Cattitude

BIO:

From live broadcasts to podcast chats, I love creating authentic connections that captivate audiences and celebrate stories.

Performer and Producer

Since 2018, I've curated the Catbaret!, a cat-themed variety show featuring comedy, music and purr-lesque. Check me out in Time Out New York. And, under my stage name, Gemma Stone, I host Reali-Tease Burlesque!

​On-Camera Host and Spokesperson

Connecting with audiences is my specialty. As an On-Air Spokesperson for the ASPCA Kitten Nursery, I make regular live broadcast appearances - with kittens! *Appearances include: Cheddar News, Sherri, Amazon Live, Pix 11 New York Living, Fox Weather and New York Live.

​​​Voice Actor

Let me bring your words to life! I operate from a dedicated home studio and pride myself on being professional, warm, organized and easy to direct.

​Podcast Host

In "Tails and Tassels," I interview burlesque and nightlife performers about their craft, their cats and how the two worlds collide. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more!

Transcript:

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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.

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Announcer: Let's Talk Pets.

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Michelle Fern: Hello, feline friends.

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Michelle Fern: Welcome to Cattitude.

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Michelle Fern: I'm your show host, Michelle Fern.

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Michelle Fern: What a show I have for you today.

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Michelle Fern: Have you heard of a catbaret before?

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Michelle Fern: You're probably thinking, what in the world?

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Michelle Fern: Yes, it's true, catbaret.

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Michelle Fern: So stay tuned, I have an amazing guest with me.

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Michelle Fern: We'll be right back.

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Announcer: You know the expression, cats have nine lives.

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Announcer: Well, what if you can give them one more?

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Announcer: The Give Them Ten Movement is on a mission to help give cats an extra life.

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Announcer: How?

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Announcer: With spay and neuter.

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Announcer: Spaying or neutering your cat helps them live a longer, healthier life.

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Announcer: And it helps control free roaming cat populations too.

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Announcer: Learn more about the benefits of spay and neuter and meet Scooter, the neutered cat, at givethem10.org.

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Announcer: That's givethemten.org.

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Announcer: Let's talk pets on petliferadio.com.

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Michelle Fern: Welcome back, everyone.

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Michelle Fern: I'd like to welcome Gemma Smith.

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Michelle Fern: She is the producer of Catbaret and also the host of Tales and Tassels podcast.

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Michelle Fern: Welcome, Gemma.

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Gemma Smith: Hi, thank you so much for having me.

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Michelle Fern: I'm very excited to have you on.

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Michelle Fern: So before we talk about Catbaret, can you give us a little background about yourself?

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Gemma Smith: Sure, so I originally went to college for theater and moved to New York City afterwards to pursue a career as an actor, but I got a day job at a veterinary clinic in Manhattan.

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Gemma Smith: And my love for animals, especially cats, grew from there.

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Michelle Fern: And then where did you come up with a Catbaret?

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Michelle Fern: And what is a Catbaret?

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Gemma Smith: Yes, a Catbaret is a cat-themed variety show or a cat-themed cabaret, hence the play on words there with the title.

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Gemma Smith: So it's a variety show that features comedy, music, sometimes magic and burlesque, or as we like to call it, pur-lesque.

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Gemma Smith: And it's all cat-themed.

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Gemma Smith: However, we love to mix it up.

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Gemma Smith: We celebrate different holidays as well.

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Michelle Fern: For pur-lesque, so I had no idea what I would be looking at when Catbaret.

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Michelle Fern: And of course, I think of Moulin Rouge and I thought, am I going to see like, cats are naked anyways, especially sphinx cats.

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Michelle Fern: So am I going to see cats?

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Michelle Fern: Am I going to see women half dressed with cats?

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Michelle Fern: I mean, I'm open-minded, whatever, you know.

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Michelle Fern: But I had no idea, but it's really cute.

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Michelle Fern: And you perform in them as well.

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Gemma Smith: Yeah, so I host the show and I produced it and hire performers also.

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Michelle Fern: You're also a musician?

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Gemma Smith: Well, yes, I do have music in the show.

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Gemma Smith: I sometimes play the trumpet in the show.

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Gemma Smith: I have tap danced.

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Gemma Smith: And like I mentioned before, so it's all cat themed.

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Gemma Smith: There's no real cats, although folks are welcome to buy a virtual ticket and sit at home with their cats and watch.

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Gemma Smith: But we love to mix it up with themes.

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Gemma Smith: So in October, we celebrate Meowlloween.

