Meet ‘Mayo Cat’, the Adorable Cat Who Starred in Hellmann’s Super Bowl Ad!
In this year’s Super Bowl, Hellmann's debuted its Big Game commercial and revealing two of its stars: Kate McKinnon and her furry friend, Mayo Cat (known as cat actor Chipmunk off camera)! This week Michelle Fern chats with Chipmunk’s cat mom, Molly O'Neill about Chipmunk as a cat star, what it’s like to train a cat, how did ‘Mayo Cat’ talk in the Super Bowl commercial and more! A super fun interview… tune in!
Listen to Episode #233 Now:
BIO:
Molly O'Neill has traveled the world performing with Academy Award winning actor Tim Robbins and his troupe The Actor's Gang. She was mentored by Robbins and the group where, in addition to performing Shakespeare, she also trained weekly in comedy improv workshops.
Simultaneously, Molly became a professional animal trainer for film and television working with wolves on Game of Thrones, dogs on Tarantino's set, horses for Spike Lee, and more. Her greatest moments have been when her acting skills and her animal skills are being utilized together... like her appearance in Childish Gambino's "This is America" or her hosting job with Kevin Hart and Eric Stonestreet for The Secret Life of Pets.
Transcript:
00:00:01.860 --> 00:00:03.460
Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.
00:00:03.860 --> 00:00:05.000
Announcer: Let's talk pets.
00:00:25.086 --> 00:00:26.666
Michelle Fern: Hello, feline friends.
00:00:26.886 --> 00:00:28.066
Michelle Fern: Welcome to Cattitude.
00:00:28.106 --> 00:00:30.086
Michelle Fern: I'm your show host, Michelle Fern.
00:00:30.466 --> 00:00:36.206
Michelle Fern: So today, we're gonna talk to the pet parent of a superstar cat, yes.
00:00:36.746 --> 00:00:41.146
Michelle Fern: And also trains her cat, so this is gonna be a really interesting show.
00:00:41.166 --> 00:00:42.866
Michelle Fern: So stay tuned, we'll be right back.
00:00:46.086 --> 00:00:47.966
Announcer: Take a bite out of your competition.
00:00:48.586 --> 00:00:52.986
Announcer: Advertise your business with an ad in Pet Life Radio podcasts and radio shows.
00:00:53.346 --> 00:01:00.266
Announcer: There is no other pet-related media that is as large and reaches more pet parents and pet lovers than Pet Life Radio.
00:01:00.546 --> 00:01:16.746
Announcer: With over seven million monthly listeners, Pet Life Radio podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms, and our live radio stream goes out to over 250 million subscribers on iHeartRadio, Audacy, TuneIn, and other streaming apps.
00:01:16.866 --> 00:01:25.966
Announcer: For more information on how you can advertise on the number one pet podcast and radio network, visit petliferadio.com/advertise today.
00:01:27.986 --> 00:01:31.126
Announcer: Let's Talk Pets on petliferadio.com.
00:01:42.345 --> 00:01:43.665
Michelle Fern: Welcome back, everyone.
00:01:44.045 --> 00:01:46.425
Michelle Fern: We have today Molly O'Neill.
00:01:46.865 --> 00:01:53.045
Michelle Fern: She is the pet parent of Mayo, who was featured in a Super Bowl commercial.
00:01:53.405 --> 00:02:02.645
Michelle Fern: And she is also, besides just being Mayo's pet parent, she also does some training and acting and a whole host of other skills.
00:02:02.665 --> 00:02:03.745
Michelle Fern: So welcome, Molly.
00:02:03.805 --> 00:02:05.465
Michelle Fern: Thanks so much for coming on the show.
00:02:05.485 --> 00:02:07.065
Molly O'Neill: Thank you so much for having me.
00:02:07.085 --> 00:02:08.225
Molly O'Neill: We're so excited to be here.
00:02:08.245 --> 00:02:12.425
Michelle Fern: We're calling your cat Mayo, but his real name is Chipmunk.
00:02:12.765 --> 00:02:13.425
Molly O'Neill: That's right.
00:02:13.445 --> 00:02:13.985
Molly O'Neill: That's right.
00:02:14.005 --> 00:02:16.825
Molly O'Neill: I actually have two Siberian cats that look alike.
00:02:16.845 --> 00:02:19.525
Molly O'Neill: One is named Squirrel and one is named Chipmunk.
00:02:20.025 --> 00:02:28.085
Molly O'Neill: And Chipmunk was used in the Hellmann's Mayonnaise Super Bowl commercial, and he was called Mayo Cat with Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson.
00:02:28.425 --> 00:02:29.545
Michelle Fern: That is so cool.
00:02:29.765 --> 00:02:34.225
Michelle Fern: So when did you know Chipmunk was a star?
00:02:34.225 --> 00:02:35.105
Molly O'Neill: Great question.
00:02:35.185 --> 00:02:38.205
Molly O'Neill: He sort of came out the gates with an amazing personality.
00:02:39.025 --> 00:02:46.945
Molly O'Neill: Super bombastic during feeding time, he would launch himself up onto me, like jump from the floor up to my arms for the food bowl.
00:02:46.945 --> 00:02:48.105
Molly O'Neill: He always loved food.
00:02:48.505 --> 00:02:54.005
Molly O'Neill: And he's just huge personality, but also a super sweet cuddler and loves to have a good snuggle.
00:02:54.325 --> 00:02:58.505
Molly O'Neill: So I just knew right away, this cat is really special and full of life.
