LTACpod

Happy to, Mr. President. We actually discussed this in our episode with Ana Marie Cox. Bill Clinton's second inauguration included a special gala for Socks the Cat. It was held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel and featured catnip martinis and Newt Gingrich-shaped cat toys. -Mary

This is a great question. Yes, absolutely, I think cats from different countries have different cultures, because cats exist within the context of human culture. And even though people all over the world love cats—and have for millennia—we have different ways of interacting with them, creating environments for them, even talking to them.

At the end of this episode with Andy Beckerman & Naomi Ekperigin, we talk a bit about this. I believe that in addition to being influenced by human culture, and influencing human culture, cats have a culture of their own... a catgeist, if you will. Andy disagreed, and before he became a comedian he was a philosophy professor, so I guess technically he's the expert. But it's fun to think about. Where are you/your cat from? -Mary

The current record-holder for most cats owned by a guest is Holly Frey, with five. It might have been Holly or someone else who said, basically, multiple cats are a slippery slope—you might start out with two, but then, oh, there's this rescue who needs a home, and then you find a couple kittens...

I think everyone should have exactly as many cats as they want and can support/care for in a healthy way. -Mary

There have been MANY presidential cats, yes. Abe Lincoln, total cat lady. Rutherford B. Hayes. Teddy Roosevelt had a couple cats. Calvin Coolidge is interesting, he had a mind-boggling array of pets, including birds, dogs, cats and a bobcat (!) named Smoky. JFK was allergic to cats, which is the second-most tragic fact about his life, but his daughter Caroline had a cat named Tom Kitten for a while. They eventually gave Tom to a White House staffer. Gerald Ford's family had a Siamese.

Honestly I would not bother trying to do this. If the cat wants to sit, the cat will sit. You should do something more fun and/or productive with your free time. -Mary