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Gemma Smith: So it's cat-themed and Halloween-themed stand-up comedy Improv will have, like you mentioned, burlesque, which is like you were saying in your imagination.

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Gemma Smith: You're thinking of burlesque.

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Gemma Smith: It is the art of striptease.

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Gemma Smith: You might see someone with a feather fan wearing cat ears, or it could be a cat on a ball of yarn or a black kitty doing burlesque to everybody wants to be a cat.

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Gemma Smith: So we mix it up like Gallentines is next.

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Gemma Smith: We're going to celebrate felines and friendship.

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Gemma Smith: So I'm encouraging everyone to bring their cat loving besties.

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Gemma Smith: And some of the acts might be more friendship themed with a feline twist.

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Michelle Fern: So when you were thinking of this, why did you think it would work with cats?

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Michelle Fern: And do you think it would work with dogs as well?

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Gemma Smith: It's interesting.

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Gemma Smith: So I used to live in Astoria, Queens.

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Gemma Smith: There's a great comedy club there called QED Astoria.

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Gemma Smith: And I was kind of going through a transition and like, do I want to pursue acting?

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Gemma Smith: I was working for an animal welfare organization by day at that point.

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Gemma Smith: And I just thought, how can I give back to the cat community?

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Gemma Smith: I'm a bit of a cat lady.

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Gemma Smith: I just have two cats, but I have love for all of them.

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Gemma Smith: And I thought, what's special that I could do to bring cat lovers together?

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Gemma Smith: And that's kind of how I got the idea for the Catbaret.

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Gemma Smith: And it started small over six years ago at that comedy club in Queens.

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Gemma Smith: And we've grown.

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Gemma Smith: Last year, we produced two shows at Caveat in Manhattan.

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Gemma Smith: On the Lower East Side, seats over 100 people.

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Gemma Smith: And we filled the theater at the last show.

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Gemma Smith: Tons of cat lovers, even tourists from Scotland came, folks who just saw the show on Eventbrite.

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Gemma Smith: And we also have our regulars now that come back.

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Gemma Smith: Everyone gets free cat ears.

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Gemma Smith: That's my gift.

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Gemma Smith: I give out free cat ears to everyone.

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Gemma Smith: And it's become this real community.

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Gemma Smith: And I do think it could work for dog lovers too.

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Gemma Smith: I know there is, I've seen like, must love dogs comedy shows here around the city.

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Gemma Smith: I just realized that for me, this was the way that I could give back to the cat community, especially.

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Gemma Smith: And it's been really a project of love.

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Michelle Fern: Okay.

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Michelle Fern: It's so interesting.

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Michelle Fern: And I get that giving back to cats.

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Michelle Fern: And there's something about cat lovers.

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Michelle Fern: There's just something about them.

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Michelle Fern: And there's something about cats.

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Michelle Fern: I think it's the mystique.

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Michelle Fern: Because I was thinking in my head, well, you know, you hear about cats being sexy, right?

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Michelle Fern: Books, you know, you hear that.

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Michelle Fern: And I'm not saying catbaret has to be sexy, but burlesque you think, or perlesque you think sexy.

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Michelle Fern: Dogs you don't think of as sexy.

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Gemma Smith: Yeah, that's interesting.

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Gemma Smith: I don't think, yeah.

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Michelle Fern: That's where my head goes.

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Michelle Fern: So, you know, just thinking about this.

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Michelle Fern: So, right?

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Gemma Smith: I hear you.

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Michelle Fern: I've never heard a woman, I'm a racist reader.

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Michelle Fern: I've never read, oh, she was in a dog-like pose.

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Michelle Fern: But I've read he's maybe not even for men, he's in a dog, you know, because they think cats are female, dogs are male, which makes no sense.

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Gemma Smith: Totally, yeah, I know what you mean.

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Gemma Smith: Cats are so elegant.

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Michelle Fern: But yeah, they're like, she was in a feline pose.

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Michelle Fern: She stretched like a cat.

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Michelle Fern: You read that kind of stuff.

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Michelle Fern: You don't read, she's stretched like a dog or yawned or whatever, like a dog.

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Michelle Fern: So that's where I was going.

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Michelle Fern: So but yeah, I know there's groups and it's all about giving back to the cats.

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Michelle Fern: Have you ever, let's see, have you ever had live cats in your show?

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Gemma Smith: Great question because one time we actually did back when we were at the comedy club in Queens, one of my stand up or improv comedians, his cat is a special cat.