00:02:58.805 --> 00:03:00.885
Michelle Fern: And you said that he's Siberian?
00:03:01.145 --> 00:03:03.585
Molly O'Neill: Yes, him and Squirrel are Siberian cats.
00:03:03.925 --> 00:03:05.925
Michelle Fern: Can you tell us a little bit about Siberian?
00:03:05.965 --> 00:03:09.465
Michelle Fern: Are their personalities more outgoing than other cats?
00:03:09.485 --> 00:03:11.845
Michelle Fern: Or he's just, you know, super special?
00:03:11.945 --> 00:03:13.685
Michelle Fern: Well, of course he's super special.
00:03:13.945 --> 00:03:17.145
Molly O'Neill: Yes, well, I have fallen in love with the breed of Siberian cats.
00:03:17.425 --> 00:03:23.365
Molly O'Neill: I originally got Squirrel, he was my first Siberian, because my husband is allergic to cats.
00:03:23.525 --> 00:03:30.245
Molly O'Neill: And shockingly, Siberian cats with all their fluff and fur are actually some of the most hypoallergenic cats you can get.
00:03:30.265 --> 00:03:34.445
Molly O'Neill: It's all about the protein in their saliva that they produce and they produce the least amount of it.
00:03:34.465 --> 00:03:52.225
Molly O'Neill: So, I started with Squirrel and just found amazing personality, almost, you know, people say dog-like, but I always feel bad saying that about cats, because I'm like, well, no, it's cat-like, just really fun temperament, easy to train, very, very smart and love their people.
00:03:52.385 --> 00:03:58.365
Molly O'Neill: Usually like to sit right next to their people rather than super cuddlers, but actually Chip is a good cuddler.
00:03:58.685 --> 00:04:04.825
Molly O'Neill: But they're an amazing breed that originally comes from Russia, but now has made its way into the States for a long time now.
00:04:04.845 --> 00:04:07.465
Molly O'Neill: And so there are several Siberians around.
00:04:07.485 --> 00:04:11.705
Molly O'Neill: You can actually even find Siberian mixes in a lot of shelters these days.
00:04:11.725 --> 00:04:14.245
Molly O'Neill: And they're just really, really cool, amazing cats.
00:04:14.425 --> 00:04:15.725
Molly O'Neill: You might hear something in the background.
00:04:15.785 --> 00:04:19.685
Molly O'Neill: Literally as we speak, my cat is trying to break into the treat cabinet.
00:04:19.745 --> 00:04:21.505
Molly O'Neill: So that's how smart they are.
00:04:22.505 --> 00:04:26.205
Michelle Fern: You know what, it's funny you said dog-like because my first cat was Dennis.
00:04:26.225 --> 00:04:27.985
Michelle Fern: He found me and he's part Maine Coon.
00:04:28.005 --> 00:04:33.125
Michelle Fern: And I didn't know this, but I heard over and over that they're like the dog of cats.
00:04:33.645 --> 00:04:36.345
Michelle Fern: And I know you don't like to use that expression, but.
00:04:38.945 --> 00:04:40.125
Michelle Fern: But Dennis is the same.
00:04:40.145 --> 00:04:44.045
Michelle Fern: He'll literally come tap you when you're eating lettuce because he wants it.
00:04:44.265 --> 00:04:45.205
Michelle Fern: Lettuce, what?
00:04:45.285 --> 00:04:46.785
Michelle Fern: I mean, so strange.
00:04:47.025 --> 00:04:49.565
Michelle Fern: So what was it like to train Chipmunk?
00:04:49.585 --> 00:04:56.325
Michelle Fern: Because a lot of people out there think cats can't be trained, but they're actually smarter than dogs from what I've heard.
00:04:56.345 --> 00:04:59.125
Molly O'Neill: They really are so smart.
00:04:59.365 --> 00:05:01.505
Molly O'Neill: And these guys are so fun to train.
00:05:01.525 --> 00:05:06.585
Molly O'Neill: A lot of it's treat motivated, but cats can learn all kinds of different things.
00:05:06.625 --> 00:05:10.925
Molly O'Neill: My cats know how to sit, shake, a little cute sit pretty.
00:05:11.165 --> 00:05:14.325
Molly O'Neill: They know how to hit a mark, just like an actor.
00:05:14.545 --> 00:05:16.625
Molly O'Neill: They learn how to watch.
00:05:16.645 --> 00:05:19.065
Molly O'Neill: I have this little training stick, so they watch that.
00:05:19.085 --> 00:05:22.985
Molly O'Neill: So if I need to get their eye lines somewhere else, so they have all these cool tricks that they've learned.
00:05:23.225 --> 00:05:26.405
Molly O'Neill: They can learn to lie down, roll over, all of those fun things.
00:05:26.825 --> 00:05:44.925
Molly O'Neill: The trick is also with what I do in taking them other places to work on commercials is I have to travel them a lot when they're young because cats can get so secure in their home and can do all their tricks and fun things in their home, but you have to travel them a lot in order to be able to take them other places.
00:05:44.945 --> 00:05:49.505
Molly O'Neill: You see all these cats going on adventures and that is something that we do a lot.
00:05:49.525 --> 00:05:50.825
Molly O'Neill: We go over to friends' houses.
00:05:50.845 --> 00:06:01.065
Molly O'Neill: We go on hikes safely with a cat backpack, of course, but we travel a lot of places so that when we go somewhere to film a commercial, they're not nervous or scared or uncomfortable.
00:06:01.245 --> 00:06:02.405
Molly O'Neill: So that's a big one for us.
