Covered In Pet Hair

Join Isabel and her guest, Erin Simpson, to discuss cat behavior, interior design, and cat products that seamlessly blend both. Erin, a PR professional with a deep love of cats, shares her journey to embracing her crazy cat lady status and how her cats led her to create cat products that stand out in the market for their aesthetic and functional design.  Erin, a vintage hunter, fashion lover, and mom to a 5-year-old daughter named Ramona, shares what she's thankful for this year and gives a shout-out to her recently departed cat, Stella, who helped her launch Wildcat.  Grab a drink, play along, and enjoy the show!

Listen to Episode #121 Now:

BIO:

As a lifelong cat enthusiast with a passion for color and design, Erin Simpson was frustrated by the unattractive and short-lived products available for her cats in her small apartment. With litter boxes and scratched-up items on display, she often cycled through bland, beige options that her cats ignored.

To address this, she began creating unique cat-friendly items using thrifted or painted non-cat products. However, it was a serious behavioral issue with her cat, Stella—who started peeing on the bed—that truly inspired the launch of Wildcat. This experience highlighted how crucial a cat’s living environment is to their well-being and how behavioral problems often lead to surrendering cats to shelters.

In 2018, she dedicated herself to developing Wildcat alongside her feline co-founders, Stella and Marmite. They designed and tested innovative products like the Canyon Bed, which provides support for senior cats, and the Portal Scratcher, offering both a perch and hideaway. Each product reflects careful thought and consideration for feline needs.

The goal of Wildcat is to create beautiful, functional items that cats love, ultimately helping to keep them happy and in their homes. Erin hopes that these products will not only be favorites among cats but also inspire non-cat owners to adopt.

Transcript:

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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.

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Announcer: Let's talk pets.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Welcome to Covered in Pet Hair, a boozy show for pet lovers on Pet Life Radio.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm your host, Isabel Alvarez Arata, and today I have the pleasure of having a drink and a chat with a cat lover that is passionate about rebranding cats.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I will tell you all about her and introduce you as soon as we come back from these messages from our sponsors.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Hi, I'm Isabel Alvarez Arata, the host of Covered In Pet Hair.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: You know the expression, cats have nine lives?

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, what if you could give them one more?

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: A Give Them Ten movement is on a mission to help give cats an extra life.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: How?

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: With spay and neuter.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Spaying and neutering your cat helps them live a longer, healthier life and it helps control re-roaming cat populations too.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Learn more about the benefits of spay and neuter and meet Scooter, the neutered cat, at givethemten.org.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's givethemten.org.

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Announcer: Let's Talk Pets on petliferadio.com.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Welcome back to Covered In Pet Hair.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm your host, Isabel Alvarez Arata, and today, I have the pleasure of having a drink and a chat with a pet parent, a rescue advocate.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: She's an inventor, an entrepreneur.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: She's a self-proclaimed, passionate cat lady who is a road tripper, vintage hunter, ocean lover, bourbon connoisseur, who is originally from the Valley in LA.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have to ask you if you watch the show, The Valley, that just came out.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: She now lives in Mendocino, California, which I only know because of wine.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I guess there's more to it than that, but that's where I've heard of Mendocino County.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Her name is Erin Simpson, and she is the founder of Wildcat.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Welcome Erin, it's so good to have you on the show.

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Erin Simpson: Thank you so much for having me, Isabel.

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Erin Simpson: So excited to be here.

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Erin Simpson: You might have heard some meowing in the background.

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Erin Simpson: You can see, yeah, forget the mess, but we have foster guy Jack over here.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay, so Jack, and then you have a daughter, you have cats.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: You didn't tell me any of those names in your intake form, but tell me about your daughter's name and your cat's name, because it sounds like your daughter's a fan of Titanic, from what I remember.

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Erin Simpson: Apparently, yeah, she picked the name Jack, and she picked the name Rose for our kitty, Rosie.

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Erin Simpson: And I actually have one of these guys, I'm going to, let's see, here's, this is Bink right here.

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Erin Simpson: So you can see, yeah, he's actually modeling a Wildcat bed as we speak.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Awesome.

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Erin Simpson: Yeah, so I have right now Marmite, Binks and Rosie, and then bonus boy Jack that I am not going to foster, fail and keep him.

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Erin Simpson: I'm going to help him find a home somewhere else, because we have a full house here with kitties.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: How old is your daughter and what's her name?

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Erin Simpson: My daughter is Ramona and she is five.

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Erin Simpson: She is probably not surprisingly a big time cat lady herself.

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Erin Simpson: We are really involved locally with our rescue.

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Erin Simpson: She knows all about TNR.

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Erin Simpson: She loves watching the Trap Kings videos and all of my cat buddies on Instagram.

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Erin Simpson: She's getting raised in the cat vortex for sure.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Oh my gosh.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I hope to have my kids involved in TNR by the time they're like two digits old, like 10 plus.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So you're starting early.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have two and I feel like it's a lot to teach two little ones, especially my seven year old who's wild.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: He's a wild cat himself.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I'm waiting till they're about 10 plus, but yeah, I think it's so important to teach them early so they know what to do if they ever see a cat, how to help and why it's important to educate people in their world too.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: They can start educating kids in their classroom.

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Erin Simpson: Yes, totally.

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Erin Simpson: And we just actually volunteered at a bake sale for our local TNR group.

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Erin Simpson: And I had such a proud parent moment because she was walking up to people being like, do you want to buy a witch finger cookie to help rescue kitties?

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Erin Simpson: And she was talking to people about TNR and we get them fixed and stuff.

