Carrie Ann Inaba Chats On Pet Health, Cats, And The Best Routines On DWTS

Parade interviewed Dancing With The Stars Carrie Ann Inaba on the best routines and more on Dancing With The Stars. She also chats on her cats and the importance of pet health.

Tell us a little bit about your fur babies.

They make life amazing! I have three cats. Mimi is my oldest, she’s about 12 years old. She’s a rescue, and she’s a black cat. We call her Mimi Vader because she’s got some chronic health conditions, so she snorts when she breathes. There’s Reb, who is just over a year now. He was a feral kitty, and he’s shy around people, so he requires a little bit more care. I spent the first three months making sure I spent quality time with him every day. Now he loves to be petted, and he’s the most social cat. Then, we have Sophie, who’s the kitten. She’s a Russian Blue and about five months old. She was found on the streets. A friend of mine dropped her off to me because I’m that lady. I was going to take her to a shelter, but they were so filled up. Reb walked over to her and pulled her in and started to clean her, and they have been inseparable ever since.

Let’s talk about Dancing With the Stars. What has been your experience as a judge on the show?

It’s so much fun. When I was 18 and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, I never would’ve said, I want to be judge on a ballroom dance show. It was not anything I ever wanted or thought about. Now that I’ve been doing it for 25 seasons, I feel really lucky. Dancing With the Stars is more than just a dance competition show. It’s people getting out there, trying something new, which is so important in life. It’s inspiring, and I get to take that home with me every time I’m there.

What are some of the best routines you’ve seen on the show?

There’s been so many! I will say that Gilles Marini, when he danced with Cheryl Burke—that’s one of those outstanding partnerships. That’s the definition of Dancing With the Stars. The passion they had was incredible. Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough were also one of those couples that was hard to beat. They were fantastic. This past season, Normani (Kordei) and Val (Chmerkovskiy) had something spectacular.

I want to say that this year, one of the best partnerships was Rashad (Jennings) and Emma (Slater) because there was something really profound about their journey, and I think everybody at home tapped into it. What I love about our show is that people vote with their heart—they don’t have to vote for the best dancing.

Great interview. Be sure to read the interview in full at Parade.

In honor of#blackcatappreciationday -I present Mimi Vader!!!!! The coolest cat ever. Even today, someone said to me, "I don't usually like cats but I love her. " Mimi came to me by way of @perrys_place_la and is a rescue. She was once part of a feral colony… and she loves herself a good pack to run with. When the dogs run in our house, Mimi is right up with them… she's the most friendly cat ever. She always comes when you call her. She brings you toys… mostly the big dog bone stuffed toy. And she never complains even though she suffers from a chronic sinus infection. She's always cheerful and she just makes everyone smile. Another unique quality? She has curly hair on her tummy! So, on this special day, we honor you #Mimi -our sweet little girl. #blackcat #cat

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