00:06:02.425 --> 00:06:07.805
Molly O'Neill: But cats are so intelligent and a lot of times the training is for treats.
00:06:07.825 --> 00:06:11.405
Molly O'Neill: Like with dogs, sometimes you can train for toys or for affection.
00:06:11.705 --> 00:06:13.725
Molly O'Neill: And cats, sometimes that's the case.
00:06:13.805 --> 00:06:16.985
Molly O'Neill: I mean, my squirrel, he loves like neck scratches.
00:06:17.005 --> 00:06:22.645
Molly O'Neill: So like, you know, we can, but mostly it's treats and it's really fun engagement for their mind.
00:06:22.785 --> 00:06:27.405
Molly O'Neill: Cats came from living outside, hunting, extreme stimulation outside.
00:06:27.785 --> 00:06:38.525
Molly O'Neill: So when you can train your cat's tricks at home, it really gives them a lot of mental stimulation and helps kind of engage that brain a little bit more than just kind of laying around the house.
00:06:38.525 --> 00:06:46.145
Molly O'Neill: So I highly encourage people to try to teach their cats anything, it's just, it's really fun engagement and bonding between you and your cat.
00:06:46.445 --> 00:06:48.425
Michelle Fern: That's really interesting to hear.
00:06:48.545 --> 00:07:08.085
Michelle Fern: And when you talk about engagement, even if for everyone listening, I mean, even if you're not going to, most of us are not going to ever have a star cat, but engaging their minds even with play and pray is for their cats and good mental stimulation and it gets them moving, which is important.
00:07:08.565 --> 00:07:14.525
Michelle Fern: What was it like to learn to travel with your cat as far as the backpack?
00:07:14.545 --> 00:07:22.385
Michelle Fern: You said you started small, but even sometimes it could be so difficult to put your cat in a, just to get your cat to the vet.
00:07:22.725 --> 00:07:24.265
Molly O'Neill: Yes, absolutely.
00:07:24.285 --> 00:07:28.785
Molly O'Neill: That's why I always recommend to people, I say utilize your off time.
00:07:29.085 --> 00:07:31.245
Molly O'Neill: So everybody thinks, okay, it's time to go to the vet.
00:07:31.265 --> 00:07:32.725
Molly O'Neill: I gotta work on the carrier thing.
00:07:33.045 --> 00:07:38.345
Molly O'Neill: And I say, no, I mean, what about a day when, you're not thinking about the vet, you don't have to go to the vet.
00:07:38.585 --> 00:07:49.925
Molly O'Neill: What about just feeding your cat in its carrier, putting it in the car and driving around the block and then giving it maybe a little more treat in its carrier and then come back inside and you don't go anywhere.
00:07:49.945 --> 00:08:01.165
Molly O'Neill: And that way, if you do those little things that can take five or 10 minutes of your day, for the cat, it's huge because your cat has a positive experience with getting in the carrier and being put in the car.
00:08:01.625 --> 00:08:07.225
Molly O'Neill: So then not every time they're going in the carrier, they're thinking, oh, we're going to the vet, that big scary place.
00:08:08.085 --> 00:08:10.245
Molly O'Neill: So sometimes doing things like that can help.
00:08:10.505 --> 00:08:15.505
Molly O'Neill: I also am a big fan of, I never force my cats to do anything that makes them uncomfortable.
00:08:15.525 --> 00:08:17.385
Molly O'Neill: So I'm always watching them.
00:08:17.705 --> 00:08:39.445
Molly O'Neill: If I see those airplane ears, if I see those big eyes suddenly look and seem fearful, I'm always watching my cat when I'm out and about because I never want to put them in a situation where they get too scared because once they get that extreme fear or something builds, that is a huge memory in their brain now.
00:08:39.545 --> 00:08:42.645
Molly O'Neill: And they associate it with wherever they are and whatever they're doing.
00:08:43.565 --> 00:08:49.105
Molly O'Neill: So I really am always monitoring my cat when we're out and about and making sure that they don't have any bad experiences.
00:08:49.485 --> 00:08:55.705
Molly O'Neill: We've gone to the beach before and we were having fun and just enjoying time with our friends.
00:08:55.985 --> 00:09:00.685
Molly O'Neill: And I went a little bit closer to the water and I saw that squirrel's ears went airplane mode.
00:09:00.705 --> 00:09:02.605
Molly O'Neill: He's looking at the waves like, I don't know.
00:09:02.625 --> 00:09:04.085
Molly O'Neill: I don't like that sound.
00:09:04.105 --> 00:09:05.725
Molly O'Neill: That's too much energy.
00:09:06.085 --> 00:09:07.145
Molly O'Neill: So we just backed off.
00:09:07.165 --> 00:09:08.805
Molly O'Neill: And I said, okay, we don't have to go down there.
00:09:09.045 --> 00:09:19.305
Molly O'Neill: So it's just paying attention to your cat's signals, but also doing those things five, 10 minutes a day that help them make positive associations with their carrier or whatever you're trying to do.
00:09:19.645 --> 00:09:20.925
Michelle Fern: I have not heard this before.
00:09:20.945 --> 00:09:22.525
Michelle Fern: Airplane ears, is that when they're flat?
00:09:22.745 --> 00:09:26.885
Molly O'Neill: Yeah, they go back and they're flat, and then their eyes kind of get really buggy.
00:09:27.085 --> 00:09:30.325
Molly O'Neill: And airplane ears can happen in a lot of different situations.
00:09:30.345 --> 00:09:34.125
Molly O'Neill: It can happen when they're about to hiss because they're alert and upset.
