Felines & Fatherhood: Exploring Masculinity, Father’s Day, and the Unique Bond Between Men and Cats

It's the season 1 finale of "6 Degrees of Cats," the world's #1 (and only) cat-themed culture, history and science podcast! And just in time for Father's Day, the team explores the remarkable and often overlooked bond between men and cats.

Join us as we uncover fascinating insights, starting with Niagara University professor of philosophy Abigail Levin’s commentary on the gender stereotypes applied to cats, and the remarkable hunting skills they exhibit. We're also joined by Gabe García, a DEI analyst and LGBTQ+ youth advocate, who helps us delve into the origins of gender-based stereotypes and labels that Tony Porter of “A Call to Men” collectively refers to as "The Man Box" and led to the misconception that men can't have cats.

Additionally, friend of the podcast and returning TNR celebrity Sterling "TrapKing" Davis shares his experiences in educating communities about trap/neuter/return while promoting a broader understanding of masculinity and its relationship with cats.

Throughout, host Captain Kitty herself reminisces about her late father, who exemplified masculinity and fatherhood through his care for her and her cats during her childhood.

Tune in to this special episode as we celebrate Father's Day and unravel the multifaceted connections between masculinity, cats, and personal experiences that challenge societal norms.

Support the podcast, sign up for The Captain’s Log, the companion podcast newsletter and learn about way$ to help keep this ship afloat for our next season here: linktr.ee/6degreesofcats.

About the experts:

• Abigail Levin, Ph.D., J.D., is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Niagara University in Buffalo, New York. Her primary research interests are in political philosophy, animal ethics, feminism and philosophy of race and gender. She is currently at work on a book-length project about celebrity animals and the ethical obligations arising from keeping animals in captivity.
• Gabe García is a DEI analyst and marketing consultant who leverages their background in philosophy, economics and communication studies to drive diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging in all their spaces. They serve on the board of OkaySo, a free confidential text-based app for LGBTQ+ youth and young people with questions about relationships, sex, identity, mental health and more. Gabe can be followed @gabefgarcia on most social media platforms.
• Sterling “TrapKing” Davis is an Atlanta, GA-based trap hip hop musician, community organizer and educator on feline trap-neuter-rescue. Davis and his team consult across the continental U.S. to provide sustainable, humane solutions for feral cat population control from a positive, collaborative and community-centered approach (trapkinghumane.org).

Producer, writer, editor, sound designer, host, basically everything*

• Captain Kitty (Amanda B.)

* with co-executive producers Binky & Snuggles

Animal voices include:

• Binky & Snuggles _^..^_
• Children’s voices: Arie B., Benjamin C., Ira B. and Kamron P (special thanks to the parents!) 

Music:

• Leathered: "Look Alive" © 2022
• Leathered: “Indictment” © 2010
• Samples licensed via Loopcloud
• Additional sound effects from Pixabay.com

Provided with permission:

• Corey Rodrigues: “Cats Are Better Than Dogs” © 2018

Logo design:

• Edward Anthony © 2024 (Instagram: @itsmyunzii)

Research used:

• Banks, M. S., Sprague, W. W., Schmoll, J., Parnell, J. A., & Love, G. D. (2015). Why do animal eyes have pupils of different shapes? Science Advances, 1(7). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500391. Retrieved from: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1500391
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, November 8). What noises cause hearing loss?. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/what_noises_cause_hearing_loss.html 
• Fair, J. (2022, May 11). Apex predators in the wild: Which mammals are the most dangerous?. Which mammals are the most dangerous? | BBC Wildlife Magazine | Discover Wildlife. Retrieved from: https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/hunting-success-rates-how-predators-compare 
• Nash, O. (1941). “The face is familiar: the Selected verse of Ogden Nash”, Garden City Publishing Company, Inc. Provide with the permission of the Ogden Nash estate.
• Porter, T. (2023). Healthy manhood. Healthy Manhood. Retrieved from: https://www.acalltomen.org/healthy-manhood