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Gemma Smith: He was harness trained and could walk on a leash and lived right nearby, like an apartment right next door.

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Gemma Smith: And so he got permission from the owner because he lived nearby to bring, oh my gosh, I can't remember the kitty's name.

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Gemma Smith: Was it Lionel maybe?

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Gemma Smith: To bring this kitty on stage for a little improv scene with him.

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Gemma Smith: And of course the cat didn't do anything, but it was still hilarious because he was like acting things out with suggestions from the audience.

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Gemma Smith: But he did ask everyone in the audience to please hold their applause and stay quiet so that we could be respectful of his kitty who performed in the show.

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Gemma Smith: So that was rather exciting.

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Michelle Fern: That's so cute.

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Michelle Fern: I think it would be a challenge to have cats.

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Michelle Fern: I've seen cats on stage.

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Michelle Fern: I've seen cats that do, you know, theatrics at shows.

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Michelle Fern: But I know for the most part, cats are independent, want to be by themselves, and they're not really performers.

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Gemma Smith: Yes, I agree.

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Gemma Smith: My two cats, they're most comfortable when they're at home, around familiar surroundings.

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Gemma Smith: But I do want to mention, I do partner with a non-profit local rescue group, Rescue NYC, and we showcase their adoptable cats in our pre-show and intermission slideshow.

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Gemma Smith: So every show, we showcase cats in need of homes, and many of those cats are at Koneko Cat Cafe, which is right across the street here in New York City from Caveat, our venue.

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Gemma Smith: So it's a really perfect, and Koneko donates a couple pairs of entries to their cattery for part of our raffle.

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Gemma Smith: So we try to collaborate with local cat businesses to just spread the word about adoptable cats.

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Michelle Fern: You know, I was going to get to that since you're such a cat lover.

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Michelle Fern: I was going to get to whether you have anything about TNR, adoption, and so forth, because that's a big thing, and there's a lot of active rescues in New York City.

00:09:07.272 --> 00:09:08.172
Gemma Smith: Absolutely.

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Gemma Smith: And when we were in Astoria, we also partnered with Astoria Cat Rescue, because we can't have those live cats, but I knew I wanted to do something to connect people with opportunities and just raise awareness.

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Michelle Fern: So you had mentioned, so you're in New York, not all of us are.

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Michelle Fern: Some of us would like to be, but we're not.

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Michelle Fern: So it's my birth city.

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Michelle Fern: So I love New York.

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Michelle Fern: But you've mentioned you also have virtual tickets.

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Michelle Fern: How does that work?

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Gemma Smith: Yes, I would love to share this with all of your Cattitude listeners.

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Gemma Smith: So we have shows quarterly, and in addition to the in-person tickets, we have virtual live stream tickets for just $10.

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Gemma Smith: Folks can buy them through Caveat's website, and they're good for up to seven days after the show.

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Gemma Smith: So you could be at home, wherever you are across the world, watch it live with your kitty cats by your side, and there is a little chat.

00:10:05.272 --> 00:10:16.652
Gemma Smith: I try to always call out the folks on the live stream to include them, because it's important to me to foster the sense of like, we're a community of cat lovers, but you don't have to watch it live wherever you are.

00:10:16.652 --> 00:10:21.612
Gemma Smith: If it's not your time zone, you could watch it the next day or a few days from then.

00:10:21.612 --> 00:10:39.152
Gemma Smith: And I love it if people, you know, maybe take a selfie of them and their cat, or a picture of their cat, and tag us on Instagram at CatbaretShow to say that they're watching it, so that I can, you know, re-share it and include them and make them feel like they're really part of the fun, but they can watch the whole show from home.

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Michelle Fern: Okay, and we're gonna talk about a little bit, a different topic in our second half, but before we go, with everything you've done in your show and living in the city you live in, which is kind of ahead of the game with a lot of things, such as fanning, declawing, but what would you like to see happen with Catbaret and, question two, what would you like to see in the cat community?

00:11:01.512 --> 00:11:02.592
Gemma Smith: Great question.

00:11:02.592 --> 00:11:07.612
Gemma Smith: Well, with Catbaret, I'd like to continue growing our community of cat lovers.

00:11:07.612 --> 00:11:22.172
Gemma Smith: Perhaps this year, I'm gonna have four shows, packing the house, maybe even having some fun, like, meet up happy hour events, like in between shows, like a little meet up, because we can't really bring our cats to, like, the cat park, like dog folks, you know?

00:11:22.172 --> 00:11:25.512
Gemma Smith: They get to mingle and meet each other, but this is another way.