00:09:34.805 --> 00:09:40.045
Molly O'Neill: It can happen when they're listening to something behind them or when they're trying to keep all of their senses attuned.
00:09:40.445 --> 00:09:47.365
Molly O'Neill: But it's usually, you know, it's not always a negative thing, but it's usually nervous or unsure very often.
00:09:47.645 --> 00:09:51.065
Michelle Fern: Yeah, I agree because Molly is my most cat-like cat.
00:09:51.585 --> 00:09:55.725
Michelle Fern: I hate to say I like that, but Dennis is part Maine Coon and he's different.
00:09:55.985 --> 00:10:08.425
Michelle Fern: So I think from growing up with dogs and now having cats for the last 20 years, almost 20 years, they are a little harder to read than dogs, but once you start to read them, you can get really good at reading them.
00:10:08.905 --> 00:10:09.985
Molly O'Neill: That's exactly right.
00:10:10.005 --> 00:10:13.265
Molly O'Neill: Yeah, and dogs can also work through things easier.
00:10:13.305 --> 00:10:17.605
Molly O'Neill: So like once a cat gets uncomfortable, it's only going downhill from there.
00:10:17.645 --> 00:10:22.665
Molly O'Neill: Like it's really hard to sort of work a cat through something in the same way that you do with a dog.
00:10:23.125 --> 00:10:26.345
Molly O'Neill: So paying attention to their signals is super important.
00:10:26.605 --> 00:10:30.085
Molly O'Neill: And the eyes bugging, their eyes turning and locking on something.
00:10:30.185 --> 00:10:38.265
Molly O'Neill: You know, if they turn and look at a person kind of with wide eyes, I'm thinking, oh, something has caught their attention or made them upset, you know.
00:10:38.525 --> 00:10:41.785
Molly O'Neill: So just paying attention to those small signals can be huge.
00:10:42.065 --> 00:10:42.605
Michelle Fern: Thank you.
00:10:42.845 --> 00:10:45.605
Michelle Fern: You told us about some of Chipmunk's talents.
00:10:45.625 --> 00:10:49.625
Michelle Fern: Did you share all of them and also any of his unusual habits?
00:10:50.565 --> 00:10:57.705
Molly O'Neill: Yeah, so he also, him and his brother Squirrel are also in a commercial that's running right now where he had to jump and hang on some curtains.
00:10:57.825 --> 00:11:00.605
Molly O'Neill: So that was a really fun one to train because he loves to jump.
00:11:01.085 --> 00:11:02.545
Molly O'Neill: He can jump into arms.
00:11:02.965 --> 00:11:05.145
Molly O'Neill: Yeah, I think I mentioned the sit, lay down.
00:11:05.165 --> 00:11:08.005
Molly O'Neill: We teach an on your side, going to a mark.
00:11:08.205 --> 00:11:12.525
Molly O'Neill: We teach him to run, like if they have to run from one room to another.
00:11:12.565 --> 00:11:15.565
Molly O'Neill: So we have these little sound makers that they run to.
00:11:16.345 --> 00:11:20.345
Molly O'Neill: So yeah, those are a lot of his training behaviors.
00:11:20.665 --> 00:11:25.205
Molly O'Neill: But I would say in general, they're both really amazing cats because they're so brave.
00:11:25.345 --> 00:11:33.805
Molly O'Neill: And then Chipmunk also has this sweetheart cuddly factor where he loves to make biscuits with his little feet all the time.
00:11:33.825 --> 00:11:37.565
Molly O'Neill: And he's just a sweet cuddle bug, which makes him a very special cat.
00:11:37.765 --> 00:11:46.645
Michelle Fern: Okay, we're going to take a short break and we're going to come back and talk more about how he became a star and what it takes to make a star and what the commercial was like.
00:11:46.725 --> 00:11:48.385
Michelle Fern: We'll be right back after this break.
00:11:51.245 --> 00:11:53.305
Michelle Fern: Hey, pet lovers, Michelle Fern here.
00:11:53.385 --> 00:11:56.325
Michelle Fern: Looking to enhance your pet's health, wellness and longevity?
00:11:56.485 --> 00:12:01.105
Michelle Fern: Since they can't communicate their feelings directly, ProsperK9 helps bridge the gap.
00:12:01.145 --> 00:12:06.225
Michelle Fern: Their simple cheek swab tests allow you to monitor your dog's health and well-being effortlessly.
00:12:06.445 --> 00:12:13.065
Michelle Fern: At ProsperK9, they use cutting edge technology to analyze genetics, breed and the groundbreaking field of epigenetics.
00:12:13.145 --> 00:12:22.305
Michelle Fern: This means you can understand how your dog is aging, how stress affects them and even their oral health status, helping you stay ahead of conditions like gingivitis and bad breath.
00:12:22.445 --> 00:12:25.405
Michelle Fern: Take proactive steps towards your dog's health today.
00:12:25.605 --> 00:12:31.865
Michelle Fern: Visit ProsperK9 and order your test kits to start making informed decisions for your furry friend's well-being.
00:12:32.245 --> 00:12:37.145
Michelle Fern: Enter BESTBETS and get 10% off all products at ProsperK9.com.
00:12:37.185 --> 00:12:39.325
Michelle Fern: Prosper, the letter K, the number nine dot com.
00:12:59.885 --> 00:13:01.105
Michelle Fern: Welcome back everyone.
