Keith Hernandez announces passing of his beloved cat, Hadji

Hadji, the internet-famous Bengal cat of Mets broadcaster Keith Hernandez, passed away last week at the age of 22. Hernandez announced the news on social media on Wednesday.

“It’s with a heavy heart that I must tell you that I had to put Hadji down last week,” he posted on X. “It was his time to go. I loved him so much and miss him dearly. He was a great companion for 22 yrs. RIP my little guy.”

The world first came to know Hadji, who was named for a character in the 1960s TV cartoon “Jonny Quest,” in 2018, when Hernandez started posting about his grey-and-white feline companion on what was then known as Twitter. They immediately became some of his most popular posts.

“I cannot tell you how many people have twittered me pictures of their cat laying out in the sun going, ‘My cat is madly in love with Hadji. Can we hook them up?’” Hernandez told The New York Times in 2018.

Bengal cats are known for their markings that resemble those of leopards or jaguars and have a lifespan of 12-16 years, according to WebMD. Hernandez celebrated Hadji’s 22^nd birthday back on Oct. 10, just 10 days before the Mets Hall of Famer’s own birthday.

Hadji was also beloved by Mets fans, who brought cardboard cutouts of his face to games and bought T-shirts with his striped visage from Hernandez’s official store. Condolences poured into the replies to Hernandez’s post on X and those on Instagram by the Mets; SNY TV; and Gary, Keith and Ron, an account dedicated to Hernandez and his broadcast partners Gary Cohen and Ron Darling.