00:11:25.932 --> 00:11:30.152
Gemma Smith: And something I'm also really excited about, I'm friends with Jenny Pearson.

00:11:30.152 --> 00:11:32.692
Gemma Smith: She's the founder of the Cat Museum of New York City.

00:11:32.692 --> 00:11:52.192
Gemma Smith: It's a proposed cat museum, and it's a place not only to, well, I don't want to speak too much on it, because it's her mission, but it's, I'm seeing different events and things of this nature pop up, where more cat lovers are coming together and also providing resources to the community for spay neuter.

00:11:52.952 --> 00:11:59.992
Gemma Smith: There's a need for veterinary care in the city and all of the neighborhood cats.

00:11:59.992 --> 00:12:02.312
Gemma Smith: Trap neuter release, as you mentioned before.

00:12:02.312 --> 00:12:10.492
Gemma Smith: So just continuing to see different organizations grow and flourish and connect people with resources and connecting with one another.

00:12:10.492 --> 00:12:12.952
Gemma Smith: That's what I'd really like to continue to see.

00:12:13.032 --> 00:12:14.172
Michelle Fern: Absolutely agree.

00:12:14.172 --> 00:12:27.712
Michelle Fern: And I think there's also, with as much information that we have, you know, the internet and so forth, and podcasts and live streams and everything, I still think there is a lot of education that we have.

00:12:27.772 --> 00:12:28.292
Gemma Smith: Yes.

00:12:28.292 --> 00:12:32.592
Michelle Fern: So many misconceptions about things that, I don't know, I learn things all the time.

00:12:32.592 --> 00:12:35.652
Michelle Fern: But we're going to take a short break, and we'll be right back.

00:12:37.872 --> 00:12:40.092
Michelle Fern: Molly, here's your dinner.

00:12:41.332 --> 00:12:44.112
Michelle Fern: Zeus, that's not your food.

00:12:44.112 --> 00:12:46.332
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00:13:18.312 --> 00:13:21.612
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00:13:28.352 --> 00:13:34.912
Announcer: Let's Talk Pets, on Pet Life Radio, Pet Life Radio, Pet Life Radio, Pet Life radio.com.

00:13:44.834 --> 00:13:46.034
Michelle Fern: Welcome back, everyone.

00:13:46.034 --> 00:13:47.794
Michelle Fern: We're talking to Jenna Smith.

00:13:47.794 --> 00:13:53.454
Michelle Fern: She is the producer of Catbaret and the host of Tales and Tassels podcast.

00:13:53.454 --> 00:13:59.014
Michelle Fern: And she also has done some work and still does some work with kittens.

00:13:59.014 --> 00:14:01.214
Michelle Fern: Kitten season, we're a little ahead of the game.

00:14:01.214 --> 00:14:03.694
Michelle Fern: Kitten season is not yet in New York.

00:14:03.694 --> 00:14:07.534
Michelle Fern: I live in the south, the northern south, as I call it, South Florida.

00:14:07.534 --> 00:14:12.714
Michelle Fern: So we kind of have kitten season year round, but it does peak, you know, it's April through October.

00:14:13.194 --> 00:14:15.834
Michelle Fern: What can you tell us about kittens?

00:14:15.834 --> 00:14:16.114
Gemma Smith: Sure.

00:14:16.114 --> 00:14:17.474
Gemma Smith: Well, you're absolutely right.

00:14:17.474 --> 00:14:26.034
Gemma Smith: Kitten season is the time of year, feline breeding season, when shelters across the country are flooded with homeless and newborn cats.

00:14:26.034 --> 00:14:30.954
Gemma Smith: And kittens I've adopted to myself are very special.

00:14:30.954 --> 00:14:35.214
Gemma Smith: As we all know, they're a very vulnerable animal population as well.

00:14:35.214 --> 00:14:44.694
Gemma Smith: So in addition to being, you know, extremely, extremely cute, when they're under eight weeks of age, they can be very vulnerable.

00:14:44.694 --> 00:14:46.834
Gemma Smith: They need assistance keeping themselves warm.

00:14:46.834 --> 00:14:51.674
Gemma Smith: Neonatal kittens need assistance learning to eat on their own.

00:14:51.674 --> 00:15:00.594
Gemma Smith: And so the biggest way folks can help kittens is really by fostering them, maybe reaching out to a local organization.

00:15:00.594 --> 00:15:03.854
Michelle Fern: I think people think kittens are so cute and everything, but you're right.