00:13:01.245 --> 00:13:11.685
Michelle Fern: We're talking to Molly O'Neill, the pet parent of Chipmunk, who is in the Mayo Super Bowl commercial, Hellman's Mayonnaise Super Bowl commercial with Kate McKinnon.
00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:15.440
Michelle Fern: So Molly, what does it take for Cat to be a TV star?
00:13:15.460 --> 00:13:23.120
Michelle Fern: Because a lot of people out there think, you know, my cat is so cute and cuddly, and I think he or she could be in commercials and do all that.
00:13:23.140 --> 00:13:26.920
Michelle Fern: But it looks easy when you see the finished version on TV.
00:13:27.400 --> 00:13:30.560
Michelle Fern: But I know from experience that it's not.
00:13:30.920 --> 00:13:32.060
Michelle Fern: What is it really like?
00:13:32.360 --> 00:13:35.740
Molly O'Neill: Well, first of all, all of your cats are cute and cuddly, that's for sure.
00:13:36.400 --> 00:13:39.840
Molly O'Neill: I get people showing me their cats all the time, and I fully agree.
00:13:39.860 --> 00:13:43.260
Molly O'Neill: I love to see every picture of every cat and every video.
00:13:43.720 --> 00:13:54.240
Molly O'Neill: And you know, what it's really about to do this kind of work is, it's more about the, obviously your cat is cute and adorable and wonderful, and it's more about the cat's feelings.
00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:55.600
Molly O'Neill: How does the cat feel?
00:13:55.660 --> 00:13:58.280
Molly O'Neill: So the most important thing is confidence.
00:13:58.520 --> 00:14:07.100
Molly O'Neill: When we take a cat on a big movie set, there's a lot of scary stuff, big equipment, lots of new people, strangers, new places, things moving.
00:14:07.500 --> 00:14:11.620
Molly O'Neill: So you really need a cat that has a lot of confidence in a new environment.
00:14:11.640 --> 00:14:25.460
Molly O'Neill: That's probably number one, because even if you have a cat that's really well trained or super awesome, you know, if they're uncomfortable, if they don't wanna take a treat, if they feel nervous, then it's not gonna be putting them in a good situation.
00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:27.300
Molly O'Neill: So I would say number one is confidence.
00:14:27.760 --> 00:14:32.340
Molly O'Neill: And then after that, I would say number two would be willingness to learn and trainability.
00:14:32.420 --> 00:14:42.240
Molly O'Neill: I have also two Calico cats that are wonderful and they also do this, but they are, you know, a little more moody girls and that's typical of their breed.
00:14:42.560 --> 00:14:46.440
Molly O'Neill: And so I just am very selective about what I do with them and what I don't do with them.
00:14:46.460 --> 00:14:56.460
Molly O'Neill: So I would say, yeah, number one, confidence, and number two, trainability, willingness to engage and learn and, you know, comfort around new people and all that kind of stuff.
00:14:56.620 --> 00:14:58.220
Michelle Fern: Okay, thanks for sharing that.
00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:00.420
Michelle Fern: Did Chipmunk watch himself in the commercial?
00:15:00.620 --> 00:15:01.460
Molly O'Neill: He did.
00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:03.320
Molly O'Neill: Yes, he did.
00:15:03.340 --> 00:15:08.680
Molly O'Neill: We were with family watching the Super Bowl and I happen to be from Kansas City.
00:15:08.700 --> 00:15:12.640
Molly O'Neill: So we put a little Chiefs jersey on him and we all hung out.
00:15:12.680 --> 00:15:17.400
Molly O'Neill: And when his commercial came on, we actually, yeah, let him watch and we all cheered.
00:15:17.420 --> 00:15:19.220
Molly O'Neill: And it was a pretty awesome moment.
00:15:19.620 --> 00:15:20.320
Michelle Fern: That's great.
00:15:20.420 --> 00:15:23.820
Michelle Fern: And it helps that it was two great teams, an amazing game.
00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:31.700
Michelle Fern: I mean, it was one of, I think, the most popular Super Bowls or the most watched Super Bowls in years, if not the most watched.
00:15:32.140 --> 00:15:36.600
Michelle Fern: And what was it like with Chipmunk working with Kate McKinnon?
00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:38.520
Molly O'Neill: Oh my gosh, it was awesome.
00:15:38.520 --> 00:15:43.180
Molly O'Neill: She's a total cat person and just very, gosh, what a great spirit.
00:15:43.180 --> 00:15:49.780
Molly O'Neill: As soon as I handed him over to her, she's scratching him on the neck and doing all the perfect cat person moves.
00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:51.760
Molly O'Neill: And I was just like, oh, this is perfect.
00:15:51.880 --> 00:15:53.260
Molly O'Neill: So it was really, really fun.
00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:57.320
Molly O'Neill: And she's just, I mean, what a talent and amazing person to work with.
00:15:57.380 --> 00:15:58.900
Molly O'Neill: And on top of it, she's a cat person.
00:15:58.920 --> 00:16:07.060
Molly O'Neill: So they were totally in love with each other and I thought they might run off into the sunset, but it was really, really a joy.
00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:07.680
Molly O'Neill: It was really great.
00:16:07.900 --> 00:16:13.520
Michelle Fern: Can you tell us how did, I'm calling him Chipmunk by his name, but he was Mayo Cat in the Super Bowl commercial.
00:16:13.760 --> 00:16:15.320
Michelle Fern: How did he talk in the commercial?
00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:18.080
Molly O'Neill: So he actually does meow.
00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:22.600
Molly O'Neill: And so we had several takes of just working that meow.
