1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:00,800 Speaker 1: Love. 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 2: This is pet Life Radio. Let's talk pets. 3 00:00:24,559 --> 00:00:28,879 Speaker 3: Hello, feeline friends, Welcome to Catatude. I'm your show host 4 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,759 Michelle Byrne. I have a very special guest today. We 5 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,479 actually talked about her on our prior show, but I 6 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:38,479 reached out to her and I'm so glad she was 7 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:43,000 available to come on Catitude. She has done so much 8 00:00:43,359 --> 00:00:47,200 for feelines and she has such an interesting background. So 9 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:49,359 stay tuned, we'll be right back. 10 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,799 Speaker 4: You know the expression cats have nine lives? Well, what 11 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,399 if you can give them one more? But give them 12 00:00:59,479 --> 00:01:02,640 ten Moves is on a mission to help give cats 13 00:01:02,679 --> 00:01:07,280 an extra life. How with spee and neoter, spain or 14 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,239 nootering your cat helps them live a longer, healthier life 15 00:01:11,439 --> 00:01:15,959 and it helps control free rolling cat populations too. Learn 16 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,400 more about the benefits of spe and neuter and meet 17 00:01:19,519 --> 00:01:23,719 Scooter the neuter cat at give them ten dot org. 18 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,239 That's give them ten dot Org. 19 00:01:29,439 --> 00:01:43,159 Speaker 5: Let's talk pets on Petlife Radio dot com. 20 00:01:43,439 --> 00:01:47,799 Speaker 3: Welcome back everyone. I'd like to welcome Vanessa Morgan. She 21 00:01:48,079 --> 00:01:52,760 is an author. She is a screenwriter. She runs a 22 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:57,239 website called Traveling Cats. She's done a lot for the 23 00:01:57,319 --> 00:02:00,000 cat world. Welcome Vanessa, Welcome to Cat. 24 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: Hello, thank you so much for having me. 25 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,799 Speaker 3: I'm so excited to have you. This is interesting that 26 00:02:05,879 --> 00:02:07,519 you're on the show, and I'm so glad you're on 27 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:12,000 the show because we featured your book on a previous 28 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,719 episode of CTA Tude. The title was Kats and Horror, 29 00:02:15,759 --> 00:02:19,719 Sci Fi and Fantasy Movies, and my guest was Christopher 30 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:25,319 Robinson and it was very very interesting book, and I 31 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:27,439 guess he got in touch with you and he reached 32 00:02:27,479 --> 00:02:31,599 out and tonight you're on to talk about yourself. 33 00:02:32,159 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: Thank you. 34 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,599 Speaker 3: So it's very exciting to have you. Can you share 35 00:02:35,599 --> 00:02:38,000 a little bit about your background for our listeners. 36 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,719 Speaker 1: I think, first and foremost, I'm really a writer, writer, publisher. 37 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,120 I think the main things I'm doing is I'm writing 38 00:02:46,159 --> 00:02:50,599 about gets and about horror movies, and sometimes the two combined, 39 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,560 not always, but yeah, it's always gets, oh horror. 40 00:02:55,039 --> 00:03:00,159 Speaker 3: I've been doing cat Tude since twenty seventeen, so what 41 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,360 is that about? Close to eight years? And it's kind 42 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,960 of a thing. Cats and horror movies not you know 43 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,319 all the time, but it is a thing. You don't 44 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,479 hear as much with dogs and horror movies. Wolves, you know, 45 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:18,039 they're more like wolves dogs, they're not like regular dogs. 46 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,159 So but cats, all kinds of cats and horror movies. 47 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:22,240 Why is that? 48 00:03:22,479 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: Well, I wouldn't necessarily agree that earned any horror movies 49 00:03:25,719 --> 00:03:29,159 with dogs because that will actually be my next book. Ah, 50 00:03:29,319 --> 00:03:33,159 because there are quite a lot of them also. But yeah, 51 00:03:33,319 --> 00:03:35,840 cats and horn that's indeed the thing as well, And 52 00:03:35,879 --> 00:03:39,520 a lot of it goes back to really like medieval 53 00:03:39,599 --> 00:03:43,719 times and even from way before when the cats were 54 00:03:43,759 --> 00:03:48,759 associated with witchcraft, with the plaque and everything, and also 55 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,039 just because even way before that, when yeah, there wasn't 56 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,199 that much knowledge cats were really they seemed a little 57 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,639 bit scary to some people because they prowled at night 58 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,960 and they had some scary eyes at night and everything, 59 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,479 and that led to quite a lot of superstition actually, 60 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,800 and that really aggravated during the times of witchcraft in 61 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,879 