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Erin Simpson: And I'm like, oh my God.

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Erin Simpson: Some people's proud parent moments are, somebody does some achievement on the sports field.

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Erin Simpson: I'm like, no, mine is like, and they volunteer the month at our shelter too.

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Erin Simpson: So we're like, yeah.

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Erin Simpson: But I think it teaches so many good things.

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Erin Simpson: And also just like it's exciting, fun responsibility for them to have and you get to be around cats.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah, it's a win-win for sure.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love that so much.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I want to get to know you more and everything that you bring to the cat community.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: But before we do that, I want to introduce our drinking game.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So anybody participating in our drinking game at home, anytime you hear this word, the secret word is whisker.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Take a drink of whatever you're enjoying, but please be over 21 in the US to partake.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Never drink and drive and always drink responsibly.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So what are you drinking today, Erin?

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Erin Simpson: So I am drinking bourbon on the rocks by itself.

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Erin Simpson: I felt like, you know, as we're getting into like holidays and Thanksgiving, I was also like, you know, we had the power out half the week.

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Erin Simpson: It's like busy cat and human mom.

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Erin Simpson: I'm like, I was gonna make a cool cocktail and then it's just bourbon, but I really love bourbon.

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Erin Simpson: I've done like the Kentucky bourbon trail before.

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Erin Simpson: It's like wine tasting, but with bourbon.

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Erin Simpson: And I have like a, I have a humble little like nice whiskey collection.

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Erin Simpson: So, but this felt right for, you know, kind of like a fall, fall evening vibe.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love it so much.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I am dying to do the bourbon trail for sure.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like I would love to do that.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm having a paloma because for me, Thanksgiving is like, and citrus just kind of go together.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I am having tequila and some grapefruit liqueur, some grapefruit soda, a little bit of soda splashed on there.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So cheers.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thank you so much for being on the show and being my guest.

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Erin Simpson: Thank you for having me.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Oh, it's my pleasure.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I loved meeting you at the CFA Cat International Cat Show and Expo where you were an exhibitor.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I want to learn all about you and your products, but first I'm going to put you on the spot because I always start this show with a game and today is no different.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: This is our Thanksgiving celebration.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So welcome everybody.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Happy Thanksgiving.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: If you're just listening to this now and Thanksgiving already passed, this still applies because we're going to talk about gratitude, which is not just a thing we do on that fourth Thursday of November every year.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's something we do every day.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I want to start by putting you on the spot with a gratitude top 10.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I have my handy dandy clock here.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I just want you to give us a list of 10 things that you are grateful for right now.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Are you ready to play?

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Erin Simpson: Oh my gosh.

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Erin Simpson: Yes.

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Erin Simpson: I'm okay.

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Erin Simpson: We got a sip of bourbon.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Here we go.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Take a sip and I'll count you down.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Three, two, one, go.

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Erin Simpson: Okay, 10 things.

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Erin Simpson: My daughter, my family, our health, my kitties.

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Erin Simpson: I know you guys were in there.

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Erin Simpson: This awesome community.

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Erin Simpson: I live in a small town.

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Erin Simpson: It's a really special place.

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Erin Simpson: The nature that I can see right outside.

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Erin Simpson: I've got deers in my yard all the time.

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Erin Simpson: Vintage magical things that bring me so much joy and just the beautiful things that we get to have around us.

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Erin Simpson: Oh my gosh, this is really hard.

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Erin Simpson: Okay, that's seven.

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Erin Simpson: I can't count.

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Erin Simpson: Well, it's Friday.

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Erin Simpson: I'm thankful for the most amazing cat community ever that I get to be a part of with having something like Wildcat, being around other cat people.

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Erin Simpson: It fills my cup.

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Erin Simpson: It makes me so happy.

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Erin Simpson: Oh my gosh, okay.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Two more.

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Erin Simpson: Two more.

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Erin Simpson: I'm thankful for, oh my gosh, I think all of it.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: You have almost a minute, so take your time.

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Erin Simpson: Okay, I'm just going to sit back then.

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Erin Simpson: No, I think, I really feel thankful for, I feel like I've gotten to spend a lot of time in this past year and just kind of having more quiet and peace and a slowed down life, which is very not my vibe.

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Erin Simpson: And so I'm thankful for kind of taking the more scenic route, which is not always the, you know, not always the most direct one, you know, metaphorically and literally, but it's, but I think it's good.

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Erin Simpson: And I think it's, I think it brings a lot of good.

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Erin Simpson: So thankful for the slowing down a little bit.

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Erin Simpson: And then also, gosh, thankful for all of the creative inspiration.

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Erin Simpson: And I love, I love to read.

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Erin Simpson: I love to like, you know, I love vintage hunting, like you mentioned and all of that.

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Erin Simpson: So I feel like every time I see what other awesome artists and writers and people are doing, I'm just like, oh, I'm so lucky I get to absorb this stuff.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: That was perfect.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's two minutes exactly.

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Erin Simpson: Good job.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: That was beautiful.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love it.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I love, I am particularly fond of slowing down.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I don't know how to do it.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I also have that kind of like go, go, go vibe all the time.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: My goal for 2025 is to slow down, to say no more, and to do less traveling, because I've done so much traveling this year.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And it really impacts my day to day life, even though it's so fun and so exciting.

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Erin Simpson: It takes a lot of you.

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Erin Simpson: Once you're home, you've got to recalibrate and all that.

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Erin Simpson: I tell you what, Isabel, a really nice way to slow down is to have your power out for a couple of days, because then you're like, oh wait, I can't, I can't go on the internet.