00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:27.400
Molly O'Neill: And the way I kind of do that is I talk to him and I kind of say like, what do you have to say, Chipmunk?
00:16:27.500 --> 00:16:30.700
Molly O'Neill: What do you, you know, kind of how we all talk to our cats at home.
00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:33.580
Molly O'Neill: And that's how I actually get him to meow.
00:16:33.920 --> 00:16:37.700
Molly O'Neill: So we did that on set, which then of course turned into the meow.
00:16:37.880 --> 00:16:39.520
Molly O'Neill: And it was great.
00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:41.460
Michelle Fern: And what was it like to work with Hellmanns?
00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:42.820
Molly O'Neill: Oh my gosh, it was awesome.
00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:49.960
Molly O'Neill: I mean, when we found out about the commercial, it was so exciting because I was like, man, Hellmanns is such a, I mean, it's such a huge brand.
00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:52.500
Molly O'Neill: I've had them in my fridge for, you know, since I was a kid.
00:16:52.520 --> 00:16:55.220
Molly O'Neill: And so I was like, this is such an exciting brand to work for.
00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:59.660
Molly O'Neill: And then once the commercial got going, I mean, it was so much fun.
00:16:59.700 --> 00:17:03.000
Molly O'Neill: We got a lot of attention from the commercial, which was very exciting.
00:17:03.900 --> 00:17:08.220
Molly O'Neill: And so we got to do a lot of promotional work and it was just such a joy.
00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:13.840
Molly O'Neill: I think my favorite thing about working with Hellmanns though is their new campaign, which is Make Taste Not Waste.
00:17:13.900 --> 00:17:18.920
Molly O'Neill: And I know at our house we're big on, you know, using leftovers, trying not to throw food out.
00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:22.880
Molly O'Neill: And I thought it was such a brilliant way to explain that concept to people.
00:17:22.940 --> 00:17:27.960
Molly O'Neill: And I know Kate McKinnon was also a big fan of using your leftovers, trying not to waste food.
00:17:28.220 --> 00:17:32.780
Molly O'Neill: So it was really a joy to be involved in that in this small way with Mayo Cat.
00:17:32.980 --> 00:17:38.440
Michelle Fern: Yeah, I'm glad to hear about how they wanna reduce food waste because that's one of my peeves too.
00:17:38.460 --> 00:17:39.700
Michelle Fern: I hate wasting things.
00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:40.860
Molly O'Neill: Exactly.
00:17:41.040 --> 00:17:55.380
Michelle Fern: So Molly, when you have a superstar cat, so I'm thinking Hollywood and I did live in LA for a while, so I have a little familiarity with it, but I know that most stars need agents and they have calls and all this other stuff.
00:17:55.600 --> 00:17:59.400
Michelle Fern: Is the same thing true for cats, like superstar cats like Chipmunk?
00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:01.340
Molly O'Neill: Yes, so in a way, yes.
00:18:01.340 --> 00:18:10.020
Molly O'Neill: It's not exactly the same as actors, but so we are part of a company called Hollywood Animals, which is a fantastic company that's been in the business a long time.
00:18:10.380 --> 00:18:18.560
Molly O'Neill: They are really hands-on and understand animals' needs, which is really important when you're talking to somebody about making a commercial with an animal.
00:18:19.180 --> 00:18:38.160
Molly O'Neill: The company you're working with has to really understand what their needs are, how to communicate that for the production, and also how to make sure you submit the right animal for the right job, because you want a cat that's gonna be confident, be able to meow on cue, and there's all these specific behaviors that you have to make sure the animal is suited for the job.
00:18:38.560 --> 00:18:48.680
Molly O'Neill: So production reached out to Hollywood Animals, and we submitted several different cats, and they just really loved Chipmunk's little face and said, that's the cat, that's our Mayo Cat, we want that one.
00:18:49.400 --> 00:19:04.580
Michelle Fern: You were telling us about familiarity as far as comfortable to work with people and be on a set, and there's so many moving parts, and a lot of us, a lot of the audience that's listening, myself, I'm not on a set, I'm in a recording booth, there's nothing like that.
00:19:04.600 --> 00:19:10.640
Michelle Fern: But we've seen, we've all seen TV and different movies where they'll show the behind the scenes set.
00:19:10.660 --> 00:19:15.400
Michelle Fern: So for two people on the set, there's 25 or 30 people that you can't see working.
00:19:15.700 --> 00:19:21.240
Michelle Fern: How do you, and I know you talked about this a little before, but how do you get your cat comfortable with that?
00:19:21.260 --> 00:19:26.240
Michelle Fern: Because I mean, my cats, if I have guests over, they're gone, they don't like that.
00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:35.180
Michelle Fern: So that seems to me such a challenge, and that would obviously be something that is the number one thing for a superstar cat.
00:19:35.300 --> 00:19:36.460
Michelle Fern: How do you overcome that?
00:19:36.800 --> 00:19:37.540
Michelle Fern: Or can you?
00:19:37.800 --> 00:19:39.720
Michelle Fern: Or is it just training bit by bit?
00:19:40.080 --> 00:19:46.580
Molly O'Neill: So absolutely, it is one of the biggest things to protect our cats and make sure that they're very comfortable on set.
00:19:46.600 --> 00:19:51.780
Molly O'Neill: So the way that we do that is, for example, on this job, we had a cat room.
00:19:51.820 --> 00:19:56.060
Molly O'Neill: So we had our own little sort of dressing room where the cats could hang out.
00:19:56.260 --> 00:20:01.680
Molly O'Neill: And what we do as trainers is our focus is really on our cats all day.
