Meowster Podcast

Kitten Bowl V has come and gone. At this anniversary milestone in kitten sports, we break down the changes in presentation and game play and make clear our likes and dislikes. While female catletes continue to not get their due, there was some very fast paced excitement and heartfelt stories.

Do you ever wish you could talk to your cat? Be careful what you wish for. Tim and Rebecca talk about the Catterbox, a prototype product that gives your cat a human voice with a British accent. What's next? How about an app that translates human conversation into feline language? Oh wait – that already exists, too.  

Getting married? Want your kitty to join you? Tune in to this episode to find out about how to do it. Find out about how to do it.

To ensure that your 2018 is full of the best possible cat photos and illustrations, Tim and Rebecca set out to review as many cat-themed calendars as possible. Whether you prefer cute cats, thoughtful cats, funny cats or badly behaved cats, publishers have made sure you have your choice of ways to count down the days until it's time to choose a calendar for 2019

Some animal stories go viral. Others don't. Some animal stories promote commentary on digital culture, intellectual property and copyright. And all of this is just because a cat named Max wanted to visit a library. Max is nice. But he's not welcome in the library. The library that is full of paper, books, shelves and comfortable seating. Poor Max. A building full of things cats love and he's been banished. On this episode, listen while we discuss Max's story and its broader implications.

Cats are gaining power all over the world, but especially in Asian countries. Several cats are particularly well-positioned to gain control of a few federal governments. They are "first cats," meaning beloved pets of national leaders. All over Asia, cats are living in presidential housing, listening in on important policy meetings, making statements to the press and being extremely cute the whole time. Meowster hopes this "first cat" phenomena reaches North America soon. The U.S. hasn't had a presidential cat since Socks Clinton and it's about time there was another one, or two, or more.

Buckle yourselves in for a ride in a hot air balloon, the world's first Ferris Wheel and an ice slide roller coaster as Tim and Rebecca discuss Anton and Cecil: Cats Aloft, the third and final installment of the adventuring cat brothers' book trilogy. It's a bittersweet episode as we're thrilled at their high-flying feats, yet despondent as we've come to the end of their North American treks. Goodbye noble Anton. Goodbye valiant Cecil. We hope your golden years in Lunenberg are full of fresh fish and long naps.

Do you think your cats are driving you crazy? Are you suspicious of houses that are overcrowded with people causing traffic accidents? If so, Dr. Tim thinks you should stay out of your yard. But seriously, recent research has conclusively proven that cats don't make you crazy… at least clinically, that is.

A big dog, a dark ride in the back of a truck, fast-moving traffic (both pedestrian and automotive), abductions by "greasy" people, ending up behind bars, and an epic battle with a troll. All this and more is what makes Cat's Eye, the 1985 horror anthology film featuring stories by Stephen King, the most terrifying movie for a cat ever made. It's got a great theme song, though. Which makes it good for humans.

In this episode, we discuss an animated movie titled "Cats Don't Dance" in which cats definitely do dance. In fact, the lead character is a cat who, along with his musically talented multi-species friends, dances up a toe-tapping storm. And if that weren't confusing enough, a fish is best friends with a goat, a child star doesn't appear to have any human relatives and Rebecca doesn't seem to know the difference between Ted Turner and Steven Spielberg.

"Bienvenue à la cérémonie annuelle des moustaches de Palme." This is how Google translate imagines the feline guests would be welcomed to the Palme de Whiskers ceremony at the Cannes Film Festival. But whether the French translation is accurate or not doesn't matter since the Palme de Whiskers and all the pomp and purrs surrounding it are a complete figment of film expert Barbara Scharres' imagination. Take a trip to Cannes with Meowster Podcast to find out about Scharres' take on make-believe meowing jury members and their opinions on the best international films that actually feature cats.

The shortest movie we have ever discussed turns out to be the hardest movie to ever find. Listen closely for the instructions so that you can find it, too. There's a website, an internal search bar, an embedded video at the bottom of a page. But it's worth it if you'd like to see a whisper of a film about a girl who becomes a cat. The short film, "Kitty," is worth the effort. Sorry about the sound quality on this episode, by the way. It wasn't Harriet's fault, but we could have blamed it on her.

Here at Meowster Podcast, we just saw a film performance by the best actor cat working today. And he's not even an actor cat. In fact, he's not trained in any of the performing arts at all. We watched "A Street Cat Named Bob" and we think you should, too.

The kitten in Oliver and Company has probably inspired the naming of more cats than any other feline in popular culture. So what is this kitten all about? What makes him and this film so special? Is it the 80s pop music? Oliver's adorable naiveté? Or is it the telling of one of the most confusing plots Meowster Podcast has ever encountered.

Here's a joke for you: Q: What's the difference between a feral cat and a viola? A: Everything! Now, if you come up with a better punchline, let us know. Unfortunately, we don't have a better punchline because the documentary "Feral Love," doesn't ever truly draw a connection - either through similarities or differences - between its two main topics, feral cats and the art of the viola. These two disparate things are the passions of New York Philharmonic violist Dorian Rence, who is a fascinating and dedicated woman. And she may make a great documentary for a different filmmaker someday. However, "Feral Love" just isn't that film.    

Little furry scapegoats. That's what cats are when they're blamed for divorces. Little furry non-human vertebrates. That's what cats are when they're fought over in custody cases. In this episode, we were surprised to discover just how closely cats are linked to the history of American divorces and property law. But, for better or for worse, we're never surprised to find out how much people love their cats.

It's Meowster's 100th episode and we're spending it in Istanbul. The astoundingly beautiful documentary "Kedi" is our topic this time. If you haven't experienced this stunning and spiritual film focused on the unique lives of street cats in Istanbul, do so immediately. Loving cats and loving this film go hand-in-hand. And just so all of this ardor and sincerity doesn't confuse our listeners, stay tuned for a special 100th anniversary outtake featuring our feline producer and costar, Harriet.

We're back with another Minisode, Cat Fans! This one starts out with more Cats & Baseball information, then an update on Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel aka "The Cat Man of Aleppo," who takes care of homeless cats displaced by war in Syria.

It's baseball season, cat fans, and the nation was captivated by a small gray cat that appeared on the field at a Miami Marlins game against the Atlanta Braves. In this episode, Rebecca and Tim discuss "Rally Cat" Don Cattingly at this game, as well as other cats that have appeared at baseball games, a cat baseball video game, cat baseball figurines and more!

They were some of history's most well-known and influential writers, and they were Cat Fans! Join Tim in this minisode about 4 writers and what they had to say about cats!