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Erin Simpson: I'm like, I made like a to-do list of like things.

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Erin Simpson: I'm like, what can I do in like a dark house with like, you know, no access to technology?

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Erin Simpson: So that, that will help you slow down.

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Erin Simpson: But yeah, no, I gained some tips over the past few years.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah, I bet.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I think that actually the reason we're always so worked up and moving so fast is because of technology and the internet.

00:10:33.287 --> 00:10:40.687
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I find that, you know, even me, I work from home, I'm a journalist, and I feel like everybody wants an answer right now.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: And when I don't give them an answer right now, because I'm kind of prioritizing my list, it looks, or at least I think it looks like I'm being flaky, and I have to really kind of come to terms with being more in control of my time as far as like setting boundaries that maybe other people aren't comfortable with, but I am.

00:11:00.327 --> 00:11:00.967
Erin Simpson: So-

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Erin Simpson: That's huge.

00:11:01.687 --> 00:11:05.287
Erin Simpson: And not feeling so guilty about that, especially for so many of us.

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Erin Simpson: It's like, I always want to help anybody I can and respond to friends and all those people.

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Erin Simpson: And I think that's been a weird thing to be like, just because someone sends you a text right then, you might be in the middle of something totally different and you just can't respond.

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Erin Simpson: I think that's some of the hard things of being a busy parent and entrepreneur and all that.

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Erin Simpson: I'm like, I literally just can't do those things, but then I feel, I'm lying awake at night feeling that dark cloud of like, oh, I feel guilty that I didn't get back to people quicker, all that, but then I'm like, I'm trying to show my self-grace and then I definitely show other people that, because I'm like, oh my gosh, we're all just trying to do the best we can.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes, exactly.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I am definitely trying my hardest.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Even if I fall flat on my face, nobody can accuse me of not trying my best, because I really always do.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I put everything I have into every activity, every text, every response to anything, anything I'm writing, I put my whole heart into it.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So sometimes there's just not enough time to put your heart into so many things.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, I want to get to know you.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So you have a background in PR, which I think is so awesome.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I feel like PR is a dying art in many ways.

00:12:18.147 --> 00:12:23.887
Isabel Alvarez Arata: We only hear about PR as in like, you know, like, what is it?

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: Damage control PR.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: I feel like that's when we really hear about PR.

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Erin Simpson: Yes, totally.

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Isabel Alvarez Arata: So tell me about your PR career and how it led you to starting a cat product company, like Wildcat.

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Erin Simpson: Yeah, it's funny.

00:12:39.527 --> 00:12:44.887
Erin Simpson: I've always done PR in my career and I think that, you know, when people think of the term PR, it can encompass so many things.

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Erin Simpson: And I think you hit the nail on the head of like, so much of it is, you know, and I studied psychology and I'm fascinated, but obviously cat behavior, but human behavior too and how we, how we form opinions and how we take in certain information and prioritize other information.

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Erin Simpson: And all of those things have always just been really fascinating to me.

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Erin Simpson: And I think a lot of PR is, you know, about kind of that, you know, it's such an overused term, but that storytelling and coming up with kind of, you know, where did this fit in with somebody's life and who we want to be and how we see the world and all of that?

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Erin Simpson: And so, you know, that can take the form of, you know, helping figure out how do we even talk about this thing in the outside world to our customers and to our, you know, the different stakeholders, to employees, to, you know, lawmakers, to, you know, things like being really scrappy and creative and thinking of like, okay, I have this like product launch, I have no budget.

00:13:39.607 --> 00:13:43.787
Erin Simpson: But like, what are like 10 crazy ways that I can actually get people to care about this thing?

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Erin Simpson: So it's like, I feel like all of those things have fallen under the PR bucket for me.

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Erin Simpson: And I had the opportunity to work for really fun brands, you know, whether it's like in the beauty industry or the furniture industry, where I got to do some like really crazy, scrappy stuff and just, you know, have the freedom to be really creative.

00:14:01.487 --> 00:14:15.907
Erin Simpson: And, you know, and I think that stuff carried over to how I approach Wildcat of thinking like, okay, if I have, you know, negative budget, like what's something that I can do that's going to like stick in people's minds and make a moment of like joy and delight that they'll be like, oh, like I remember that brand.

00:14:15.907 --> 00:14:17.407
Erin Simpson: So I think there's that piece of it.

00:14:17.407 --> 00:14:34.527
Erin Simpson: And I think also the kind of big picture storytelling piece, too, of figuring out like, where does my thing line up with, you know, where people see the world and how people look at, you know, sharing their lives with their hats and kind of where that's going, what that was 10 years ago, what that's going to be 10 years from now and beyond.

00:14:34.527 --> 00:14:41.947
Erin Simpson: So those are the things that I just think about, you know, for fun all the time and so I think that that definitely touches it for sure.

00:14:41.947 --> 00:14:45.887
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Oh my gosh, I love, I nerd out over marketing so much.

00:14:45.887 --> 00:14:52.887
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think that a bottle of bourbon and some conversation about marketing while we watch Mad Men is in order.

00:14:52.887 --> 00:14:55.767
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like we need to do this, we need to plan this.

00:14:55.767 --> 00:15:00.807
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So we need to, yeah, we need a date, a retreat, something where we can talk marketing, drink bourbon.

00:15:01.867 --> 00:15:05.167
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And obviously you have cats around.

00:15:05.167 --> 00:15:16.647
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So you, I love that you say this, you say that cats have like bad PR, they've received bad PR and you are out trying to change that.

00:15:16.647 --> 00:15:22.847
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So like rebrand cats for me and tell me what, why are you're inspired to do this?