00:20:01.760 --> 00:20:05.660
Molly O'Neill: So we're thinking about how long has it been since they had their litter box break?
00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:06.860
Molly O'Neill: Have they had their water?
00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:15.120
Molly O'Neill: And each time, when you're on a commercial, they reset, so they change all the lights and move locations for the next scene.
00:20:15.500 --> 00:20:22.640
Molly O'Neill: And so during that time, the cats are in their little safe dressing room and having their litter box break, their water, anything they need.
00:20:23.040 --> 00:20:35.460
Molly O'Neill: And then when everything is set up and ready, and so they don't have to move any more lights, they don't have to bring any more people in and out, that's when we bring the cat in so that the cat can just do their work when it's quiet and settled.
00:20:35.740 --> 00:20:49.100
Molly O'Neill: And then as soon as we're done with that scene, we pick up our cats, everybody waits to move until we've picked up our cats, return them to their quiet dressing room, and then everybody can move and change lights and do whatever they need to do.
00:20:49.600 --> 00:20:58.260
Molly O'Neill: So even though I've traveled these guys a ton, I take them everywhere with me, I try to get them used to traveling, so that part is not uncomfortable at all for them.
00:20:58.540 --> 00:21:09.980
Molly O'Neill: But even still with confident cats like mine that are super confident, they don't care about anything, I still am super protective of them because I know how quickly something can be scary to a cat.
00:21:10.260 --> 00:21:17.280
Molly O'Neill: So I really try, even though they're super confident, I don't get too comfortable, you know, I don't relax.
00:21:17.340 --> 00:21:31.240
Molly O'Neill: I also, you know, if one of the big celebrities is talking to you and you kinda are like, oh, this is fun, I wanna hang out, but I know I need to get my cat back to their quiet room, I'll say, so nice talking to you, please excuse me, I have to take the cat back to their room.
00:21:31.240 --> 00:21:42.040
Molly O'Neill: So you can't get caught up in the excitement of Hollywood and lose your focus, you really have to keep your full focus on the animals to keep them happy, confident and comfortable.
00:21:42.340 --> 00:21:43.800
Michelle Fern: That makes a lot of sense.
00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:48.160
Michelle Fern: So where can, does Chipmunk have like his own Instagram?
00:21:48.420 --> 00:21:50.880
Michelle Fern: What other commercials can we look for him in?
00:21:50.940 --> 00:21:59.080
Michelle Fern: And I think the, is the Mayo spot also on a YouTube video someplace that people can see the commercial in case they wanna revisit it?
00:21:59.360 --> 00:22:00.380
Molly O'Neill: Yes, absolutely.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.200
Molly O'Neill: So Squirrel and Chipmunk have an Instagram.
00:22:03.360 --> 00:22:05.780
Molly O'Neill: It is at CatNamedSquirrel.
00:22:05.800 --> 00:22:07.540
Molly O'Neill: I did get Squirrel first.
00:22:07.560 --> 00:22:11.560
Molly O'Neill: So at CatNamedSquirrel is their Instagram that they are both on.
00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:20.560
Molly O'Neill: And then I have all of the views of the commercial on there as well as they were actually on the Vegas Sphere in promotion of Hellmann's mayonnaise.
00:22:20.900 --> 00:22:22.020
Molly O'Neill: So that was really fun.
00:22:22.040 --> 00:22:24.540
Molly O'Neill: So I have a bunch of cool behind the scenes videos for that.
00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:30.620
Molly O'Neill: And then also Hellmann's has their own Instagram page and they have also a ton of clips of the commercial.
00:22:30.920 --> 00:22:36.920
Molly O'Neill: I actually started following the page when we started working on the campaign and realized they also have really good recipes for things.
00:22:37.460 --> 00:22:39.500
Molly O'Neill: I've actually been following their page quite a bit.
00:22:39.660 --> 00:22:50.720
Molly O'Neill: So the Hellmann's mayonnaise, Instagram, and then also at Cat Named Squirrel is where you can find all of our adventures with Squirrel and Chipmunk and the many commercials and TV shows and things that they're working on.
00:22:50.740 --> 00:22:56.560
Molly O'Neill: And then also just their personal life, our travels and what we like to do day to day as well.
00:22:57.100 --> 00:23:00.440
Michelle Fern: Yeah, I just pulled up your Instagram and they are adorable.
00:23:00.920 --> 00:23:08.260
Michelle Fern: What, now they're Siberian, are there anything for people that, you know, take a look and think, oh, I need a cat like Chipmunk.
00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:10.640
Michelle Fern: Is there anything unusual about the breed?
00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:17.020
Molly O'Neill: You know, this is an interesting one, but I have found that, and I've talked to other Siberian owners.
00:23:17.020 --> 00:23:25.020
Molly O'Neill: So just a very random, small tidbit is like, they're known for wanting to eat plastic, which is a very weird, random-
00:23:25.140 --> 00:23:25.820
Michelle Fern: Oh my gosh.
00:23:26.180 --> 00:23:27.240
Molly O'Neill: Thing about their breed.
00:23:27.320 --> 00:23:36.700
Molly O'Neill: And so I, as a cat mom, have to be super vigilant on making sure that I don't have any plastic bags or anything plastic out.
00:23:36.780 --> 00:23:40.420
Molly O'Neill: I don't know why it is, but it's something that the breed is known for.
00:23:40.860 --> 00:23:47.140
Molly O'Neill: Luckily, knock on wood, we've never had any incidents here at the house, but I've talked to other Siberian owners.
