Cole & Marmalade are Back! Interview with Cat man Chris
"How You Can Help Cats with Cat Man Chris"
Cole & Marmalade are Back! There are so many cats and so little time. Have you ever wondered what you can do to help? Whenever we have any cat questions, we always go straight to Cat Man Chris.
Watch the full Interview with Cat Man Chris (click image below)
As many of you know, he’s been out for a while fighting in a legal battle for Cole & Marmalade. Well… now he’s back! We’re talking all about Cole & Marmalade and their future plans and what you can do to help the cats of this world.
Introduction to Cat Man Chris
Cat Man Chris, Cole, and Marmalade have really missed making videos this year, and their audience has clearly missed them, too. They’re finally back online doing what they’ve been doing the past eight years; they weren’t sure it was going to happen this year. The amount the audience raised and the groups they started online to support them was overwhelming and incredibly helpful. It was a dark eight months, but they’re just trying to get back to what they were doing before.
How is Cole?
In case you were wondering, Cole’s health struggles have improved. Still waiting on the results from the rhinoscopy from last week.
Noting that Chris is from the UK but has been in the United States since 2008. So no, his accent is not Australian!
Chris has been a cat lover since he was a young kid. He had a black cat when he was a kid, too, which is where his love for black cats specifically began. Cole has been Chris’ adult black cat ever since he saw a photo of six-week-old Cole on the side of the road sent to him by his friend.
Chris’ Rescue Efforts
While he doesn’t do as much as other people do in this space, he documents it more than most, so people think he does more than he does. So modest!
Chris has been doing TNR rescue work for a few years now. He started his work in Illinois with his brother-in-law’s friend telling him about kittens in the backyard. He got some traps and has been learning more along the way.
He does not claim to be a TNR expert. You just have to take the first step to get involved. Check out this video Chris made with Jackson Galaxy that details the process.
If you see a stray cat on the street, the first thing you have to do is see if the cat is friendly. Chris always has cat food and cat traps on hand to test this.
Also, if you want to learn more about how to get involved in your area, research your local cat rescue and get in touch with them in order to ask questions about how to rescue a cat. Take pictures of the cat to send to the shelter to help determine the age of the cat.
All of the organizations are overwhelmed in 2020 because it’s been such a chaotic year. So keep reaching out. Be persistent. It’s up to you to make that first connection.
It’s difficult to avoid the emotional fatigue from being a homeless cat care giver, as it can be incredibly overwhelming. Chris admits to not being the best at taking care of himself. He needs to get in a better process of taking an afternoon off to veg out and relax. But there are so many organizations who are more overwhelmed than Chris is, too.
While Chris is involved with little cats, he is also involved with Big Cat Rescue near where he lives in Florida. This is why he moved to the United States in the first place.
He used to live on the property, seeing leopards in enclosures out the window. He interned with them for a little while before working with them for seven years. He did animal care, enrichment, landscaping, and videography.
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Tiger King has not been good for reputable rescues like Big Cat Rescue. These privately owned cat “sanctuaries” are damaging. They’re dangerous for the cats as well as the humans who own them. The Big Cat Public Safety Act would stop a cycle of suffering for big cats if it gets passed.
What’s Coming Up for Cole & Marmalade
As Chris mentioned before, they’re really trying to get back on track and in the groove with regular video production. Chris is also working on creating a Cole & Marmalade cat calendar, and Jessica is still working on her toys with Accessorati.
While they are not necessarily looking to set up a foundation down the line to raise money for cats in need of surgery, supplies to take care of the cats, and more, they do donate informally at the moment, which is great.
Chris really didn’t film that much this year, at least during the first part. So he has lots of ideas for Cole and Marmalade, but they have been waiting for Cole to feel better before filming a bunch.
Cat Man Chris has 10-15 rescue videos to make. He just needs to sit at his computer for a month straight and put everything together. So stay tuned!
The Halloween video should be lots of fun. Jessica is the construction queen who has lots of plans in the works for that video. For Thanksgiving, she may take a craft break and then do a big one for Christmas, but they’re not sure yet.
Taking Care of Cole & Marmalade
Diet is #1 for sure. They don’t feed them dry food other than treats; they are strictly on a wet food diet.
Supplements are key, too. Chris gives them essential fatty acids, coconut oil, 1-TDC every day.
They brush their teeth every day. Dental care is major. Marmalade had gingivitis at a super early age, and Chris felt like he failed him.
They beat themselves up about it at first and became much more proactive on feline dental care. Teeth brushing is a key part of that process, and 1-TDC has been incredibly helpful, too. Annual dental cleanings for Marmalade are part of that. Poor dental hygiene can affect the rest of the body, too.
I met Chris through his initial use of 1-TDC a few years ago. Chris found out about it from Ingrid at The Conscious Cat, when he was becoming more proactive about Marmalade’s dental health. There are so many supplements to try, and Chris wants to be selective to make sure he is giving his cats the best care.
After doing some research, they thought 1-TDC was the best option. After using it for a few weeks, cats don’t hate the taste of it, even though it can be challenging to give it to them sometimes. For some cats, he can break open the capsule and rub the insides around on their teeth. But some cats don’t allow that to happen.
Chris’ cats don’t like having things done with their mouths CLICK to see his 1TDC video and how he gives 1TDC to the Furtastic Four.
1-TDC was discovered by a veterinary dentist, Dr. James Anthony. A lot of problems with cats’ dental hygiene comes from genetics, not from poor care. It not only helps teeth, but 1TDC also helps with joint maintenance, keeping them young.
Cat trees and lots of other toys to foster active play are important in order to get them exercising and stimulated every day.
Chris makes sure all of his cats go to the vet every year for an annual check-up.
If your pet has lost its friend, giving your cat a lot of extra attention is important. You can also do scent therapy, reminding your cat of the good times. Also, does it make sense to bring in a new friend?
How to connect with Cat Man Chris?
- Cat Man Chris on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
- Cole and Marmalade on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
- Accessorati on Facebook, Instagram, Etsy
Additional Resources