which they said that black cats in particular where which 62 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:19,000 is familiars And then unfortunately a lot of these cats 63 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,759 were executed back then, and that was really even worse 64 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:28,639 when the plaque started and that they even more cats 65 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,399 got executed for that reason as well, and that kind 66 00:04:32,439 --> 00:04:35,759 of started it all, like to combine cats with fur 67 00:04:36,079 --> 00:04:40,279 and witchcraft. So what really changed everything was when Edgar 68 00:04:40,319 --> 00:04:44,639 Alla and Po published his short story The Black Cats. 69 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,519 When that became public domain, a lot of movies started 70 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,319 to get made, not only based on that phone, but 71 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,360 sometimes they were just like using the word a black 72 00:04:55,399 --> 00:04:58,360 cat in the title just to cash in on the 73 00:04:58,399 --> 00:05:02,000 popularity of the right and sometimes just like putting a 74 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,040 black getting there and combining it with horror or with 75 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:08,920 a mystery element. And that's kind of started to the 76 00:05:08,959 --> 00:05:13,199 whole idea that gets had somehow linked to horror, to 77 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:14,319 the mysterious. 78 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 3: I think you're right, and we've done a lot of 79 00:05:16,959 --> 00:05:19,959 shows on Catitude about black cats because there's a lot 80 00:05:19,959 --> 00:05:23,600 of stigma around them, and that's another rabbit hole. So 81 00:05:23,639 --> 00:05:26,120 that would be the whole show just on itself. But 82 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:31,079 I think also people don't understand cats. They're not as 83 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,279 easy to read as say a dog is. And I 84 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,360 know dogs could be scary, that's for sure, So yeah, 85 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,759 them scary in your next book. But cats, you know, 86 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,920 they're they're stoic creatures. They're not as easy to read, 87 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,600 not as easy to understand, and they're they're mystical, and 88 00:05:47,639 --> 00:05:51,920 they've been very much hyped up in the world of mystique, 89 00:05:51,959 --> 00:05:54,600 even in TV shows, even in TV shoes that are 90 00:05:54,639 --> 00:05:58,759 not scary with talking cats and everything. So yeah, that's 91 00:05:58,959 --> 00:06:02,000 I think a good enough explanation of why there's so 92 00:06:02,079 --> 00:06:03,560 many cats in horror movies. 93 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:05,759 Speaker 1: Yeah, but at the same time, but also I think 94 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,120 is interesting when when you have a look at all 95 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,920 the movies that are being disgusting, my book me out 96 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,360 cats in horror is that a lot of the times 97 00:06:14,759 --> 00:06:18,040 the cats in these movies aren't really the bad guys. 98 00:06:18,519 --> 00:06:22,639 They're actually more of like the hero who are helping out, 99 00:06:23,199 --> 00:06:26,480 like catching the real bad guys, the humans who are 100 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,000 doing bad stuff. And of course, yeah, there are a 101 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,920 couple of films where the cats are bad, but they're 102 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:33,279 kind of like a minority. 103 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 3: Yep, I could see that what led you to love 104 00:06:36,439 --> 00:06:40,279 horror movies because we're kind of opposite in this. I 105 00:06:40,319 --> 00:06:44,439 cannot watch a horror movie because I appreciate them, but 106 00:06:44,639 --> 00:06:45,560 I can't sleep. 107 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, I get that. I hear that a lot from 108 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:49,160 a lot of people. 109 00:06:49,439 --> 00:06:52,720 Speaker 3: But you not only love them, you write them. So 110 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:55,600 where does this love of horror movies come from? Do 111 00:06:55,639 --> 00:06:56,000 you think? 112 00:06:56,399 --> 00:06:59,079 Speaker 1: I think it's really for me, that it's a way 113 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:03,399 unconscious to like maybe process my own fears because when 114 00:07:03,439 --> 00:07:06,959 I was like a child, I was really afraid of 115 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:11,959 so many things. It was really exaggerated. And my philosophy 116 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,920 is that these horror movies and the scary stories, especially 117 00:07:15,959 --> 00:07:19,120 the ones where the horror doesn't seem real at all, 118 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,680 where everything is exaggerated, that it's kind of helped me 119 00:07:22,759 --> 00:07:26,720 to process these feares. But on the other hand, I 120 00:07:26,839 --> 00:07:29,759 really have a hard time watching the news, for example, 121 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,839 because that is real horror, and for me, that's a 122 00:07:33,879 --> 00:07:37,959 lot more difficult to process than horror movies, which are 123 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,920 just like, yeah, something fun and it's not real. 124 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 3: You hit done something very true. Watching the news these days, 125 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:50,319 especially we're based in the US, we are grateful that 126 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,120 you're able to do the show because it's later in 127 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,079 the afternoon here you're in Belgium and we're not going 128 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,879 to talk politics. But I've had shows with people out 129 00:08:00,199 --> 00:08:05,800 the country not since current politics, and I can't even 130 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:09,360 imagine what people outside this country think of the US. 131 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,120 But yes, watching the news these days is scary. 