Speaker 1: Hey, hey, this is Pet Life Radio.
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Speaker 1: It's all behaved with Arden More, this show that teaches
you how to have harmony in the household with your pets.
Join Ardna. She travels coast to coast to help millions
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Get that latest scoop on famous spaces, they're perfectly pampered pets,
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paws and applause as we unleaseh your oh behave hosts
America's pet edutainer Arden Moore.
Speaker 2: Hey, pet pals, Welcome to the old Behave show on
Pet Life Radio. I'm your host, Arden Moore. Can I
get a beat? Can I get a big me? Whoa perfect?
Speaker 3: All right?
Speaker 2: We are not pussy footing around on today's show. It's
time to really really celebrate cats. Our special guests today
are here to do just that. We have Liz Sykes.
She is the founder of the Virginia Cat Festival, and
we also have two time New York Times bestselling author
and founder of House Panther Kate Benjamin. Welcome, Welcome, ladies,
thanks for having it, Thank you well, strap yourselves in.
They're on the whole behave show with me and maybe
Pet Safety Cat Casey will pop in, but he's looking
from above making sure everything is being done properly. We're
going to find out what's going on at the Virginia
Cat Festival, why you need to be there, and what's
up with Kate Benjamin. After we take this quick break
so you know the drill, sit per, we'll be right back.
Speaker 1: Time for a pause for very ones, Actually sit and
stay all behave.
Speaker 3: We'll be right back.
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Speaker 1: Let's talk pets on Petlife Radio dot com. All behavior
is back with more tail wagging ways to achieve harmony
of a household with your pets. Now back to your
fetching host, America's pet ed You tainer Arden More.
Speaker 2: Welcome back to the Behave Show on pet Life Radio.
I'm your host, Arden Moore. I got two great gals
on our show. These two are geniuses. I mean it seriously,
and they're kind of fun, and they're nice and they
love cats. Liz Psykes and also is a repeat guest
Hate Benjamin. She has written not one, but two New
York Times best selling books, Catification and Catify to Satisfy.
She's a genius who is also a designer and knows
how to keep the cat happy and purring in your home.
She is the founder of house Panther. That's haus Panther.
And it's been a minute since you've been back on
the show, but welcome back, Kate.
Speaker 5: Great, always fun to talk to you.
Speaker 2: Did you warn Liz about being a guest on my show?
Speaker 5: I didn't. I feel like she just needs to jump
right into the fire.
Speaker 2: I'm ready. So we've got some important news news to
share and that is the second annual Virginia Cat Festival, Liz.
Tell everybody, there's only about five hundred thousand, seven hundred
thousand people listening to you right now, So can you
kind of tell us what's going on and end of
October beginning of November.
Speaker 3: Yes, absolutely, it's the second annual festival, like Arden said,
and it'll be held in Williamsburg, Virginia on November first
and second, which Halloween weekend. I think that's really good timing.
Costumes are encouraged, so please dress you know your cat
best to.
Speaker 2: The feline nine.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Yes, I meant there, thank you.
Speaker 1: Yes.
Speaker 2: Well, Casey's gonna come as Puss and boots. He's gonna
make Antonio Bandatis look like amazing. Do you have a
couple's costume? Martin? You know I'm not a real costume person.
What I win as a Dracula vampire victim and I
just put two red dots on my neck. I'm pretty
low key. I like Casey takes creative But what is
the Virginia Cat Festival, Liz? And can you give us
the backstory? Because you and your team have done a
lot of different events in the Northeast, but last year
was a big one with the cats. It was.
Speaker 3: Yes, So the quickest way to say it is the
Virginia Cat Festival is a celebration of all things cats
for cat people. And so then people always.
Speaker 2: Say, well what does that mean? What do you do.
Speaker 3: At a cat festival?
Speaker 2: And so well, thick and groom. Yeah, Well, there will.