00:15:03.854 --> 00:15:06.474
Michelle Fern: There's an extreme amount of work involved.

00:15:06.474 --> 00:15:09.934
Michelle Fern: I'm sure you're probably familiar with Hannah Shaw, kitten lady.

00:15:10.434 --> 00:15:11.114
Gemma Smith: Yes.

00:15:11.114 --> 00:15:14.194
Gemma Smith: You know what, I think I saw her in an event one time.

00:15:14.194 --> 00:15:16.294
Michelle Fern: I've had her on the show and I've seen her.

00:15:16.294 --> 00:15:25.074
Michelle Fern: She has a lot on Instagram and she does so much for kittens, like newborn and kittens that are born with birth defects and all kinds of issues.

00:15:25.074 --> 00:15:29.154
Michelle Fern: And literally sometimes feedings every couple of hours.

00:15:29.154 --> 00:15:35.094
Michelle Fern: So depending on how young the kittens are and if they're abandoned by the mother, there's a lot of work.

00:15:35.094 --> 00:15:37.414
Michelle Fern: But you said you adopted two.

00:15:37.414 --> 00:15:48.834
Michelle Fern: So in my very informal poll that I've had on Cattitude with guests, I have heard that it's better to have two than one because then they could play with each other.

00:15:48.834 --> 00:15:49.894
Michelle Fern: You're a kitten expert.

00:15:49.894 --> 00:15:50.814
Michelle Fern: What do you think?

00:15:50.814 --> 00:15:54.634
Gemma Smith: You're absolutely right, but I didn't do it the correct way because guess what?

00:15:54.634 --> 00:16:02.094
Gemma Smith: This is when I was about over a decade ago, I was working at that veterinary clinic and I just adopted one at a time.

00:16:02.394 --> 00:16:09.854
Gemma Smith: But I adopted that second one because my first cat, Lionel, was what we like to call in the shelter world, a singleton.

00:16:09.854 --> 00:16:17.834
Gemma Smith: He needed another cat to help teach him his boundaries and learn how to be a cat and play with each other, as you mentioned, get that energy out.

00:16:17.834 --> 00:16:22.754
Gemma Smith: So I adopted my other cat, Luna, as a kitten not too long after.

00:16:22.754 --> 00:16:29.754
Gemma Smith: But you're absolutely right, kittens do really, really well in pairs because they learn how to cat with one another.

00:16:30.274 --> 00:16:41.794
Gemma Smith: But if someone has a resident cat at home, you could also adopt a kitten and your resident cat that you already have can be a helper cat to that kitten and teach them how to cat.

00:16:41.794 --> 00:16:49.754
Michelle Fern: Yeah, that could be a whole other show because sometimes introducing a kitten to the mix can be great or it depends on the cat.

00:16:49.754 --> 00:16:55.094
Michelle Fern: Like Charlotte was not nice to Molly, who is her sister from a different litter.

00:16:55.134 --> 00:16:58.034
Michelle Fern: This is from my crew, but Dennis, he's chill.

00:16:58.034 --> 00:16:59.034
Michelle Fern: He doesn't care.

00:16:59.034 --> 00:17:00.174
Michelle Fern: There was a little challenge.

00:17:00.174 --> 00:17:05.974
Michelle Fern: I've had shows on that in the past, but have you run into people asking that question?

00:17:05.974 --> 00:17:08.214
Gemma Smith: Yes, you know, people have asked that before.

00:17:08.214 --> 00:17:17.594
Gemma Smith: I honestly, even though I was working at a veterinary clinic, me, myself, someone told me, some of my coworkers were like, you really should adopt one of his litter mates.

00:17:17.594 --> 00:17:19.674
Gemma Smith: And I was just like, oh, this is my first kitten.

00:17:19.674 --> 00:17:20.874
Gemma Smith: One is enough.

00:17:20.874 --> 00:17:27.514
Gemma Smith: But I learned the hard way, even though he's wonderful, he's thriving as going into his senior kitty years now.

00:17:27.514 --> 00:17:29.434
Gemma Smith: I think it is really best.

00:17:29.434 --> 00:17:30.834
Gemma Smith: I should have listened.

00:17:30.834 --> 00:17:34.654
Michelle Fern: One of our show hosts had said once, kittens are like potato chips.

00:17:34.654 --> 00:17:35.994
Michelle Fern: You can't have only one.

00:17:35.994 --> 00:17:38.574
Michelle Fern: So, you know, you think of them in pairs.