132 00:08:12,399 --> 00:08:15,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, indeed. Indeed, I also think that this is one 133 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,439 of the reasons I think maybe that we love bets 134 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:21,480 so much because they really remind us also fold the 135 00:08:21,519 --> 00:08:23,160 good things in life. 136 00:08:23,079 --> 00:08:27,199 Speaker 3: Very true, and they are non judgmental. They have unconditional 137 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,279 love for us. And we're going to take a short break. 138 00:08:30,279 --> 00:08:34,000 We're going to come back and talk about your amazing book. 139 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,799 It such a beautiful testament, such a beautiful memoir, your 140 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:39,799 book avalon. So we'll be right back. 141 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 6: As your dog or catch you through yet another set 142 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,559 of sheets. I get it, I've been there. But instead 143 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:51,559 of replacing them with more scratchy, low quality bedding, why 144 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:54,000 not treat yourself to what Oprah and Kristian are sleep 145 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,480 on every night. It's called Cozy Earth, and yes it's 146 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:02,399 as dreamy as it sounds. They're bambooshet and pajamas are butterysoft, cooling, 147 00:09:02,519 --> 00:09:05,480 moisture wicking, and they actually get softer every time you 148 00:09:05,639 --> 00:09:08,720 wash them. I'm talking next level snuggle mode here, folks. 149 00:09:08,919 --> 00:09:11,360 These sheets have been on Oprah's Favorite Things lest seven 150 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,960 years in a row, and there's a reason why Cozy 151 00:09:14,039 --> 00:09:16,720 Earth gives you the softest, coolest sleep of your life. 152 00:09:16,879 --> 00:09:19,360 And just for pet Life Radio listeners, I scored you 153 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:21,399 an exclusive forty one percent off. 154 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:23,759 Speaker 1: That's the biggest discount they offer anywhere. 155 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,799 Speaker 6: Just use promo code pet Life Radio at cozyearth dot 156 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,279 com and sleep like the celebrity your pet already thinks 157 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:33,120 you are. That's Cozyerth dot com promo code. Pet Life Radio. 158 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:34,799 You'll thank me at bedtime. 159 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 5: Let's talk past, Let's done, Pets Talk about Life. 160 00:09:40,799 --> 00:09:54,519 Speaker 7: Radio, Hetline Radio, Petlife Radio dot Com. 161 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 3: Welcome back, everybody, we're talking to the NASA Morgan and 162 00:09:58,879 --> 00:10:03,039 she is an author. She went to website called Traveling Cats. 163 00:10:03,279 --> 00:10:07,480 She wrote a memoir for her cat, Avalon, and she 164 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:11,799 writes thrillers. So tell us about Avalon, which was a 165 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:12,720 beautiful book. 166 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 1: Yes, Avalon was my real life cat and my first cat, 167 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,600 and of course, as we all know, our first cats, Yeah, 168 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:22,720 we love them with the idea that they're going to 169 00:10:22,799 --> 00:10:26,759 live forever because I got them when I was quite young. 170 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,200 And then, yeah, when you're young, you always have the 171 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:33,440 impression that your entire life is in front of you, 172 00:10:33,639 --> 00:10:36,919 that the cat's life is going to last for decades 173 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:41,240 and decades in decades, and so I got attached really 174 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,600 fast to that cat and with a lot of passion. 