Speaker 3: Be vendors of course with the latest and greatest things
for both the humans and the cats. There will be
workshops to help you understand your cat better or understand
how to support cats in the community. There's workshops on
TNR and cat colony care things like that, so people
who are interested in learning more about those types of
volunteer work can There's also cat ad options, so if
you're looking to add a new member to your family,
maybe he'll find one at the festival. And then there's
also just we call them celebrit cats that'll be wandering around,
so that's like pat safety cat Casey is a great example.
These are cats that are used to being around large
crowds and lots of people and so there'll be plenty
opportunities to get some pets and cuddles in. And then
we also have activities.
Speaker 6: Video cat videos, Right, we are going to screen the
Cat Video Fest, Yes, and so yeah, if anyone's not
familiar with it, it's an annual reel of the latest
and greatest internet cat videos.
Speaker 3: We all know that's the best thing to do on
the internet, watch cat videos.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So yeah, I just posted one of Casey's again today,
pouring like a diesel engine on my YouTube. Yeah, amazingly. Yeah,
and that's where my college degree is going. Yeah, yeah,
got it.
Speaker 3: Well, the I mean, the other nice thing about the
Cat Video Fest is that it's an annual thing done
and they raise money for cats and need as well.
So they ask for a portion of ticket sales to
go to animal welfare organizations.
Speaker 2: What's the group you're gonna campion this time?
Speaker 3: So we have six nonprofits that will be at the
festival and each of them will receive a donation a
combination of a portion of ticket sales for the festival.
And then we're also hosting a raffle during the festival
and one hundred percent of the rafful ticket proceeds will
go to the six nonprofits. And they are all different
animal welfare organizations in Virginia.
Speaker 2: So how do we find out how to find out
more information, Liz, so we can get our tail over there.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you can find out everything you need to know
at thacatfestival dot com.
Speaker 2: Okay, now you landed a top cool cat as one
of your presenters, and she's here with us right now.
Kate Benjamin, you're coming from Arizona all the way to Virginia.
Speaker 5: I am, and I'm so excited. I haven't been out
to do many events this year, so I heard great
things about the Virginia Cat Festival last year and I'm
very excited to be part of this here.
Speaker 2: So let me make sure I got my notes right.
You are doing not one, but two talks. I love
this first one catification one oh one designing a home
both for you and your cat will love because you
know you own the mortgage, but we know who really
owns the house. And the other one is all about cadeos,
everything you need to know to design the perfect cado.
So let's get into the indoors first. Can you share
a couple of tips. We don't want to spoil your talk,
but really, the cat is living in the house more
than we are. Come on, let's just face the feline facts.
Speaker 5: Yeah, you have to give them all the things they
need to really be a cat, right yeah. So they
need to climb and perch, they need little hideaways where
they can feel safe. They need soft surfaces and things
that they can scratch on where they can leave their scent,
because all of these things are really about reducing stress
and anxiety by letting them act out their natural behaviors.
So I'm here to show you that you can do
all of these things in a way that you actually
like too.
Speaker 2: And won't take a big bite out of your wallet.
Speaker 5: Right yeah, exactly. There's lots of tips and tricks for
economical things and things that look cool, because if it
doesn't look good, the people won't do it, and then
the cats won't have what they need. So my presentations
are just kind of all about examples and inspiration and
just lots of ideas that people can take and run with.
Speaker 2: I wish you would have a show on HGTV. That'd
be my favorite show.
Speaker 5: Ooh, that'd be a lot of work.
Speaker 2: I'm sure they're listening. They're probably going to call you
and sign a contract after that. But what about cadios?
Because in our house we have three dogs and two cats.
We have a screen back porch, and we don't call
it a patio. We call it because we've got dogs
and cats, we call it a petio.
Speaker 5: Oh nice, yes's.
Speaker 2: Accouterments for the cat when we can let them by
a cool day because it's Dallas hang out with us
in the pettio. So what's a couple things about a cadio.
You want to make sure that people pay attention to
so it's safe for the cats and really giving them
a feel of the outdoors so without being you know,
outside unattended.