00:17:38.574 --> 00:17:42.174
Michelle Fern: What should people be aware of when they're adopting a kitten?

00:17:42.174 --> 00:17:47.094
Gemma Smith: Well, I think folks should look at their lifestyle, their apartment.

00:17:47.094 --> 00:17:50.214
Gemma Smith: The good thing about kittens is they don't take up a lot of space, right?

00:17:50.634 --> 00:17:56.834
Gemma Smith: So, even if you live in a big city or in a house in the suburbs, you know, they don't take up a lot of space.

00:17:56.834 --> 00:18:02.234
Gemma Smith: At first, you could even get them used to your surroundings in a small room.

00:18:02.234 --> 00:18:15.974
Gemma Smith: Or even in New York City, we tell folks a bathroom at first, because for them, they're learning a new environment, and it's going to take them some time to, you know, get used to the smells, sounds, and how it feels in their new home.

00:18:16.554 --> 00:18:22.734
Gemma Smith: So, to go slow with them, let them settle in to this new environment.

00:18:22.734 --> 00:18:31.974
Gemma Smith: And, you know, it's really great if you first bring them home to leave the carrier open with some bedding in it, so they can go back in there as their safe space.

00:18:31.974 --> 00:18:37.094
Gemma Smith: And also, it's a great idea to think about kitten proofing your home.

00:18:37.094 --> 00:18:47.074
Gemma Smith: So, you know, getting down on their level and thinking, what wires, cords, things could be a potential hazard to a kitten?

00:18:47.074 --> 00:18:54.134
Gemma Smith: And also, lots of times, folks should think about plants, house plants, and are they toxic?

00:18:54.134 --> 00:18:55.754
Gemma Smith: Are they not toxic?

00:18:55.754 --> 00:18:57.474
Gemma Smith: That's a big one as well.

00:18:57.474 --> 00:18:59.434
Michelle Fern: You know, those are great points.

00:18:59.434 --> 00:19:03.894
Michelle Fern: And I want people to also remember those little cute kittens become cats.

00:19:03.894 --> 00:19:06.034
Michelle Fern: And cats are still pretty small.

00:19:06.034 --> 00:19:07.694
Michelle Fern: Mine are a little on the bigger side.

00:19:09.114 --> 00:19:12.854
Michelle Fern: I had just had a show recently about putting them on a diet for New Year's.

00:19:13.154 --> 00:19:19.354
Michelle Fern: But even if they're small, you know, 16 pounds or whatever, they do grow to be cats.

00:19:19.354 --> 00:19:20.814
Michelle Fern: So keep that in mind.

00:19:20.814 --> 00:19:23.214
Michelle Fern: What about the type of where they're adopting?

00:19:23.214 --> 00:19:25.694
Michelle Fern: Do you have any tips on where they should go?

00:19:25.694 --> 00:19:31.174
Michelle Fern: Or, I mean, I had had kittens born on my front step, and I adopted out too.

00:19:31.174 --> 00:19:33.594
Michelle Fern: But I was careful and I vetted them.

00:19:33.594 --> 00:19:37.454
Michelle Fern: But, you know, a lot of people will adopt from shelters.

00:19:37.454 --> 00:19:43.774
Michelle Fern: Should they be aware of some shelters, aware of some private individuals, or doesn't really matter?

00:19:43.774 --> 00:19:45.794
Michelle Fern: I mean, except for safety, of course.

00:19:45.794 --> 00:19:46.854
Gemma Smith: Oh, yes, yes.

00:19:46.854 --> 00:19:50.014
Gemma Smith: I love that you adopted from your doorstep and adopted them out.

00:19:50.014 --> 00:19:55.734
Gemma Smith: And I completely agree with what you say about, hey, these cute kittens also turn into amazing cats.

00:19:55.734 --> 00:19:57.134
Gemma Smith: So keep that in mind.

00:19:57.134 --> 00:20:03.734
Gemma Smith: I think folks, you know, I always would recommend adopting from a local shelter or rescue group.

00:20:03.734 --> 00:20:15.114
Gemma Smith: I think it's great to find out if they're a 501c3 nonprofit first, learn a little bit, go to the website, look at their Instagram, learn about their application process, or talk to your friends.

00:20:15.114 --> 00:20:18.754
Gemma Smith: You know, there are shelters in every state across the country.

00:20:18.754 --> 00:20:22.354
Gemma Smith: So you can always ask a friend, where do you get your cat from?

00:20:22.354 --> 00:20:29.494
Gemma Smith: And that's my personal recommendation, is checking and just doing a little Google search for your local rescue group.

