Kate Upton has a new furry friend — a purr-fectly adorable baby tiger.
The blond bombshell’s kitty companion was one of several cute baby critters to join the model in a photo shoot for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. However, the tiny tiger cub appears to have gained special favor from Upton, who promptly tweeted out an on-set photo with the caption, “Cuddling with my favorite tiger.”
While Kate Upton’s tiger tweet seems playfully innocent, some have speculated that the caption is a cheeky reference to relationship rumors that have persisted in the media.
Although the voluptuous beauty has maintained that she is a single gal, she has been repeatedly linked to baseball star Justin Verlander — who just happens to be a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.
It remains to be seen if Upton was taking a sly jab at her dating situation, or if she was just innocently sharing part of her work day.
Kate Upton stepped in front of the camera for a fashion portfolio from Carine Roitfeld, who recently accepted the reins as the new Global Fashion Director at Harper’s Bazaar .
The two have worked together before — Upton also graced the cover of Roitfeld’s debut issue of CR Fashion Book .
This time, Kate Upton posed with a bevy of baby animals for a spread titled “The Animal Nursery.” In addition to her “favorite tiger,” the model was snapped alongside a cuddly monkey and a baby ocelot — all shot by photographer Sebastian Faena.
Cuddling with my favorite tiger ? twitter.com/KateUpton/stat…
— Kate Upton (@KateUpton) April 5, 2013
Reportedly joining Kate Upton — and the collection of cute creatures — are high-profile models such as Senait Gidey, Irina Shayk, Soo Joo Park, and Tilda Lindstam.
More shots by @sebastianfaena for @ harpersbazaarus @ crfashionbook nym.ag/14KgnEK twitter.com/KateUpton/stat…
— Kate Upton (@KateUpton) April 5, 2013
The 16-page spread showcases designs from some of the fashion world’s elite, including Dior, Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander Wang, and Dolce & Gabbana.
You can check out additional shots of Kate Upton posing with her “favorite tiger” by visiting the Harper’s Bazaar website.
[Top image via Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com ]