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's a great way to extend your space. And
cadeos can be anything from just a really small window
box oh all up to a giant room like you're
talking about, like a screened in room where you can
walk in and have chairs in places to spend time
with the cats. So it really depends on your house,
It depends on your budget, what you need.
Speaker 2: What's a must have and a cadio no matter the size.
Speaker 5: Well, definitely climbing things, I think, because I like to
use any sort of shelf or pole system that gets
stuff off the ground so it's easier to clean out
there too. Because remember back to this whole idea of
designing for both the human and the cat. You have
to clean it, you have to live with it, so
you want to make little decisions that make it easier.
So lots of shell are cat trees, things like that
media water feature. That's a fun place to put a
water feature out on a cadio. If you've got that ability,
maybee some cat grass growing or some fresh cat in it.
Speaker 2: Can't grasp it's really good.
Speaker 5: You love that. So it really brings the outdoors you
know in and sort of gives them access to all
of those outdoor fresh air things like that, but in
a safe way.
Speaker 2: What is your kitty count now? At your home in Arizona?
Speaker 5: We have eleven here and we have a big CaTiO.
Speaker 2: And everybody that's going to tune into the YouTube my
arden more one her house is immaculate.
Speaker 5: Well, well maybe not all the time.
Speaker 2: Eleven How are they doing?
Speaker 5: Oh, they're all pretty good. I mean we have you know,
a few.
Speaker 2: Well it's like sib bad apples us.
Speaker 5: But it's always a learning experience.
Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, But don't you think this design is giving
them We talk about the physical need, but what about
the mental enrichment it gives cats that live indoors.
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's a huge piece of the environmental enrichment is
that it keeps them stimulated, not just physically but also mentally,
so that they have different levels to sort of peruse
the environment. They have things they can play with to
stimulate hunting, things that they would do if they were outside,
but all inside in a safe way.
Speaker 2: What about you, Liz, do you have a loving cats?
I just have one. And who is your one and only? Yes?
Speaker 3: Yes, and his name is Otis he the tuxedo cat.
He's very shy around strangers, but he's slowly been opening
up more, which is exciting to see. He's three now,
and I recently got him a Florida ceiling cat tree,
so that's been really fun. Yeah, it took about two
weeks before he you know, stopped being suspicious of it
and decided it was a good thing.
Speaker 2: So I guess he's not going to be an ambassador
at the Virginia Cat Ussel. He'll be home. He'll be home.
Speaker 3: Yes, And this is one of the things I always
thinking about because Arden, you're so having pat safety cat, Casey,
who you can take anywhere. Most cat owners can't take
their cats anywhere, so we can't find each other in public,
you know, and so it's not like when you walk
your dog, everybody sees your dog.
Speaker 2: So yeah, that's true. Well we'll figure out a way
to improve that feline friendship circle. Hey, everybody, we are
listening and so jazzed to have on our show today.
Kate Benjamin one of the key speakers at the Virginia
Cat Festival, and here telling us a little bit about
that Virginia Cat Festival and her shy cat Otis is
one of the creators of it, and that is Liz Sykes.
We're going to dive into some of the cool things
and people that are going to be there, so you
gotta be there after we take this quick break, So
sit per.
Speaker 5: We'll be right back.
Speaker 1: Time for a walk on the red carp but of
course all behave. We'll be backing up lash right after
these messages.
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Speaker 2: Let's talk past you.
Speaker 4: Let's go on petco at Life.
Speaker 5: Radio, Petline Radio.
Speaker 1: Petlfradio dot com.
Speaker 3: Hi, this is Jen Davis, the creator Garfield, encouraging you
to listen to the Oh Behave Show with our and
more on pet Life Radio. Well, yeah, who, we'll see
about Dak.
Speaker 1: We're back from the lot. Just check the paper and
we had our record showing at the box, the letterbox
that is now back to Oh Behave.