00:15:22.847 --> 00:15:44.147
Erin Simpson: Yes, it's so, it's very existential for me Isabel, because I think as somebody and I know you love cats deeply too, but I think that it's like, you know, when I decided to start Wildcat and it was like, you know, talking about it for many, many years to anyone who would listen, be like, well, when I start my cat brand someday and all that stuff, and then to like actually, you know, start taking the first steps to bring it to life.

00:15:44.147 --> 00:16:01.867
Erin Simpson: But when I did actually make this step to bring it to life, I said, okay, if I'm going to actually try to do this and put this out in the world, I knew enough about cats at the time, beyond just being someone who was, you know, obsessed with cats to like, I had gotten my foot, you know, and I had worked at the Cat Volunteer for a long time.

00:16:01.867 --> 00:16:26.987
Erin Simpson: But I think just like, again, with my like PR and psychology brain on, and knowing the reaction to people when it's like, oh, you're one of those cat people and like, oh, cats, so you, you know, you hear all of that, but I don't think I fully appreciated kind of the gravity of, you know, with this on a like more serious note, kind of it's like, it's kind of light to say like, oh, cats are jerks and cats are this, but I think that, you know, kind of the, there's always all these repercussions from that.

00:16:27.047 --> 00:16:41.347
Erin Simpson: And I think that, you know, what we have, the way I see it is, you know, it's, there's kind of this PR issue where we're mad at cats for not behaving like a dog or, you know, which is kind of the default companion animal.

00:16:41.347 --> 00:16:43.687
Erin Simpson: It's like man's best friend.

00:16:43.687 --> 00:16:48.167
Erin Simpson: And so people are like, cats are jerks because they're not like at the door waiting for me.

00:16:48.167 --> 00:16:59.407
Erin Simpson: And some cats are by the way, because cats are so individual, you know, but it's like that they're not fitting into this box and doing these behaviors that we have, collectively agreed that like this is how a pet should behave.

00:16:59.407 --> 00:17:04.727
Erin Simpson: And so, but it's like we're not mad at like a bird for not being a squirrel.

00:17:04.727 --> 00:17:07.267
Erin Simpson: You know, it's like this is like a totally different species.

00:17:07.267 --> 00:17:11.407
Erin Simpson: They have totally different needs, you know, for you know, for their health and well-being.

00:17:11.407 --> 00:17:21.107
Erin Simpson: And so I think that that's something that when I learned and I actually was dealing with something with my own cat where she was peeing on my bed every day for like a very long time.

00:17:21.107 --> 00:17:25.767
Erin Simpson: So if anyone ever wants to talk about cat pee issues, I am sadly an expert.

00:17:25.767 --> 00:17:28.927
Erin Simpson: But like that sent me down this rabbit hole of understanding.

00:17:28.927 --> 00:17:33.867
Erin Simpson: And I was already working as a volunteer for a long time helping socialize cats and rescue.

00:17:33.867 --> 00:17:44.607
Erin Simpson: But it wasn't until I dealt with my own behavioral issue that I learned so much about the fact that the behavioral stuff is actually that's like, you know, the number one reason for surrender.

00:17:44.607 --> 00:17:48.747
Erin Simpson: And obviously we know that, you know, in shelters, there's a really high euthanasia rate.

00:17:48.747 --> 00:17:53.247
Erin Simpson: And so then kind of these misconceptions about cats, it does become a life or death thing.

00:17:53.307 --> 00:18:03.327
Erin Simpson: And so I think that that was something that I was like, if I'm going to do this, I want to have that education, like kind of baked in about cat behavior in every touch point of Wildcat from day one.

00:18:03.327 --> 00:18:07.447
Erin Simpson: And then also kind of this like really celebratory vibe.

00:18:07.447 --> 00:18:11.367
Erin Simpson: And that's just like, and when I talk about cats and think about them, I get so excited.

00:18:11.367 --> 00:18:13.587
Erin Simpson: So it's hard to not have that come through.

00:18:13.587 --> 00:18:30.307
Erin Simpson: But it's, you know, I feel like having that energy and having that positivity and also the education of like, you know, when it's like an explanation of like my product, I have, I have like a novel on there, basically, like all the different ways cats can use it and why they like to use it in that way and why they need, you know, these different things.

00:18:30.307 --> 00:18:32.987
Erin Simpson: So it's just, those things mean so much to me.

00:18:32.987 --> 00:18:50.147
Erin Simpson: And that's a big part of why I'm doing this in the first place, to make, you know, because that's and the shelters and all these different people, we all kind of can like contribute our little piece to kind of getting people closer to just a little more patience and understanding for cats behaving like cats.

00:18:50.147 --> 00:18:50.827
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Absolutely.

00:18:50.827 --> 00:18:52.147
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think you're so right.

00:18:52.307 --> 00:19:02.287
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's funny when people, well, people think it's funny when they say, I hate cats, but they don't realize what they're saying is, you know, get rid of them.

00:19:02.707 --> 00:19:06.487
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I actually was on an airplane on my way to blog pause.

00:19:06.487 --> 00:19:11.767
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I was telling some passengers who we started chit chatting about what I do.

00:19:11.767 --> 00:19:15.107
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And that one of them asked me like, what pets do you have?

00:19:15.107 --> 00:19:16.607
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I said, I have two dogs and a cat.

00:19:16.607 --> 00:19:18.167
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And one of them like kind of made a face.

00:19:18.167 --> 00:19:21.367
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And she said, I think cats are such vile creatures.

00:19:21.987 --> 00:19:25.087
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I was first of all thinking, first know your audience.

