Instafamous Salem cat inspires children's book on acceptance

SALEM, Mass. — With more than 200,000 followers on Instagram, a cat on the North Shore named Maya is giving the Kardashians a run for their money.

Maya was born with an extra chromosome, making her look different than other cats.

Soon after Lauren Beader and Harrison Makofsky adopted Maya, they started posting pictures online.

Maya quickly had 7,000 followers and the numbers continued to soar.

Soon, Maya’s fans were sending artwork from around to the world to Salem. All that creativity became a catalyst for another artistic outlet: a children’s book.

Beader, a copywriter by day, became an author at night. Makofsky, who always loved to draw, became an illustrator. The book is called "Meet Maya Cat."

"I coach a Special Olympics gymnastics team -- and I have since I was 12 --- and I’ve always felt really strongly about inclusion and acceptance,” said Beader.

Those are universal themes are woven throughout the book.

"Maya is just Maya, and she is who she is,” said Makofsky. "She’s a little different, but that’s totally acceptable and she should be loved and cared for just the same as anyone else.”

Profits from the book will be donated to the Special Olympics gymnastics team and the Odd Cat Sanctuary in Salem.

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