Speaker 2: Here's Arden, Welcome back to the old Behave Show on
tet Life Radio. I'm your host, Arden Moore. I love
these gals. We have Liz Sykes, one of the co
founders of the Founders. I don't know what your fancy
title is, Liz, but you were one of the geniuses
behind the creation of the Virginia Cat Festival. And also
we have Kate Benjamin who's written two New York Times
best selling books with a buddy named Jackson galaxy, both
of them together co authored. Is that right? Yeah? All right,
I've got to give proper attribution catification and catify to satisfy.
So let's let the cat out of the bag. Liz,
what role is pet safety cat Casey and Arden Morgan
to play? You were a glutton for punishment. You invited
us back after your inaugural festival because.
Speaker 3: He had so much fun and so did the attendees.
Everybody was just in such a high spirits after your workshop.
Last year, Arden gave a workshop on with Pet Safety
Cat Casey.
Speaker 2: Of course about I had everybody doing the Heimlich maneuver
on their own bellies.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, it was amazing. And so you all will
talk about cat health again this year, right about diet
and then also first aid.
Speaker 2: One is plunge into cat first aid in a perfect way.
And for those three people on the planet that do
not know, I will say that Pet Safety Cat Casey
is an orange tabby a therapy cat and probably the
hardest working safety cat on the planet. He has been
with me by car, a bike plane to do behavior
and safety talks. And then there's something called zoom. So
we have given veterinary proof classes all over the world.
And so I remember last year he wore a cowboy
hat at your meet and greet and people were walking
in stumbling in, and Liz tell me what happened.
Speaker 3: Well, it was funny because it was kind of a
slow process to get into the building, and so everyone's
kind of craning their necks trying to figure out why
it's so slow to get into the building. And then
you see them come up to the door and their
face just lights up because they see Casey and his
cowboy hat, and of course everyone wants to stop and
get them some pets and take a photo. So I
think it was a payoff that everybody was happy about.
Speaker 2: He was a show stopper, Yeah, he is. And the
other one. For many years, I did the nutrition column
for Catstro magazine, And so I'm going to do another
talk this year called What's Eating You Kitty, And it's
talking a little bit about some ways that we can
keep them nice and healthy and have good food without
breaking your bank. But I do feel honored that we're
going and we're actually driving from Dallas to Virginia. But
my sister Deb, Hey, Deb, you listen to the show.
You just got your name on the show, and Casey
and I are driving from Dallas to Virginia. We're taking
our time and it's a sister road trip. And then
we're going to see my niece and nephew, Chrissy and Lucas,
and they're going to help you out again, if that's okay, Liz.
So now you've got my sister too, You've got the
whole family helping out. Amazing. Yeah, we're thrilled. So we
had some others that we want to give a shout
out too. So, Liz, there's a pretty cool rapper. There's
a comedian and this gentleman has been on my show,
Cowboy cat Wrangler Bob Lynch. So tell us about the
cat rapper and the comedian because I want people to come.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we're really excited. So most show the cat rapper.
He is all about inspiring people, spreading good vibes. He
makes up raps about his cats. He has five and
so they're frequent guests and collaborators in his music videos.
And yeah, he's just really fun. So he will be
there at the festival. People can meet him. He also
has merch you can buy. And then the comedian Drennan Davis. Yeah,
so he's been in comedy for many years, and he's
sort of an accidental cat influencer because he had cats
and started making videos about them, business cats giving advice,
and as you can imagine, that took off and so
now his cats are frequent features of his social media
channel that everyone really enjoys.
Speaker 2: So with Bob Lynch, the Cowboy Wrangler, Drennan Davis, and Moshow,
you have just proved that real man love cats. So
you're having cat daddies.
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, we're very excited to have some cat dads
in the lineup.
Speaker 2: So none of us are cat daddies. But I'm going
to ask you both. Do you got a favorite, bad,
fun cat joke like a dad would tell a dad joke. Oh,
brain's working fast, brain's working fast. Come on, Liz, you've
got one. We do have fun.