00:20:29.494 --> 00:20:29.894
Michelle Fern: Okay.

00:20:30.454 --> 00:20:35.594
Michelle Fern: And to my listeners, I promise I'm not going to do this every show, but this does fit.

00:20:35.594 --> 00:20:41.714
Michelle Fern: Please be aware when you're adopting that cute kitten, kittens have claws, they need their claws.

00:20:41.714 --> 00:20:45.534
Michelle Fern: No declawing is banned in New York, which is wonderful.

00:20:45.534 --> 00:20:51.954
Michelle Fern: It's not banned everywhere, but it's not just cutting their nails, it's cutting their knuckle.

00:20:51.954 --> 00:21:03.934
Michelle Fern: So be aware that if you have a leather couch, and I know my Cattitude listeners, they're like, yeah, yeah, we get this scratch stuff, you know, and make sure you have scratchers and what they need.

00:21:03.934 --> 00:21:10.234
Michelle Fern: But even if that happens, just like any pet that you have in your home, things can get ruined.

00:21:10.234 --> 00:21:15.474
Michelle Fern: So keep that in mind before you take that kitty home.

00:21:15.474 --> 00:21:19.754
Michelle Fern: The kitty is going to its forever home, and then it gets returned to the shelter.

00:21:19.754 --> 00:21:21.114
Gemma Smith: I completely agree with you.

00:21:21.114 --> 00:21:25.354
Gemma Smith: De-clawing, when I worked at a veterinary clinic, I didn't know a lot about it at the time.

00:21:25.354 --> 00:21:31.354
Gemma Smith: I had never been around a de-clawed cat or knew about it, and I had learned what it was just because we didn't do it there.

00:21:31.354 --> 00:21:33.114
Gemma Smith: And I was like, well, what is that?

00:21:33.114 --> 00:21:35.394
Gemma Smith: And so I learned more about it, and it's so horrible.

00:21:35.454 --> 00:21:38.514
Gemma Smith: It is like cutting off their finger to their knuckle.

00:21:38.514 --> 00:21:40.774
Gemma Smith: So I agree with you completely.

00:21:40.774 --> 00:21:41.014
Michelle Fern: Yeah.

00:21:41.014 --> 00:21:46.954
Michelle Fern: There was a great movie about it called, and I just mentioned this in my prior podcast.

00:21:46.954 --> 00:21:51.854
Michelle Fern: So it's in my mind, listeners, so I just want to make sure you get the message.

00:21:51.854 --> 00:21:54.554
Michelle Fern: It's called American Cat, The Good, The Bad, The Cuddly.

00:21:54.554 --> 00:21:57.774
Michelle Fern: And it's just amazing and so informative.

00:21:57.774 --> 00:22:02.414
Michelle Fern: And there's a lot of people are not aware of, a lot of people think it's just trimming a nail.

00:22:02.414 --> 00:22:04.414
Gemma Smith: That's a great misconception to clear up.

00:22:04.654 --> 00:22:06.074
Michelle Fern: Yes, exactly.

00:22:06.074 --> 00:22:14.214
Michelle Fern: Keep in mind that, I mean, this didn't happen to me with my cats because they were all local, but one of my dogs who's now in doggy heaven, he was returned.

00:22:14.214 --> 00:22:21.194
Michelle Fern: So, you know, to me, I think that's not the worst, of course, but it's up there with really crummy things to do to your little fur, babe.

00:22:21.194 --> 00:22:25.854
Michelle Fern: Take it home and then decide, ah, it chewed my shoe or scratched something going back.

00:22:25.854 --> 00:22:26.494
Gemma Smith: I agree with you.

00:22:26.494 --> 00:22:27.014
Gemma Smith: It's so funny.

00:22:27.054 --> 00:22:30.414
Gemma Smith: I would like my cat's one of our couch in the office.

00:22:30.414 --> 00:22:34.154
Gemma Smith: I'm like, yes, that little end is for you to scratch.

00:22:34.154 --> 00:22:36.334
Gemma Smith: I love them so much.

00:22:36.334 --> 00:22:37.314
Gemma Smith: I get the scratchers.

00:22:37.314 --> 00:22:41.274
Gemma Smith: They do all the things, but if they want to scratch that one part of the couch, you know what?

00:22:41.274 --> 00:22:41.954
Gemma Smith: I love them.

00:22:41.954 --> 00:22:43.574
Gemma Smith: Let them live.

00:22:43.574 --> 00:22:44.174
Michelle Fern: You know what?