175 00:10:45,279 --> 00:10:48,080 So yeah, when he passed away, it was really an 176 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,320 entire process of grieving because it was kind of my 177 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,679 first loss as well. In life and at the same time, Yeah, 178 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:59,080 I wrote about this loss and everything that the cat 179 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,440 meant to me in his memoir A Alone, So that 180 00:11:02,639 --> 00:11:04,279 was the name of the cat, and it was a 181 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:08,159 book that I wrote just after he passed away. So 182 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,559 I just wanted to do something to commemorize that cat 183 00:11:11,639 --> 00:11:14,679 and to do something like yeah, that I could remember 184 00:11:14,759 --> 00:11:17,879 him by. And it kind of like, even though it 185 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:20,639 has a lot of funny moments, I think because my 186 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:24,360 cat was also a horror movie star and it was 187 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,720 really quite a character both on sets and at home. 188 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,879 It was almost too intelligent for a cat. But at 189 00:11:32,879 --> 00:11:36,720 the same time it became yeah, really like a very 190 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:41,919 very personal and honest story because because I realized that 191 00:11:42,039 --> 00:11:46,960 my attachment to that cat wasn't the usual attachment like 192 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,559 many other people, they didn't have the same love for 193 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:53,360 their cat, or maybe they did, but they didn't want 194 00:11:53,399 --> 00:11:56,759 to express it, because I think there's still kind of 195 00:11:56,759 --> 00:12:00,559 a taboo around that that people, Yeah, you can say 196 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:03,200 you love your cat, but you're not allowed to say 197 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,720 that you love a cat more than a human being, 198 00:12:06,799 --> 00:12:10,639 for example, And that certainly wasn't my case, because I 199 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,759 loved my cat awful on more than anything else. And 200 00:12:13,799 --> 00:12:16,720 it was also because I had, like at that point, 201 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,879 I think I've grown a lot since then, but at 202 00:12:19,919 --> 00:12:22,799 that point I really had a lot of difficult relationships 203 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,440 with the people in my life. I had a difficult 204 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,799 relationship with my family, and all of that led to 205 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,399 me being very attached to this cat who gave me, 206 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:36,159 for the first time in my life, this unconditional love, 207 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:41,320 which was something that I'd never experienced before. So yeah, 208 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,639 it really became a very very personal story. And I 209 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:47,600 remember that when I wrote it, I was like, even 210 00:12:47,639 --> 00:12:50,399 though I did it to commemorate the cat, I always 211 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:52,840 really thinking, like, I hope no one will ever read 212 00:12:52,879 --> 00:12:56,799 this story because you know, I'm so vulnerable in this 213 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,600 and I share things in it that, yeah, I never 214 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:01,879 air share with anyone else before. 215 00:13:02,639 --> 00:13:05,799 Speaker 3: That's what makes it lovely. And it was probably I 216 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,559 mean you probably a bad about it that it was 217 00:13:07,639 --> 00:13:10,480 somewhat cathartic in a sent in writing it. 218 00:13:10,759 --> 00:13:12,799 Speaker 1: And not immediately. I think it was one of the 219 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,559 hardest things I've ever done because it really forced me 220 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,679 to be, yeah, to be honest about a lot of 221 00:13:19,799 --> 00:13:23,480 things that I was suppressing, like the feeling that I 222 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:27,000 wasn't good in it, for example, stuff like that, or 223 00:13:27,039 --> 00:13:31,000 that I didn't feel love, that I wasn't like lucky 224 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,080 in life. All these things. Those were feelings that I 225 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,240 just I didn't care sharing them with other people. It 226 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:42,559 was kind of like my secret. And yeah, writing about 227 00:13:42,799 --> 00:13:45,879 my cataph alone really forced me to do that, but 228 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,720 it was much later that it really helped me to Yeah, 229 00:13:50,159 --> 00:13:52,519 to deal with these emotions as well. But I think 230 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:55,639 writing it was super hard because you're kind of like 231 00:13:55,799 --> 00:14:01,320 reliving all those moments as well, and because I just 232 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,639 my catch just passed away. It's kind of made it 233 00:14:03,759 --> 00:14:06,519 hard as well because I was only be able to 234 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,799 process the grief once I stopped writing the book. Once 235 00:14:10,799 --> 00:14:12,279 the book was finished. 236 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 3: And it never goes away the griefs. 237 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: We continue to love them like forever. It's been now 238 00:14:19,399 --> 00:14:23,320 more than ten years since he's gone Avalon, and yeah, 239 00:14:23,399 --> 00:14:25,320 I still love him. It doesn't change. 240 00:14:25,639 --> 00:14:28,399 Speaker 3: Let me ask you this Avalon was a rare breed, 241 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,960 a Turkish van cat, which is very rare, and you 242 00:14:32,159 --> 00:14:32,799 found him. 243 00:14:33,159 --> 00:14:37,759 Speaker 1: Yes, that was such a weird story. Also, because or. 244 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,000 Speaker 3: You tell the story, I have this question, do you 245 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:44,000 think that it was more than a chance situation or 246 00:14:44,039 --> 00:14:45,000 a coincidence. 