00:19:25.087 --> 00:19:30.567
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like you're talking to somebody who literally makes her living off of like talking about dogs and cats, right?

00:19:30.567 --> 00:19:33.447
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like, and I said, I specialize in cats and dogs.

00:19:33.447 --> 00:19:39.547
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So that is, like, if you were gonna tell me who specializes in cats and dogs that you don't like turtles, that's cool.

00:19:39.547 --> 00:19:42.667
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Cause I'm not that much of a huge fan of turtles either.

00:19:42.667 --> 00:19:45.227
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I mean, I think they're cute, but like they're not my thing, right?

00:19:45.227 --> 00:19:58.887
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So like not knowing your audience or even people who know that you're talking to a pet parent who has this particular species, somebody who like is wearing like, I'm a crazy cat lady shirt and they're like, I hate cats.

00:19:58.887 --> 00:20:03.807
Erin Simpson: It's become very socially acceptable for people to be like, Oh, are you one of those cat people?

00:20:03.807 --> 00:20:11.587
Erin Simpson: You know, and it's like, it's funny because, you know, I was saying this is existential for me and I, I just like, I obviously love cats a lot.

00:20:11.587 --> 00:20:44.427
Erin Simpson: I know you know this about me, Isabel, but I think back to like my early 20s and stuff, it's like I tried so hard to not seem like I was a cat lady because it's like, you know, I wasn't as secure in myself and, you know, not that, I mean, I was like imposter syndrome and all the things, not that I have it all figured out, but the gift of kind of getting older and getting more comfortable in your own skin and who you are, it's like, you know, when I was young, I would do the thing of being like, yo, I have, you know, cause I grew up with cats and then shortly after college, I got my first cat like in my own like grown up apartment.

00:20:44.427 --> 00:20:52.267
Erin Simpson: And, you know, and so I had, I have this cat, you know, all through that time, but I was like, well, you know, I have just like one cat and like, well, yeah, I volunteer with them.

00:20:52.267 --> 00:20:53.767
Erin Simpson: But I'm not like, I love all animals.

00:20:53.767 --> 00:20:58.167
Erin Simpson: Like I, you know, and I was definitely not like wearing cat things and all that.

00:20:58.167 --> 00:20:59.607
Erin Simpson: So I was always downplaying it.

00:20:59.607 --> 00:21:02.387
Erin Simpson: And I think it's like something, you know, like over the years.

00:21:02.387 --> 00:21:04.847
Erin Simpson: And now I'm like, oh, like, no, I love cats.

00:21:05.087 --> 00:21:06.627
Erin Simpson: I like, I want like a million of them.

00:21:06.627 --> 00:21:10.507
Erin Simpson: Like they're like, they're like, give me like the cat earrings, the cat outfit.

00:21:10.567 --> 00:21:14.027
Erin Simpson: And like, you walk with my house, there's a giant panther statue, like right there.

00:21:14.027 --> 00:21:17.627
Erin Simpson: I'm like, I have like toxoplasmosis in like every fold of my brain.

00:21:17.627 --> 00:21:21.387
Erin Simpson: And like, oh yeah, like I'm like, I'm like a thousand percent, I am the cat lady.

00:21:21.387 --> 00:21:24.107
Erin Simpson: Like I'm every stereotype, anything you want to judge.

00:21:24.107 --> 00:21:25.127
Erin Simpson: Like, yeah, that's cool.

00:21:25.127 --> 00:21:27.147
Erin Simpson: Like I'm that and more probably.

00:21:27.147 --> 00:21:28.387
Erin Simpson: And like, it's all good.

00:21:28.387 --> 00:21:33.347
Erin Simpson: Like, and I'm like, oh, I'm so lucky and happy that I get to like be that and get to hang out with cats.

00:21:33.347 --> 00:21:35.247
Erin Simpson: So like you guys are the ones missing out.

00:21:35.247 --> 00:21:35.527
Erin Simpson: Yeah.

00:21:35.527 --> 00:21:36.147
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Agreed.

00:21:36.147 --> 00:21:50.027
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think it's so funny that people who like work a very safe nine to five, who like don't have pets because they work too hard, have all these opinions about like how we pet parent and like how we live our lives and what we wear.

00:21:50.027 --> 00:21:55.547
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And like this year too, I've embraced the whole like cat sweater, the cat earrings.

00:21:55.547 --> 00:22:09.807
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I mean, I think I've done it like slowly over the years, but like this year I've allowed myself, and now we were at Target yesterday, my sister saw like a little box of the Wellies Band-Aids, and they had like dogs all over them.

00:22:09.807 --> 00:22:14.407
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And they did not have a cat one, but I was like, of course I need a dog band-aid kit.

00:22:14.407 --> 00:22:21.867
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like obviously, and if there was a cat one, I would have gotten that one as well, because I want cats and dog figures, icons everywhere now.

00:22:21.867 --> 00:22:24.187
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And that's, I'm a dog and cat person.

00:22:24.187 --> 00:22:26.407
Isabel Alvarez Arata: People ask me like, which one do you prefer?

00:22:26.407 --> 00:22:28.627
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love them both for totally different reasons.

00:22:29.387 --> 00:22:30.847
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm obsessed with my cat.

00:22:30.847 --> 00:22:33.907
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I too have a cat that comes to the door when I arrive.

00:22:33.907 --> 00:22:43.567
Isabel Alvarez Arata: He is like, he is all of ours, our whole family, my two dogs, my husband, myself, my two kids, that cat is our emotional support animal.

00:22:43.567 --> 00:22:47.027
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like he is balanced of all of us.

