Since Christmas began, the BTS members have been taking turns meeting fans through live broadcasts. Even SUGA—who had almost completely disappeared from social media for the past 833 days—visited ARMYs in a solo live broadcast on the 28th and introduced a new member of BTS’s pet squad: his black cat, Tang.

Notably, on that same day, fans began to notice that the members share a strong connection with pets, especially dogs and cats. Aside from Yoongi, at least four recent Instagram posts by V, j-hope, and RM featured furry companions. While j-hope used cat paw emojis or cat memes in his posts, V and RM sparked speculation that they might be joining the “cat parent” race.

V was the first to draw attention by posting a close-up photo of a chubby wнιтe cat paw, accompanied by the simple caption, “I can’t handle this.” Shortly afterward, RM shared a video of himself affectionately playing with a wнιтe-furred animal that left many fans confused as to whether it was a dog or a cat.

Since then, many ARMYs have excitedly speculated about whether the BTS members might be adopting cats together, forming a sort of “sibling cat” lineup. RM’s live broadcast on the 28th thus became the perfect opportunity for fans to hear clarification from one of the members most strongly suspected of having recently adopted a pet.

During part of the live, some fans asked RM, “Do you have a cat?” To their surprise, he immediately replied, “I don’t have a cat. I don’t have a dog. I’m a cat, I’m a dog in myself,” sending everyone watching the live into laughter. When another fan teasingly asked, “Why are you so dog person?” RM quickly responded with his signature humor, saying, “I’m sort of like a dog, right? Even I think that I kind of like a dog—woof woof.”

RM clarified that he is not currently raising any pets, whether dogs or cats, contrary to previous speculation. Following this explanation, fans concluded that the wнιтe-furred pet seen earlier in his Instagram video likely belonged to a friend or acquaintance. Some observant fans even offered a more detailed explanation, suggesting that RM had most likely attended the birthday party of Tan—a dog often regarded as the “child” of BTS stylist Youngjin—and that the animal in the video actually belonged to one of Youngjin’s friends, not to RM, nor was it a cat as many had αѕѕumed.

Although rumors about RM adopting a cat or dog have been put to rest, another theory continues to circulate widely: that the BTS members’ recent connections to pets—especially cats—may be hinting at the theme or concept of BTS’s 2026 comeback album. This speculation has gained even more traction given that cats are closely αѕѕociated with the “Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa” series, one of BTS’s most significant eras. Fans are now strongly suspecting the possibility of a new continuation of the “Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa” era in 2026.

Meanwhile, RM’s playful responses regarding dogs and cats delighted netizens, who commented:

- namjoon wise words are coming back. oh we’re so back

- Namjoon is a yapper that i dont mind at all hearing him yapi will listen to him yap even when i dont understand and even when i understand

- I love this man he’s so funny. Joonietriever supremacy

- Feel like I’m your cat, I’m your dog — in my eyes, I only see you. I don’t wanna be just friends. I don’t want to be separated from you — can I be your pet? This is so funny, Joonie

- LOL that was so funny, and then he suddenly barked. I really love it when he starts acting weird and random like that. It makes him feel so relatable, like he’s just a friend — his weirdness and randomness are exactly the same as mine lol.

- He’s in that phase where it’s like, ‘I buy myself flowers, I don’t need a partner — I am my own partner. He is so cute plsssss

- He's the SILLIEST and i absolutely adore when he enjoys himself on a live. This was such a heartwarming live and yes, he had big puppy energy throughout

- Dogwood Tree he has puppy energy and he's a tree I love him!!!!!!!!!