247 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:47,679 Speaker 1: Do you think it looks like it, doesn't it. 248 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:49,919 Speaker 3: He was meant to be there for you to find, 249 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,159 so you could go through this period with him. 250 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: Maybe maybe, Yeah, that's very possible. It's always hard to tell, 251 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,600 of course, because we never have proof for these kinds 252 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,960 of the but yeah, the story is so weird that, yeah, 253 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:05,759 it's always a possibility, of course. 254 00:15:06,279 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 3: What's so rare about the breed and what's so unusual 255 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,039 that you just happen to find them? If you can 256 00:15:11,039 --> 00:15:11,639 share that. 257 00:15:11,679 --> 00:15:14,759 Speaker 1: Well, like you said, the breed is really rare. And 258 00:15:14,799 --> 00:15:19,240 back then, before I met Avalon, I was always telling 259 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:21,639 my boyfriend back then that I really wanted to have 260 00:15:21,639 --> 00:15:25,159 a Turkish ven cat one day and I thought about 261 00:15:25,639 --> 00:15:29,679 adopting one, and I was looking for a breeder, but 262 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:34,279 they just didn't exist in my country and they were 263 00:15:34,399 --> 00:15:37,799 super hard to find. And I went to trade shows 264 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:40,679 and everything, I just couldn't find a Turkish van cat. 265 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:42,919 But for me, they were really I was really like, 266 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,399 it was hard to say why because usually I'm all 267 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:51,080 for adopting shelter cats. That's what I'm always aiming towards. 268 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,600 I'm always telling people, no, don't go for a breed, 269 00:15:53,759 --> 00:15:56,080 you have to go to a shelter, but I was 270 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,679 really really attached to that idea of a Turkish fan cat. 271 00:16:00,039 --> 00:16:02,360 Didn't say why, but for me it was a thing 272 00:16:02,519 --> 00:16:05,759 like there's something about it. I want to have a 273 00:16:05,799 --> 00:16:09,000 Turkish van cat one day, but I just couldn't find it. 274 00:16:09,759 --> 00:16:13,120 And then one evening, I was coming back from a 275 00:16:13,159 --> 00:16:16,960 horror film festival, which is also one of my main passions. 276 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,600 It's going to film festivals and horror film festivals. And 277 00:16:20,639 --> 00:16:23,360 it was an evening that I saw the movie Avalon, 278 00:16:23,919 --> 00:16:29,080 which is like a Polish Japanese movie. And that evening, 279 00:16:29,519 --> 00:16:32,600 just before I got home, we parked a car in 280 00:16:32,639 --> 00:16:36,679 our street and we got out of the car and Avalon, 281 00:16:36,799 --> 00:16:40,720 my cat was sitting right here was coming towards me, 282 00:16:41,559 --> 00:16:45,240 and I was going to like, I can't believe my eyes, 283 00:16:45,279 --> 00:16:48,639 this looks really like a Turkish ven cat. It's exactly 284 00:16:48,679 --> 00:16:51,480 the same cat. I've never seen him in the neighborhood. 285 00:16:51,919 --> 00:16:55,480 And the cat it was almost like he recognized me 286 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:59,279 when he saw me, and he followed me home, which 287 00:16:59,399 --> 00:17:01,960 also thought was sweet because when does a cat follow 288 00:17:02,039 --> 00:17:05,559 you home? And I was thinking like, Okay, maybe he's 289 00:17:05,799 --> 00:17:10,319 lost or yeah, he can't find his family anymore. But yeah, 290 00:17:10,599 --> 00:17:13,039 the cats. Just he wanted to come home with me. 291 00:17:13,279 --> 00:17:16,079 He wanted to stay inside if I was trying to 292 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,000 let him in the street. And then yeah, for a 293 00:17:19,079 --> 00:17:21,640 few days I was, Yeah, I was keeping him, but 294 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:25,000 at the same time looking for who could have lost him, 295 00:17:25,079 --> 00:17:28,279 if there were any messages online or in the street, 296 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:32,519 but I couldn't find anything. And so yeah, little by little, 297 00:17:33,039 --> 00:17:35,960 these Turkish fan cats became my cats. 298 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,759 Speaker 3: In the book, you described some of his antics, and 299 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:41,920 I want people to read the books. I weren't go 300 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:44,880 into too much detail, but I mean, he did some 301 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:46,240 crazy things. 302 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:48,079 Speaker 1: That's the least you can see. 303 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 3: I have three cats right now, and they all have 304 00:17:50,279 --> 00:17:54,119 their special craziness. But like you would vomit on your 305 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,880 guinea pig's head, like you wanted the things before I 306 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,200 got cats, as I was always concerned they would be 307 00:18:00,279 --> 00:18:03,720 jumpers and jump and knock over things. And I had that, 308 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,160 you know, a little bit of that anxiety prior to 309 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,000 having cats, because I didn't have cats as a child 310 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,160 and we had dogs. Dennis was my first cat. And 311 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:14,920 none of them are jumpers, none of them are flyers, 312 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:18,319 but avalone like flew all over the place. 