00:22:47.027 --> 00:22:48.867
Isabel Alvarez Arata: He is the most confident of all of us.

00:22:48.867 --> 00:22:55.407
Isabel Alvarez Arata: He is the most at ease and sweet and like happy and like easygoing of all of us.

00:22:55.407 --> 00:22:57.447
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have two very intense dogs.

00:22:58.027 --> 00:23:00.607
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So all the stereotypes are not really always true.

00:23:00.607 --> 00:23:01.967
Isabel Alvarez Arata: He's like the anchor of the household.

00:23:01.967 --> 00:23:02.867
Erin Simpson: Yeah, he is.

00:23:02.867 --> 00:23:06.647
Isabel Alvarez Arata: He's the anchor of the household and he brought so much joy to our family.

00:23:06.647 --> 00:23:13.727
Isabel Alvarez Arata: We had not had a cat since I fostered kittens in 2015, 2016 timeframe.

00:23:13.727 --> 00:23:17.727
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I like, I was like, I'm not gonna get a puppy.

00:23:17.727 --> 00:23:19.087
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I can't take on a puppy.

00:23:19.087 --> 00:23:19.987
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I have two little kids.

00:23:19.987 --> 00:23:20.527
Isabel Alvarez Arata: What do I get?

00:23:20.527 --> 00:23:23.987
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I got a cat and it was the most, the biggest blessing.

00:23:23.987 --> 00:23:25.367
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like he was the biggest blessing.

00:23:25.427 --> 00:23:28.607
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And sometimes at first, I would get angry when people were like, I hate cats.

00:23:28.607 --> 00:23:31.507
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I'd be like, well, know your audience is usually what I say.

00:23:31.507 --> 00:23:33.247
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's my response is know your audience.

00:23:33.247 --> 00:23:36.527
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm not gonna, like, that's not gonna like make me smile or like laugh.

00:23:36.527 --> 00:23:37.327
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think it's annoying.

00:23:37.327 --> 00:23:41.767
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's like a tired trope about like how cats suck.

00:23:41.767 --> 00:23:45.247
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But I also say like, you're missing out.

00:23:45.247 --> 00:23:58.167
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like you, if you don't, if you hate cats, you've never had the opportunity to like get to know one and have one melt your heart and like watch them play and watch them be so elegant and gorgeous and amazing.

00:23:58.167 --> 00:24:02.527
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like my sister was walking out of my house today and my cat sitting in the window like getting sun.

00:24:02.527 --> 00:24:05.367
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And she's like, oh, he knows exactly what's up.

00:24:05.367 --> 00:24:06.107
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like look at him.

00:24:06.107 --> 00:24:07.267
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's cold outside.

00:24:07.267 --> 00:24:08.507
Isabel Alvarez Arata: He's sitting by the window.

00:24:08.507 --> 00:24:11.247
Isabel Alvarez Arata: He's like slow blinking at her looking amazing.

00:24:11.247 --> 00:24:12.387
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And she's like, I get it.

00:24:12.387 --> 00:24:13.807
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I get why you're obsessed with him.

00:24:13.807 --> 00:24:16.287
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I'm like, of course I'm obsessed because he's amazing.

00:24:16.287 --> 00:24:18.867
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And she won't have a cat ever I'm sure.

00:24:18.867 --> 00:24:20.647
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Cause she's not a cat person.

00:24:20.647 --> 00:24:21.067
Erin Simpson: Yeah.

00:24:21.067 --> 00:24:21.827
Isabel Alvarez Arata: She doesn't hate them.

00:24:21.827 --> 00:24:30.847
Isabel Alvarez Arata: She likes him and she was looking forward to like meeting him, but she's just like not a cat person, but it's okay to not like want one and still recognize their beauty.

00:24:30.847 --> 00:24:31.247
Erin Simpson: Yes.

00:24:31.247 --> 00:24:33.447
Erin Simpson: And that's really how I like, I love dogs.

00:24:33.447 --> 00:24:37.667
Erin Simpson: Like I, I, I am like any dog I see on the street, like we look at each other and I'm like, oh, I see.

00:24:37.667 --> 00:24:39.227
Erin Simpson: And then I'm like, do you mind if we play hot?

00:24:39.227 --> 00:24:48.147
Erin Simpson: You know, I'm like, I'm, I'm like, I'm just an animal creep to all animals, but like, you know, but cats are the ones that like speak to me the most, but I still like love dogs.

00:24:48.147 --> 00:24:49.727
Erin Simpson: And I'm still like, my friend gets a new dog.

00:24:49.727 --> 00:24:50.687
Erin Simpson: I'm like, oh my gosh.

00:24:50.687 --> 00:24:52.507
Erin Simpson: Can I come over and like hug your dog?

00:24:52.587 --> 00:24:59.147
Erin Simpson: You know, I'm like, it's, you know, you can have your favorite animal that's like your soul buddy and also still like the other ones.

00:24:59.147 --> 00:25:07.007
Erin Simpson: But yeah, I feel like, and just, you know, between us, I'm like, there's so much, like all the cat people I know generally really like dogs too.

00:25:07.007 --> 00:25:15.687
Erin Simpson: And then it's like the people really hardcore dog people like, oh, cats, like, you know, so I'm like, hey, like cat people, we're like, you know, we're cool with everybody.

00:25:15.687 --> 00:25:18.447
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Equal opportunity pet lovers, absolutely.

00:25:18.447 --> 00:25:19.547
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I completely agree with you.

00:25:19.547 --> 00:25:23.627
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And actually Nathan, the cat lady said something similar one that he was on the show.

