Cat People are the Best People: A Review of the New Netflix Series

We just finished binging Cat People on Netflix for the second time [no, seriously] and our hearts are so incredibly full because of these magical, four-legged companions we get to love and the community that has been built around them.  This six-part documentary series developed by Glen Zipper takes viewers all around the world and into the lives of some of the most fascinating cat owners we’ve ever encountered, and that’s saying a lot, because our own community is pretty stacked with insanely awesome cat people. 

So what is Cat People on Netflix about and who is the Cat Rapper?!

We're glad you asked. For us, it's less about the what and more about the who. The series kicks off with Portland-based Cat Rapper Moshow, a self-identified ‘nerd’ who grew up in the projects of Baltimore and discovered his love for cats when he met his now wife in college. Shortly after they moved to Portland, Moshow posted a Youtube video freestyling while taking a bath with his kitty DJ Ravioli [DJ’s skin condition calls for bathing, so no worries]. The video went viral and the rest is history.

Fun Fact: The Travel Cat team has had the pleasure of hearing Moshow perform live at Cat Conventions and can whole-heartedly confirm this cat rapper's love of cats and the cat community that supports him.

In Episode 2, we meet Samantha Martin who is the founder and trainer of the Amazing Acro Cats. From halting their live shows because of COVID to personally fighting cancer, she’s gone through a lot the last couple of years, but her positive outlook on life is undeniable thanks to her crew of talented circus cats. 

Make sure to buckle up because Episode 3 takes us all the way to Japan with Sachi the founder of Wakuneco, a 3D cat portrait shop. Her medium is needle felting, and her passion is deep. These lifelike 3D portraits give grieving owners peace through their loss and have certainly awakened Sachi’s own creative spirit along the way. You can really see how connected she is to her art and her clients. 

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Episode 4 probably has our favorite name—Paws for the Cause. How cute?! It was so cool to see the “TrapKing” himself Sterling Davis featured in this one.

Sterling uses our “Fat Cat” backpack for one of his longtime companions, Damita Jo. Our Co-Founder got to meet him at the Cat Convention featured in the documentary.

Our Co-Founder Emily with Sterling "TrapKing" Davis

He’s a huge inspiration for us and so many out there for the work he does to further humane trapping including the spay/neutering and rehoming of adoptable cats, as well as educating and promoting diversity within animal welfare through his organization TrapKing Humane.

Damita Jo hopping into "The Fat Cat" Backpack on "Cat People" on Netflix

Sarah Bergstein, also in the episode, credited Sterling for a talk he gave that moved her to start a GoFundMe to raise money for those who have dedicated their lives to caring for cats. 

Speaking of dedication, during Episode 5 we meet Joan and Richard, who started a cat sanctuary on the greek island of Syros. The town became overrun with cats and the couple decided to help those strays not only stay alive, but thrive by finding them forever homes. As Richard so beautifully said, “We love them back to life.” UGH, our hearts. 

Even though we don’t want to pick favorites, we were personally obsessed with the final episode of the series “Catwabunga!” over here. We love to see cats out and about in the world adventuring. Plus, riding on a surfboard is a pretty epic bucket list item for a cat.

So, if seeing this episode inspired you as much as it inspired us, you can get everything you need to set your cat up for their own kind of exploring with our harness and leash sets like,  “The True Adventurer” and “The Groovy Cat”, as well as our “The Fat Cat” and “The Navigator” cat backpacks.

There’s also this handy guide on our blog all about how to get your cat used to and into their harness. 

Obviously, we’re giving Cat People on Netflix two enthusiastic paws up. We feel seen through a documentary series like this and proud for those outside the cat community to get a glimpse into why we love it so much. Hopefully dismissing any negative stereotype they may hold and turning them into full-fledged cat lovers. From setting our creative hearts on fire like it did to Sachi and Moshow, to dedicating your life to cat rescue and preservation like Joan and Richard, cats have a way of bringing out the best in us.

Crossing our fingers for a Season 2. 

Watch the Trailer Below