313 00:18:19,079 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 1: Yes, But also I think he had too much energy, 314 00:18:22,279 --> 00:18:26,400 and he was definitely a neurotic cat. He was very jealous, 315 00:18:27,079 --> 00:18:30,279 very neurotic. I really think like if there could be 316 00:18:30,519 --> 00:18:33,960 like something like a cat shrink or something, oh boy, 317 00:18:34,319 --> 00:18:36,920 that would have been really good for him. I never 318 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,000 want to see one. But honestly, I think he had 319 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,079 a few issues, and that's combined with like having too 320 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:49,079 much energy, the psychological problems. He was all over the place, 321 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:55,000 and especially he was so extremely jealous of people and 322 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:59,200 other animals. It was crazy. And again that's combined with 323 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,759 his super intelligence. Just to give an example, it's also 324 00:19:02,799 --> 00:19:05,400 an example that I describe in the book, and I 325 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:09,000 really think he describes well, like how intelligent he was. 326 00:19:09,559 --> 00:19:14,039 At a certain point, I was dating someone and the 327 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:17,559 cat just didn't agree. So what did he do when 328 00:19:17,599 --> 00:19:21,400 all is mewing and trying to do the usual antics 329 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,759 to show him that the guy wasn't welcome in our home. 330 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,880 He just took his jacket, dragged it toward the front door, 331 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:32,599 and then he started tapping the keys with his pause 332 00:19:33,079 --> 00:19:36,119 really like to say, get out of here. And honestly, 333 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:37,240 the message was clear. 334 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:38,519 Speaker 3: That's incredible. 335 00:19:38,759 --> 00:19:41,440 Speaker 1: I've never heard of a cat or even a dog 336 00:19:41,559 --> 00:19:42,839 doing saying so that. 337 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:47,559 Speaker 3: Maybe a dog, maybe that would be a stretch a cat, 338 00:19:47,599 --> 00:19:49,680 get it. I mean my cats they don't want to 339 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,640 be bothered. That's too much trouble. They would just pit 340 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,799 their pop and just swipe or something. Yeah, the person, 341 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,279 but he was brilliant. Tell us about your current cats 342 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:00,920 you have right now? 343 00:20:01,039 --> 00:20:01,200 Speaker 5: Right? 344 00:20:01,599 --> 00:20:05,519 Speaker 1: Unfortunately, my second cat passed away very recently. 345 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:06,599 Speaker 5: Yeah. 346 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: She was a little black cat and she was more 347 00:20:09,279 --> 00:20:13,319 than twenty years old, so yeah, she just got a 348 00:20:13,319 --> 00:20:16,279 bit too old and she passed away really suddenly a 349 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:21,000 few months ago. So now I have just one other 350 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,319 cat who is a previous shelter cat, a rescue cat, 351 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:27,839 and his name is Fekna, and he's a ginger and 352 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:31,880 he's definitely not as intelligent as Avalon, that's for sure. 353 00:20:32,519 --> 00:20:34,000 He's absolutely adorable. 354 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:38,640 Speaker 3: And how did you come about creating your website, Traveling Cat? 355 00:20:38,759 --> 00:20:41,319 And why I say that, I'm so sorry about the 356 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:45,480 loss of your cat. It doesn't cut your your or 357 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,240 and Avalon, but I know that's been a while, but 358 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,599 your recent that's even yeah. Yeah, yeah, so I'm sorry 359 00:20:51,599 --> 00:20:55,240 for your lost your website, Traveling Cat, Why did you 360 00:20:55,319 --> 00:20:57,839 create it? And what's it about Traveling Cat? 361 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: Is like a travel blog but for cat lovers. So 362 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:06,880 I talk about cat centric destinations, cat cafes, and at 363 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,599 the same time also talk a lot about how to 364 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:13,119 help stray cats when you're broad like in Greece, because 365 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:15,480 in quite a lot of countries a lot of the 366 00:21:15,559 --> 00:21:21,119 straycats really need help. And the way tourists react, which 367 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:25,440 are sometimes natural responses, such as feeding the cats in 368 00:21:25,519 --> 00:21:28,160 restaurants and everything, can sometimes do a lot more harm 369 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,160 than good. But the basic idea for the website is 370 00:21:31,319 --> 00:21:37,519 just have something fun, and it's really about mixing the 371 00:21:37,559 --> 00:21:41,279 beauty of cats with the beauty of some destinations. And 372 00:21:41,319 --> 00:21:44,079 it really started like a long time ago as of 373 00:21:44,279 --> 00:21:46,839 just the photo block. Actually it was almost it was 374 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:50,319 before Instagram when I started this, and so it was 375 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,960 a little bit similar where I just posted the photos 376 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,799 but not really articles. But now it's really become like 377 00:21:56,279 --> 00:22:00,799 a real travel websites where I really have in depth article. 