00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:56.100
Molly O'Neill: You just have to watch, because they will kind of chew on things or potentially swallow things, which any cat and especially any kitten, you always have to watch for that as well.
00:23:56.480 --> 00:24:01.760
Molly O'Neill: But that is just a random fact about this breed that is very true, as I have found.
00:24:01.760 --> 00:24:04.460
Molly O'Neill: So it's all about controlling your environment.
00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:09.700
Molly O'Neill: Obviously, like most cat parents do, also being careful about what plants are in your house.
00:24:09.720 --> 00:24:14.620
Molly O'Neill: There are so many plants and flowers that are toxic to cats, like lilies are a big one.
00:24:15.020 --> 00:24:22.000
Molly O'Neill: So my husband knows we only have roses in this house and anything that's not toxic to cats.
00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:27.040
Molly O'Neill: So that would be something very kind of random and small tidbit about the breed.
00:24:27.060 --> 00:24:29.500
Molly O'Neill: Because otherwise, there's nothing bad I can say about them.
00:24:29.520 --> 00:24:31.160
Molly O'Neill: They're an awesome, awesome breed of cat.
00:24:31.300 --> 00:24:32.860
Michelle Fern: Well, thank you so much.
00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:34.100
Michelle Fern: And thanks for those tips.
00:24:34.180 --> 00:24:45.200
Michelle Fern: For those listening, I've done several shows for Cattitude where we talk about things not to have in the house, especially around holiday, because you tend to have things that you don't normally have other times of the year.
00:24:45.380 --> 00:24:45.900
Molly O'Neill: That's right.
00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:47.400
Michelle Fern: Molly, thank you so much.
00:24:47.540 --> 00:24:48.220
Michelle Fern: Chipmunk is adorable.
00:24:49.800 --> 00:24:55.660
Michelle Fern: I wish Chipmunk and Squirrel a long, healthy life full of commercials and lots of glamour.
00:24:56.120 --> 00:24:56.920
Michelle Fern: And thank you.
00:24:56.940 --> 00:24:58.300
Michelle Fern: You're an awesome cat mom.
00:24:58.320 --> 00:25:01.060
Michelle Fern: And thank you for having time to come on Cattitude.
00:25:01.080 --> 00:25:02.100
Michelle Fern: I so appreciate it.
00:25:02.360 --> 00:25:03.500
Molly O'Neill: No, thank you so much.
00:25:03.520 --> 00:25:04.620
Molly O'Neill: We're so happy to be here.
00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:08.520
Molly O'Neill: And actually Chipmunk turns one years old on the 17th.
00:25:08.580 --> 00:25:11.340
Molly O'Neill: So this is a fun pre-birthday celebration.
00:25:11.460 --> 00:25:13.540
Molly O'Neill: And thank you so much for talking to us.
00:25:13.720 --> 00:25:14.220
Michelle Fern: Thank you.
00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:15.580
Michelle Fern: So he's a St.
00:25:15.600 --> 00:25:16.360
Michelle Fern: Patrick's baby.
00:25:18.300 --> 00:25:19.460
Michelle Fern: Happy birthday, Chipmunk.
00:25:19.480 --> 00:25:20.400
Michelle Fern: Happy birthday, Roy.
00:25:20.780 --> 00:25:21.380
Michelle Fern: Thank you.
00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:21.840
Michelle Fern: Bye-bye.
00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:24.920
Michelle Fern: I hope all of you enjoyed this show.
00:25:24.940 --> 00:25:29.900
Michelle Fern: How exciting to have a superstar cat on Cattude.
00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.440
Michelle Fern: Actually, of course, this is his cat mom, Molly.
00:25:33.580 --> 00:25:36.420
Michelle Fern: So I wanna thank Molly and Chipmunk for coming on the show.
00:25:36.460 --> 00:25:38.960
Michelle Fern: I wanna thank everyone that listens to Cattitude.
00:25:38.980 --> 00:25:40.820
Michelle Fern: Thank you so much for listening.
00:25:41.280 --> 00:25:45.500
Michelle Fern: Thanks to my cat crew, Molly, Dennis and Charlotte.
00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:54.420
Michelle Fern: Out of all of them, Dennis would probably be a cat star, but he's an older dude and we're not going to Hollywood anytime soon, but he's so much fun.
00:25:54.440 --> 00:25:55.180
Michelle Fern: I love them all.
00:25:55.380 --> 00:25:56.700
Michelle Fern: So thank you, cat crew.
00:25:56.980 --> 00:26:02.280
Michelle Fern: And of course, the show would not be the same without the magic of my producer, Mark Winter.
00:26:02.300 --> 00:26:08.360
Michelle Fern: So thank you, Mark, for all you do to make the show sound so great for everyone listening.
00:26:08.540 --> 00:26:10.760
Michelle Fern: Thank you for everyone that listens to Cattitude.
00:26:10.780 --> 00:26:12.120
Michelle Fern: I so appreciate it.
00:26:12.140 --> 00:26:21.020
Michelle Fern: This show is so popular and I work hard to keep it that way and I work hard to bring you interesting, fun things that are all about cats.
00:26:21.020 --> 00:26:22.280
Michelle Fern: So thank you so much.
00:26:22.600 --> 00:26:26.320
Michelle Fern: And hey, remember, lose the attitude, have Cattitude.
00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:33.140
Announcer: Let's talk pets every week on demand, only on petliferadio.com.
"Cattitude" Theme Song Written & Produced by Mark Winter
© Copyright Such Fun Music (ASCAP)