Cat's Unusual Habit Could Turn His Owner Into A Millionaire

Some cats are serial nappers. Others love to climb. And every once in a while, there's a cat with a valuable hidden ability just waiting to be discovered. A ginger-haired mog named Orlando fell into the third category. He didn't show any signs of being anything other than a regular sleepy house cat. That is until his owner entered him into a contest one day on a whim. Soon enough, Orlando's cat senses revealed themselves in a way that had the potential to be hugely profitable for his doting owner. 

Orlando makes the papers

Jill Insley, a financial journalist from the UK, had a successful career in her own right, but it was ultimately her cat Orlando who grabbed global headlines in 2012. At the time, Insley was the head editor for both the Guardian's Money section and the Observer's Cash section, and a project at work gave her a reason to look at her adorable fluffy pet in a whole new light.

The world's finest financial minds battle it out

As it happened, the Observer organized an investment contest where top financial minds competed to see who could turn the most profit from the same initial investment over the course of a year. A group of experts was selected to battle over bragging rights, and judging by the shortlist of challengers, the competition looked stiff. Even so, Orlando's owner was on the cusp of a far-fetched idea.

The competitors

So who were these savvy stockpickers? First, there was Paul Kavanagh of stockbrokers Killik & Co. Then, Justin Urquhart Stewart of wealth management company Seven Investment Management joined the competition. Followed by Andy Brough, fund manager for Schroders, who signed up and was up against students from the John Warner School in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. But there was one last participant who was unlike the rest.

The wild card entry

See, Jill Insley saw the contest and was struck by an idea. If all these investment experts were going to duke it out, why not toss in a wild card? She proposed they make the competition a little more interesting by including a total outsider, someone with zero financial experience and no stake in the game — her cat Orlando!