378 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,279 So it changed a lot over the years. But yeah, 379 00:22:03,319 --> 00:22:06,559 for me, when I started it, at a certain point, 380 00:22:06,599 --> 00:22:09,599 I was going through some of my travel photos back 381 00:22:09,759 --> 00:22:13,119 then and I was thinking like, huh, I have actually 382 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:18,839 more photos of cats than of the destination itself. Wow, 383 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,720 that's kind of like gave me the idea like maybe 384 00:22:21,759 --> 00:22:25,359 I could just share them online, and because I thought 385 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:27,720 it were so cute to all these photos and I 386 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:30,599 thought it can be really fun to share them with people, 387 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:32,079 and that's how it started. 388 00:22:32,599 --> 00:22:36,920 Speaker 3: They're great pictures. Which country do you think is the 389 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,640 most obsessed about cats? And I know that in Greece 390 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,160 there's an island just for cats, and I have had 391 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:46,799 someone on Ctitude that runs a shelter in Greece, which 392 00:22:46,839 --> 00:22:50,440 is exciting. So yes, I think it's probably Greece. But 393 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:54,200 traveling cats is your creations. You probably know a lot more. 394 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:57,839 What country you think is more obsessed cat centric? 395 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: I should say, Well, I would definitely not say Greece, 396 00:23:03,799 --> 00:23:06,960 not at all, even because it's true that in Greece 397 00:23:07,079 --> 00:23:10,599 there are a lot of cats, but they are almost 398 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:16,440 all strays and spain uturing is still not an option there. 399 00:23:17,039 --> 00:23:20,400 Little by little it's starting to change and more people 400 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,759 are doing it, But in Greece, in fact, cats are 401 00:23:23,799 --> 00:23:25,480 still very much seen as vermin. 402 00:23:25,839 --> 00:23:29,519 Speaker 3: Ain't you for correcting me because I'm way off? So 403 00:23:29,799 --> 00:23:33,240 what country is best about their cats that you think? 404 00:23:33,799 --> 00:23:37,279 Speaker 1: Well, recently there has been a study about it and 405 00:23:37,319 --> 00:23:41,119 it seems that it's that the country that is best 406 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:43,920 for their cats, that it's Belgium where I'm coming from. 407 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:48,400 And I was surprised and not surprised at the same time, 408 00:23:48,559 --> 00:23:51,880 because when I think about it, Belgium is also the 409 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:56,759 country with the most cat cafes per square kilometer. It's 410 00:23:56,799 --> 00:23:59,839 a super tiny country here, but we have no less 411 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:01,720 nineteen cat cafes. 412 00:24:02,319 --> 00:24:02,960 Speaker 3: That's a lot. 413 00:24:03,319 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 1: That's a lot, indeed, right, And it's true that here 414 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:10,599 there's a lot of dolls in place to protect the cats. 415 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:14,920 Spaying and neutraine is normal. We are pampering our cats, 416 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:16,839 and it's true that a lot of people here have 417 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,559 cats as well. So yeah, for that reason, I'm not surprised. 418 00:24:20,839 --> 00:24:23,519 But on the other hand, yeah, it's true that, yeah, 419 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,680 countries like Greece, if you want to see a lot 420 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,640 of cats in one place, then you have to go 421 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:33,680 to Greece because cats are everywhere. But at the same time, 422 00:24:34,039 --> 00:24:35,559 these are not happy cats. 423 00:24:36,559 --> 00:24:40,839 Speaker 3: Now that I'm remembering my show from Greece, I think 424 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,119 we had a lot of talk about that. I don't 425 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:45,839 know why to mine, but I'm glad we talked about that. 426 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:51,440 So who knew that Belgium besides being known for chocolate 427 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:56,640 and a beautiful country. You're also very cat powered and 428 00:24:56,799 --> 00:25:00,599 cat family. Yes, I know it's not the US because 429 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:03,319 we have such a ways to go. There's too many 430 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:06,960 cats that are euthanized in this country. We're doing better, 431 00:25:07,039 --> 00:25:10,400 but we have a long way to go, Niah Vanessa. 