Speaker 3: Okay, dogs can't take X rays, but cats can.
Speaker 2: Do you have one? Okay? Nothing that I can think of. Well,
Kate channeled her inner Caate Benjamin to me right now,
so I am going to give Kate's joke on behalf
of her house that, Yeah, do you know why cats
don't play poker in the jungle? Too many cheetahs Kate.
That was brilliant, brilliant, Love it brilliant. So, Kate, I
know this will be your first festival here and you've
been in the cat world. Wow, tell us a little
bit about House Panther. What is that? That's your company
you founded back in two thousand and seven.
Speaker 5: Yes, so, yeah, way back in two thousand and seven,
I was working at a children's product company that did
kind of modern, cool children's products, and I sort of
had this realization, how come nobody is talking about cool
stuff for cats and cat parents. So I started a
blog and it's all about like interesting, beautiful, functional design,
so environments and products and everything you need to live
with a cat. So it has evolved over the years
to be kind of a lifestyle brand. So I have
an online presence on social media on my website where
I write about just everything I can find for cats.
And then I designed my own line of products, and
I collaborate with other companies, and I wrote the two
books with Jackson and did a lot of catification work
with him, and I started doing a lot of shelter
work in the last few years as well, so shelters
and cat cafes things like that. So it's really just
about inspiring people to do what they need to do
in their homes to give their cats what they need
in a way that they want to celebrate something that
they love. So lots of ideas and inspiration and products
and things, and it's a nice community of sort of
like minded design conscious cat people.
Speaker 2: So what do you think the life is like for
cats in twenty twenty five versus when you started it
in two thousand and seven.
Speaker 5: Big difference. So I used to have to search for
cool things to write about, and now I can't keep
up right because it was it started off with just
small companies and individual designers, and now all of the
big players, the big companies that do lots of pet products,
have beautiful things for cats in different styles and different
price points. You can find whatever you need, and that's
when you're just purchasing it. In addition to that, people
have posted amazing diys now with social media, which wasn't
around when I started. You know, people are sharing really
cool DIY stuff that they did, so really there's no excuse. Getty,
I like that, you know, people have to do it.
Speaker 2: And Liz tell people your background because you boldly entered
the Feline Spectrum last year with the Virginia Cat Festival.
But this isn't your first festival or first event. What's
your background.
Speaker 3: Yes, it's not our first event. My business partner, Adam
and I have been doing a vum production for about
fifteen years now and we frequently work in the city
of Williamsburg. Who is the sponsor of this event, And
the reason they are sponsoring a cat festival is that
we pitched it to them. They were looking for different
ideas of ways to attract visitors to Williamsburg and also
create a more vibrant community for people that live there.
And you know, when you think of Williamsburg, most people
think of colonial Williamsburg. You think of the history, but
there's actually a lot more going on there. And so
we thought, hey, you know, we want to do something
that's unique and will motivate people to travel to come
for the event. And we really think that it's cats.
Speaker 2: And so, so you just heard Kate. You know, Kate,
you're hearing what Liz is saying. Liz is doing something pioneerish,
if that's such a word. What do you think about
her taking a colonial, well named city, Williamsburg and saying
let's get Caddy. What do you think of her genius idea?
Speaker 5: It's great. I mean it sounds like it was an
incredibly successful event last year. And I think every city
needs its own cat festival, right because each one will
be unique to that city and like you said, create
local community. So I think that's a huge piece of it,
all right.
Speaker 2: So we have to again quickly, Liz, tell us the
dates and why we need to come to the Virginia
Cat Festival.
Speaker 3: Yes, the dates are in November first and second, Halloween weekend.
You can find all the information and tickets at vacatfestival
dot com. And we want you all to come just
to celebrate cats, because we all love cats and our
pets and it's just nice to have space to celebrate
that and connect with other people.
Speaker 2: All right, and your thoughts coming all the way from Arizona, Kate.
