swiftmas and CATmas!” Jenna captioned the Instagram post Dec. 21.
Hoda asked Jenna Jan. 3 when a love for cats crosses into “cat lady" territory.
“I think I’m there,” Jenna said. “And I’m comfortable standing there. I feel good, with my feet on the ground. I feel happy being who I am.”
Jenna explained that, as a little girl, she “loved cats so much” because they were “forbidden fruit,” given her allergies. Growing up, Jenna said her mom, Laura Bush, had a cat named Dewey — named after the Dewey Decimal System.
“By the way, she was in her 20s when she named her cat that,” Jenna added, reminding that her mom was a librarian. “She was totally comfortable with who she was.”
“So from the time we were born, we had a cat,” Jenna said. “I would just sit there, sucking my thumb with my eyes swollen shut because I’m highly allergic, but I don’t care.”
Affectionately listening, Hoda added, “By the way, that’s love.”
