Review: Six Degrees of Cats

I like to say that I speak cat, but I am fluent in dog. I grew up a dog person, and most of my extended family has one to two dogs per nuclear group. The fact is, while even my cousin who grew up with a pet dander allergy has now managed to have a dog, the cat allergies some possess are more than irritating. So even the cat people in my family tend not to have them, for the sake of being able to have family gatherings. Lucky for me and my white fluff ball, we live too far away in too small of an apartment for the cat allergy to be a factor in our lives. 

Plus, I do love cats. I love pets, I love animals, and now that I have a cat that is mine I can say this: I am a cat person. I’m still not fluent in cat, but I’m more than conversational now. 

This is why I was quite curious when Six Degrees of Cats popped up as a submission. Before Amanda submitted, I chatted with her in some other capacities, mostly as I was part of a panel for The Podcast Academy. Since then we have become a small degree of Instagram podcast friends because of what I would call “heres and theres”. Most of this review was written before we started chatting, but that’s my disclaimer. 

This podcast is delightful. I would say it’s for cat people and curious people alike. The framing of Six Degrees of Cats is unique in the way that it looks at the world through the lens of cats rather than historical relationships or staring at pivotal moments in society. Just in this second season, listeners get to explore ideas of pet ownership, religion, women’s studies, and more. The impressive part of this podcast is that it’s all about cats, but it’s really about humanity through our relationship with cats. 

The design of the podcast, in each short 30-40 minute episode, flows with a sort of cheesiness that is beyond endearing. It’s comfortable, it’s approachable, and it’s the type of podcast that I would throw just an episode, or a whole season at someone to get them into the idea of listening to podcasts. Here we have the sort of creativity at work that holds a sense of childlike wonder without losing the poise of respectable research and a mature creative joy. Few podcasts can manage this without feeling overly simple or downright ridiculous. 

The way that Six Degrees of Cats has managed to reflect society’s feelings on the animal in this podcast is somewhat breathtaking when thought is put into it. Cats are memes, best friends, demons, serious, and silly all in one, usually tiny package. This podcast manages to honor these fractal pieces in each episode, spinning itself into a bundle of easy listening. I’ve been saving this podcast for the moments I need to break out of my own spiraling thought process, and now I’m sharing it with my readers. I think we all need podcasts like this, those that fill us with a sense of joy, warmth, and wonder. We can learn and be curious without it being an overly serious endeavor. Not everything has to be high brow, ivory tower educational to be respectful. Remember, curiosity may have killed the cat - but satisfaction did bring it back. 

Listen to Six Degrees of Cats Below:

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If you like this podcast and know one about it, let me know. Comment below, or you can find me on most social media as IAmKeelinIt. If you have a podcast like this, submit it for my consideration on my submission page. If either of those things isn’t your fancy, subscribe to me to find your next listen. When you subscribe you get added to my mailing list for a monthly wrap-up of my reviews and podcast thoughts.