Speaker 5: I'm excited, and I love that it's on Halloween weekend
because I will actually be bringing because I'll have a
booth as well, and I'll have some of my sort
of witchy Halloween cat toys and earrings and stuff for
cat lovers, so I can't wait.
Speaker 2: I will be pushing a pet stroller with pet safety
cat Casey probably dressed up as put some boots if
he tolerates it all around, because we went everywhere in
that stroller. Do you remember that last year, Liz?
Speaker 3: Yes, people loved it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's going through the cobblestone streets of Williamsburg, Kate going. Hey,
he knows a lot of things and he's never met
a stranger or a strange place. I do steer him
a little bit away from the cat boost though, because
confession time, Casey loves people. Casey loves dogs. Cats not
so much so. He tolerates his brother, Rusty the per former,
but he's like, I'm here for the two leggers. So
he just has to tell he's not perfect. Liz, is
that okay?
Speaker 3: It's absolutely fine, And you know he's pretty close to perfect.
I'm not stay. He was very well behaved last year.
Speaker 2: So if you could have a feline superpower, I'm going
to ask you. We asked to all our guests, Liz,
what would be your feline superpower? And why?
Speaker 5: Oh?
Speaker 3: I would love to be able to per because it's
like the most soothing sound ever and when my cat's purring,
you know, I just love to cuddle him clothes. So
I think that's a really nice thing to be able
to do.
Speaker 2: Yeah, because they're the only ones that can per inhaling
and exhaling, right, So get your pur on, get your
peer on, Liz Sykes, how about you, Kate?
Speaker 5: Well, I mean in general, who doesn't want to fly?
And so the way cats can sort of gracefully leap
through the air, it's like they're flying. So you know,
if I was that athletic, that would be nice.
Speaker 2: Can you imagine you're on a crowded street and you
and you could just leap up and bypass everything. Wouldn't
that be awesome? Why doesn't Superman have a cat? Why
is it a dog? Now? I think we need to
get busy on that. I think the next Superman, Marvel, Marvel,
you're listening, we should have Superman paired with the super Cat.
What are you guys, ladies? Are you ready for it? Absolutely?
Speaker 5: Super Cat?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, hey, everybody. I have been honored and delighted
to have on our show today. Two dynamos. We have
Liz Sykes, one of the co founders of the Virginia
Cat Festival. Mark your dates November first and second in Williamsburg, Virginia.
And also the amazing Kate Benjamin, author designer cool cat herself.
We're going to vacatfestival dot com and hauspanther dot com.
I have some big muse humbly we are O Behave show,
which is the longest running pet podcast on the planet
on the air since seven, was recently selected as number
three as the best pet podcast. I won't tell you
who number one and two is. Just think about us.
We're very happy to be number three, and I want
to acknowledge my producer, Mark Winter. He is the executive
producer of pet Life Radio, August's biggest pet radio network
on the planet. The other thing is my superpower is
pet safety. I team up with pet safety cat Casey,
pet safety dog Kona, and we teach veterinary approved first
aid classes three ways now, Oh, Kate, You're gonna love
this genius in person via interact to zoom and two
months ago, we launched two self paced online courses for certification,
a cat dog course and a cat only class, and
trus me, Casey and Kona have some humorous moments in
those classes. This is not a boring self paced class,
I promise you. In fact, I'm doing the Heimlich on
Casey during one of the course segments and he looks
up at me and he starts yawning, and I'm like.
Speaker 4: Am I boring you?
Speaker 2: Casey? He's like, well, you know, I've kind of done
this a thousand times, so you will not fall asleep
in my self paced courses, I promise, So go to
pet first ave for you. So until next time, this
is your flea Free host Arden Moore, delivering just two
words to all you two three and four laguers out there.
Speaker 1: All behave coast to coast that are around the world. It's
all behaved with art and more. Find out why cats
and dogs do the things they do and get the
latest buzz from Wagging Tongues and tails and rent ten
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