00:25:23.627 --> 00:25:27.207
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I asked them, like, are you cat people, dog people, like only whatever.

00:25:27.207 --> 00:25:32.687
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And they both, like both he and Sterling, the Trap King Davis was like, we're like, we love dogs.

00:25:32.687 --> 00:25:34.087
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like we have no issues with dog.

00:25:34.087 --> 00:25:38.487
Isabel Alvarez Arata: We just happen to work with cats and live with cats, but we love dogs too.

00:25:38.487 --> 00:25:47.247
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And it was the same sentiment that like dog people are the ones that are kind of like one dimensional, only want dogs and cat people are like, animals are awesome.

00:25:47.247 --> 00:25:47.887
Erin Simpson: There it is.

00:25:47.887 --> 00:25:49.307
Erin Simpson: Yeah, it's true.

00:25:49.307 --> 00:25:51.827
Erin Simpson: And cats are, I think cats are so individual.

00:25:52.227 --> 00:25:53.287
Erin Simpson: Just like dogs are too.

00:25:53.287 --> 00:26:02.627
Erin Simpson: But it's like, I remember when my cat that I had for so many years, I lived with so many different roommates with her and I would always get like, she's so cool.

00:26:02.627 --> 00:26:03.427
Erin Simpson: She's like a dog.

00:26:03.427 --> 00:26:05.807
Erin Simpson: And I'm like, well, no, she's like a cat.

00:26:05.807 --> 00:26:13.407
Erin Simpson: It's just that like cats have all different personalities and some are more social and some are less social and some are just like humans.

00:26:13.467 --> 00:26:15.607
Erin Simpson: And you know, so it's like, I was like that, that, that.

00:26:15.607 --> 00:26:17.227
Erin Simpson: I'm like, she's not like a dog.

00:26:17.227 --> 00:26:19.107
Erin Simpson: Like she's just a cat.

00:26:19.107 --> 00:26:21.807
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Maybe she's just an extroverted cat.

00:26:21.807 --> 00:26:24.047
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like how about we frame it that way?

00:26:24.047 --> 00:26:26.867
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Because there are, there's everything under the sun, right?

00:26:26.867 --> 00:26:31.487
Erin Simpson: Again, with the PR, I'm like, let's like, let's, let's think about how we're framing this, how we're positioning this.

00:26:31.487 --> 00:26:32.427
Erin Simpson: Yeah, exactly.

00:26:32.427 --> 00:26:35.827
Isabel Alvarez Arata: We're, we've got to position it as some cats are introverts.

00:26:35.827 --> 00:26:37.727
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Some cats are extroverts.

00:26:37.727 --> 00:26:41.667
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Some cats are extroverted introverts, like which is what I am.

00:26:41.667 --> 00:26:45.987
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like I love being alone, but like you put me in a group and I like love people, right?

00:26:45.987 --> 00:26:53.587
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So like it just depends on the position that you're in, like the place that you're in, like who's around the energy, all of that.

00:26:53.587 --> 00:26:56.287
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I'm very sensitive to energy and I'm not a cat.

00:26:56.287 --> 00:27:05.627
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like I'm not experiencing the world on that level that they experience it, where they smell everything more, they hear everything more, they see everything in different ways.

00:27:05.647 --> 00:27:09.027
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So it's just about who's there at the time.

00:27:09.027 --> 00:27:17.167
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And if a cat doesn't like you, then you should take that personally because maybe you just, you know, you didn't make the cut, like that's it.

00:27:17.167 --> 00:27:18.647
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And like, that's okay.

00:27:18.647 --> 00:27:20.587
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay, so tell us about your products.

00:27:20.587 --> 00:27:21.487
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love your products.

00:27:21.487 --> 00:27:27.367
Isabel Alvarez Arata: We're gonna talk about your aesthetic in the second half of the show, but give me a quick rundown on what you make at Wildcat.

00:27:27.367 --> 00:27:38.627
Erin Simpson: Yes, so Michael, you know, I say to people a lot, like I make things that, you know, they look beautiful in your house, but they're also super functional and you know, and super long lasting and those things mean a lot to me.

00:27:38.627 --> 00:27:43.927
Erin Simpson: I'm like, okay, if I'm gonna go to the trouble of designing things from scratch, like it needs to check a lot of boxes.

00:27:43.927 --> 00:27:49.027
Erin Simpson: And so I, yeah, and so to back that up, I make cat products.

00:27:49.027 --> 00:27:57.607
Erin Simpson: So right now I have a bed and scratchers and I also have, I'm like, I'm jumping into the most important thing, but I also make these whisker vases.

00:27:57.607 --> 00:27:59.507
Erin Simpson: So these are like real cat whiskers.

00:27:59.507 --> 00:28:12.427
Erin Simpson: I know you know about these Isabel, but yeah, so this is like my just for fun item, but you know, I started with beds and scratchers because I felt like those were, you know, my goal is to make things that solve for like specific challenges and pain points.

00:28:12.427 --> 00:28:22.107
Erin Simpson: And I started designing the bed for my senior cat with arthritis when I noticed that she didn't want to sleep in like her normal kind of more flat sleeping spots.

00:28:22.107 --> 00:28:26.507
Erin Simpson: She was wanting to nook into spots and I would like scrunch up the blankets and make the dip.

00:28:26.507 --> 00:28:28.927
Erin Simpson: And I was like, I wonder if I could make a cat bed like this.

00:28:28.927 --> 00:28:42.327
Erin Simpson: And I had actually, I started working on Wildcat with a couple of products that like haven't even come out yet because they're like a little more complex, like a cat house for anxious cats and a couple other things that are in varying stages.

