Overview
- By June 24, Billy, a one-year-old British shorthair from Newry, had correctly chosen the winners of 19 World Cup matches that did not end in draws.
- Owners Linka Lin and Mark Kelly present two miniature country flags and record Billy tapping one with his paw to register a pick, a staged and observable method rather than a claim of supernatural ability.
- Billy was adopted from the USPCA as a kitten and has gained increased treats and attention as his votes have been shared on the @billy_heartnose Instagram account.
- The videos have driven rapid virality, with individual posts receiving tens of thousands of views and the account growing to roughly 9,800 followers, drawing broad media coverage.
- Reporters compare Billy to past novelty forecasters like Paul the Octopus, and his owners say they treat the work as light entertainment while warning that rising expectations will make continued accuracy harder to sustain.