Derek Hough received an unexpected Christmas present—and it was one that he paid for himself. On December 25, the “Dancing with the Stars” judge posted a photo of him holding a plastic bag in one hand and his cat Otis in the other.
The plastic bag was labeled Antech, which is a veterinary diagnostics and lab testing company.
Hough, who was wearing green and white striped Christmas pajamas in the photo, then shared details of his feline’s holiday emergency. “Look what I got for Christmas 🎄,” he captioned the post. “A plastic bag filled with stuff Otis ate and had to be removed from his stomach costing $8000! Yay! Glad he’s ok 👌🏼 🐈⬛.”
Derek Hough‘s DWTS Castmates Reacted to His Post About Otis
Hough’s post received plenty of comments from fans and friends who were also glad that Otis was okay.
“Noooooo!!!! Glad he’s ok!!” wrote pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Pro dancer Sasha Farber simply posted an expletive, presumably over the cost of the cat’s lab work.
“Not allowed to laugh right ?!” asked Val Chmerkovskiy.
“Most expensive street cat ever,” Hough replied.
Other fans told Hough that they were happy that he’s a “cat person.”
Hough, who is in the middle of his 40-city Dance for the Holidays Tour, was luckily in the Los Angeles area when the cat’s veterinary emergency took place. On December 21, the dancer performed at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. The tour picks up in Riverside, California on December 27, per Ticketmaster.
Derek Hough Is a Huge Animal Lover & Takes His Dog on Tour
Hough is known for his love for animals. He previously talked to People magazine about the two cats and two dogs he shared with his wife, Hayley Erbert.
“No matter what’s going on in your life, there’s this, there’s this love and look on their face which says, ‘It’s going to be okay,” he told the outlet of his pets. “Taking care of them, loving them, and playing with them remind me to be present. “They’re the loves of our lives.”
Hough has even brought one of his pets on tour with him. In 2024, he told Parade Pets he considers his dog Luna to be his “travel dog. “She’s on the bus with us. She’s in the cities and the hotels and in the venues and the changing rooms. She’s been an amazing addition to the touring family, not even just for us, but for the cast and crew,” he said of the German shepherd/husky mix dog.
Hough told People magazine the pup gets a lot of attention from both the crew and fans. “She’s literally everybody’s support animal,” the ballroom pro explained.
