6 Degrees Of Cats Podcast Launches Season Two: Witches, Whiskers & Whisky

Did you know that 29 percent of all households in the U.S. owned at least one cat? That is a potentially large audience for a cat podcast. 

 I understand that if you are a "dog" person you may not care. Or if you're fascinated by coy ponds or parrots, a cat podcast may not catch your interest.

 On Halloween, cats occupy an important mythological significance for this holiday. It is particularly appropriate, then, that I offer you 6 Degrees of Cats. The podcast bills itself as "the world's #1 (and only) cat-themed culture, history and science podcast."

Thankfully, for listeners, the show lives up to its boast.

The podcast launched in Spring 2023 and has returned this Fall on October 31 with its season debut episode, "Witches, Whiskers and Whisky: Re-introducing the Original Cat Lady of Halloween!"

This episode showcases an impressive panel of expert guests, including Dr. Megan Goodwin, host of hit religion and history podcast “Keeping It 101”; culinary historian and author of “Endangered Eating” Sarah Lohman; and Kings County Distillery founder and writer Colin Spoelman. 

Listeners have described 6 Degrees of Cats as "educational, thought-provoking, meditative AND fun" and praise host Amanda B.'s hosting as "...not only informative but highly engaging and entertaining". Tink Media's Lauren Passell named “6 Degrees of Cat” as a "...well-written and researched cat show…” and host Amanda B. as “...spunky and and playful with audio."

In this second season,"6 Degrees of Cats" will offer listeners an international lineup of leading voices in fields such as animal welfare, music, history, religion, and even pizza. Notable guests this season include “My Cat From Hell” star Jackson Galaxy, global rock sensation Malina Moye, Islam scholar and Head on History podcast host Ali Olomi, and founding pizza czar Anthony Falco.

Throughout the nine-episode season, new episodes will be released biweekly on all major podcast platforms and YouTube. There is a companion newsletter, "The Captain’s Log," for exclusive bonus content and opportunities, and listeners can subscribe.

6 Degrees of Cats has a lot of things going for it as an ear-worthy podcast. First, it's not a "cat lady" podcast where cat lovers, mostly women, tell super-cute stories about their cat Mittens. The show looks at cats in history, mythology, and culture. For example, I loved the April 25th episode about Vikings and cats. Norse folklore expert Terry Gunnell will fascinate listeners with his tales of cats and the Viking culture. 

Second, the podcast has an infectious intro music "Josie & The Pussycats" beat, and the show manipulates sound with purpose and to great effect. I personally commend any podcast that fully uses its greatest asset -- sound.

Third, the host, "Captain Kitty" aka Amanda B. is terrific. She's smart, funny, informative, and has endless energy. Amanda B is a Korean American transracial adoptee based in Brooklyn, New York. She was selected into a cohort of 10 out of 18,000 applicants to go through Spotify's first Sound Up podcast accelerator for women and non-binary podcasters of color in 2018. As a musician, she has supported international performing artist Peaches onstage for The Samantha Bee Show’s 2017 Not the White House Correspondents Dinner broadcast, and recently released a sophomore full-length album with her rock ‘n’ roll band Leathered. Amanda B consults for clients including The Podcast Academy to produce and facilitate community and professional development programs, and volunteers for OkaySo, a free mental health app for young people.   

I am a self-confessed cat person. I have two cats, Moogie, an extroverted cream-colored barn cat, and Tinker Bell, a Calico who chips like a "tortie." They both listen with me to the podcast and give it four paws up.

 

What I like most about 6 Degrees of Cats is its scholarly intentions toward cats, the hosting skill of Amanda B, and the catchy friskiness of its audio.