00:22:44.174 --> 00:22:49.034
Michelle Fern: When I shopped for my couch, I made sure it was as pet-proof as I could make it.

00:22:49.034 --> 00:22:49.594
Gemma Smith: Yes.

00:22:49.654 --> 00:22:57.694
Michelle Fern: Certain material, machine washable covers, didn't spend a lot of money because I knew it was probably going to get ruined.

00:22:57.774 --> 00:23:03.194
Michelle Fern: You have older fur babes, they have accidents or one end or the other.

00:23:03.194 --> 00:23:03.914
Michelle Fern: Things happen.

00:23:03.914 --> 00:23:15.134
Michelle Fern: So I think most of us as pet parents, especially with cat pet parents and their lovely claws, we just have it in mind that it's not the end of the world, right?

00:23:15.194 --> 00:23:16.214
Gemma Smith: Yes, exactly.

00:23:16.214 --> 00:23:16.994
Gemma Smith: That's how I feel.

00:23:17.094 --> 00:23:32.154
Gemma Smith: And it's so good, though, for new cat parents to hear, like, things to think about, because you really can prep for becoming a cat parent and do some things in advance to make it easy on you and easier for your cat and set them up for success.

00:23:32.154 --> 00:23:33.414
Michelle Fern: Right, exactly.

00:23:33.414 --> 00:23:39.214
Michelle Fern: So right before we go, can you share again where people can find your catbarré?

00:23:39.214 --> 00:23:40.714
Gemma Smith: Absolutely.

00:23:40.714 --> 00:23:46.154
Gemma Smith: If people are on Instagram, I would love for you to follow us at catbarréshow.

00:23:47.514 --> 00:23:52.574
Gemma Smith: So like cabaret, but catbarré on Instagram, catbarréshow.

00:23:52.574 --> 00:23:57.254
Gemma Smith: And if you want to check out tickets, the link is in the bio there, or you could go to caveat.nyc.

00:23:58.374 --> 00:24:01.654
Michelle Fern: People can find out more about you on your website as well.

00:24:01.654 --> 00:24:03.954
Gemma Smith: Yes, gemmasmith.net.

00:24:03.954 --> 00:24:06.634
Gemma Smith: Everything about me is there as well.

00:24:06.634 --> 00:24:09.474
Gemma Smith: And I look forward to connecting with more cat lovers.

00:24:09.814 --> 00:24:12.994
Michelle Fern: Well, Gemma, thank you so much for coming on Cattitude.

00:24:12.994 --> 00:24:13.714
Gemma Smith: Thanks for having me.

00:24:13.714 --> 00:24:14.694
Gemma Smith: It's been a blast.

00:24:14.694 --> 00:24:16.074
Michelle Fern: I hope you all enjoyed the show.

00:24:16.074 --> 00:24:18.334
Michelle Fern: Be sure to check out Catbaret.

00:24:18.334 --> 00:24:22.534
Michelle Fern: You can find out more on Gemma's website, gemmasmith.net.

00:24:22.534 --> 00:24:24.714
Michelle Fern: I'd like to thank my cat listeners.

00:24:24.714 --> 00:24:26.574
Michelle Fern: Thank you so much for listening to Cattitude.

00:24:26.574 --> 00:24:29.994
Michelle Fern: I appreciate your listenership and your loyalty.

00:24:29.994 --> 00:24:31.414
Michelle Fern: Thank you so much.

00:24:31.414 --> 00:24:40.354
Michelle Fern: Anyone with interesting topics want to hear about certain things on Cattitude, shoot me an e-mail, michelle at petliferadio.com.

00:24:40.354 --> 00:24:42.514
Michelle Fern: I answer all e-mails.

00:24:42.514 --> 00:24:45.954
Michelle Fern: I'd like to thank my cat crew, Molly, Charlotte, and Dennis.

00:24:45.954 --> 00:24:47.314
Michelle Fern: And thank my guests.

00:24:47.314 --> 00:24:50.114
Michelle Fern: Again, thank you Gemma for coming on Cattitude.

00:24:50.114 --> 00:25:00.774
Michelle Fern: And of course, thank my producer, the amazing Mark Winter for working his magic and making my podcast and guest, no, making my podcast sound amazing.

00:25:00.774 --> 00:25:03.894
Michelle Fern: Now remember, lose the attitude, have Cattitude.

00:25:04.834 --> 00:25:10.774
Announcer: Let's Talk Pets, every week, on demand, only on petliferadio.com.