432 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:13,599 Where can people find out more about you? And what 433 00:25:13,799 --> 00:25:17,960 is the URL for your Traveling Cats site? And where 434 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:22,079 can they find out about your books and what your 435 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:25,200 upcoming book is going to be about? For those that 436 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,519 are listening work ctitude, but there might be some people 437 00:25:28,559 --> 00:25:31,279 listening that have dogs or maybe they love cats. They 438 00:25:31,319 --> 00:25:33,440 want to see a dog in a horror book for 439 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,319 a change. So where can people find out more about 440 00:25:36,319 --> 00:25:39,359 your site? Your site traveling Cats, and about you and 441 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:40,200 what you've done. 442 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:45,039 Speaker 1: So my site Traveling Cats, it's really like traveling hyphen 443 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,279 gets dot com and there you can also find my 444 00:25:48,599 --> 00:25:52,119 social media that are related to traveling Cats. So I'm 445 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:57,880 a bit everywhere. I'm on X, on Facebook, on Blue Sky, 446 00:25:58,559 --> 00:26:03,680 especially on Facebook, have a Traveling Cats group where everyone 447 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:06,599 can post their own travel photos of cats, but also 448 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:10,640 ask for help regarding straits they found in other countries, 449 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:15,160 for example. So definitely go ahead and subscribe to the 450 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:18,359 Facebook group of Traveling Cats and post your own pictures. 451 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:23,079 Also retweet pictures if you tag me on x or 452 00:26:23,079 --> 00:26:26,440 on Blue Sky for example. I'm a little bit on 453 00:26:26,839 --> 00:26:30,119 YouTube as well, not as much, and on Instagram of course, 454 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:34,640 also with Traveling Cats. And on the other hand, if 455 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:36,839 you want to know more about my books, I also 456 00:26:37,039 --> 00:26:42,160 have my personal social media, which is either Vanessa organ 457 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,920 or Eerie Stories on a lot of these accounts, But 458 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,160 be careful because there are two Vanessa Organs. Apparently there's 459 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:53,440 also a Vanessa Morgan who is an actress, and that's 460 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:53,759 not me. 461 00:26:55,519 --> 00:26:58,279 Speaker 3: I did do some googling and looking around and I 462 00:26:58,319 --> 00:26:59,960 did find another Vanessa Morgan. 463 00:27:00,319 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 1: Yes, but if I think if you type something like 464 00:27:02,799 --> 00:27:06,160 Vanessa Morgan cats, or if you don't see any cats 465 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,279 on our social media, then it's not me. 466 00:27:09,319 --> 00:27:13,640 Speaker 3: Right. Well, wonderful information, wonderful to talk to you. What 467 00:27:13,759 --> 00:27:15,960 can we look forward to coming from you next? 468 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,319 Speaker 1: Well, my next book will be about dogs in horse 469 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:22,839 sci fi and fantasy movies. And there are a lot 470 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:27,599 of movies as well with dogs in them. And apart 471 00:27:27,599 --> 00:27:30,559 from that, I'm also working very hard on Traveling Gets 472 00:27:30,599 --> 00:27:34,079 for the moment to get more articles ready, to visit 473 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:38,440 more destinations, and to really spread the words about how 474 00:27:38,519 --> 00:27:41,799 to help stray cats when you're abroad, because I really 475 00:27:41,799 --> 00:27:45,599 think that spreading the right information about it is really important. 476 00:27:46,319 --> 00:27:50,359 Speaker 3: I absolutely agree, absolutely agree. Oh, I want to thank 477 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:52,480 you so much for coming on Gratitude. 478 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:53,720 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. 479 00:27:54,319 --> 00:27:58,319 Speaker 3: I hope you all enjoyed this show, this episode of 480 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,359 Ctitude with Vanessa mor again, I loved having her on 481 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:05,039 the show. Thank you Vanessa for coming on Catitude. Thanks 482 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,519 to my cat crew, Dennis, my first cad who taught 483 00:28:08,519 --> 00:28:12,160 me all about cats, Molly and Charlotte, and of course 484 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,960 thank you for listening to Catitude. I greatly appreciate it, 485 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,960 and this show would not be the same without the 486 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:23,160 magic of my producer, Mark Winter. And hey remember lose 487 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:25,519 to Attitude, Have Catitude. 488 00:28:26,519 --> 00:28:31,119 Speaker 5: Let's Talk Pets every week on demand only on Petlive 489 00:28:31,279 --> 00:28:46,759 radio dot com.