00:28:42.327 --> 00:28:51.967
Erin Simpson: And then I also started working on this bed because of course, like you said, if we're going to do anything and we're going to go hard, I'm going to invent like five things and see which one kind of works.

00:28:52.587 --> 00:28:57.967
Erin Simpson: And even just with the, I mean, the first prototype for the bed, it was shaped a lot more like a hot dog bun.

00:28:57.967 --> 00:29:00.247
Erin Simpson: Because what I noticed is she wanted to be in the dip.

00:29:00.247 --> 00:29:02.547
Erin Simpson: So I named it the Canyon Bed.

00:29:02.547 --> 00:29:06.647
Erin Simpson: And then I was like, well, I want it to be aesthetically as pretty as a throw pillow.

00:29:07.267 --> 00:29:15.827
Erin Simpson: And the whole thing has to go in the wash because I've got cats who have IBD or things like that and are throwing up or going potty on things and whatever.

00:29:15.827 --> 00:29:21.727
Erin Simpson: And I had to throw away so many things that would just either fall apart or get trashed.

00:29:21.727 --> 00:29:25.167
Erin Simpson: And you're like, how do you make a pet bed that you can't wash?

00:29:25.167 --> 00:29:35.027
Erin Simpson: So that was kind of one of the first main things I was focused on was making this bed for my senior cat with arthritis that would like really hug her body.

00:29:35.027 --> 00:29:40.287
Erin Simpson: But then I had this design challenge of she was like nine pounds and my other cat is like 18 pounds.

00:29:40.287 --> 00:29:46.247
Erin Simpson: And I'm like, okay, I got to make a shape where like we can like hug a small cat and a big cat in the same thing.

00:29:46.727 --> 00:29:50.387
Erin Simpson: And then for me, I wanted it to be two sided and like in a profilo.

00:29:50.387 --> 00:29:59.127
Erin Simpson: So you know, anyway, so that was and that's kind of a good way to think like I want things that are really, really beautiful and that are really high quality and long lasting.

00:29:59.347 --> 00:30:03.707
Erin Simpson: And also are things that, you know, are solving for specific problems.

00:30:03.707 --> 00:30:09.667
Erin Simpson: And what I learned is that like all cats love that feeling of being nuked and not just, you know, seeing your cats with arthritis.

00:30:09.667 --> 00:30:13.207
Erin Simpson: And so I actually, Banks is in this one right now.

00:30:13.207 --> 00:30:19.367
Erin Simpson: You can see him, he's modeling it quite well, but you can see, so it has like, you can flip it on either side.

00:30:19.367 --> 00:30:23.127
Erin Simpson: And he's in the nuts, but kind of has this like pretty amoeba shape.

00:30:23.127 --> 00:30:27.447
Erin Simpson: But yeah, at any given time, you know, the cats are always in these beds in my house.

00:30:28.027 --> 00:30:30.007
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love your stuff, I love your stuff.

00:30:30.007 --> 00:30:37.907
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I saw it displayed in a beautiful exhibit that you were exhibiting at the CFA International Cat Show and Expo in Cleveland.

00:30:37.907 --> 00:30:41.027
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You have beautiful colors.

00:30:41.347 --> 00:30:46.347
Isabel Alvarez Arata: The idea of like the amoeba shape with like the little nooks and crannies, such a good idea.

00:30:46.347 --> 00:30:48.507
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Your scratchers were a huge hit.

00:30:48.507 --> 00:30:51.487
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I saw a lot of people coming over to take a look at those.

00:30:51.487 --> 00:30:52.347
Isabel Alvarez Arata: What makes those special?

00:30:52.347 --> 00:30:56.607
Erin Simpson: I have one right here that they can go in here and do the little cheek scratch.

00:30:56.747 --> 00:31:01.007
Erin Simpson: There's a lot of subtle details and these are super sturdy.

00:31:01.007 --> 00:31:03.547
Erin Simpson: They're lasting people more than a year.

00:31:03.807 --> 00:31:09.947
Erin Simpson: Actually, foster boy is in one right now that has the little, I don't know if you can see that, he's in the little pod.

00:31:10.527 --> 00:31:16.087
Erin Simpson: That scratcher I designed intentionally to have pod because I have a more anxious cat that really likes to tuck away.

00:31:16.127 --> 00:31:24.347
Erin Simpson: So these are designed, everything's designed to be very multifunctional and really tailored to their actual behaviors and how they live.

00:31:24.547 --> 00:31:40.387
Erin Simpson: And the aesthetic, a lot of the stuff, actually, we mentioned all my vintage stuff, like my vintage cat jacket here, but a lot of these shapes are based on kind of combinations of different vintage shapes of furniture that I fell in love with and would kind of reimagine.

00:31:40.387 --> 00:31:44.127
Erin Simpson: So the vintage stuff is a big part of the forms.

00:31:44.227 --> 00:31:54.007
Erin Simpson: And then I kind of like to take more like fresh modern colors, but like the colors that I wasn't seeing in my pet stuff, you know, that was out there, but that like is what I want in my house.

00:31:54.007 --> 00:31:55.927
Erin Simpson: You know, it's like these accents.

00:31:55.927 --> 00:32:04.047
Erin Simpson: And not that we want to have our whole house be like magenta, but it's like, but I do want to have like a cool coral accent or magenta accent if that fits your room's vibe.

00:32:04.047 --> 00:32:11.727
Erin Simpson: And so, you know, so I kind of, I think the bold colors are part of it, but kind of also this like modern meets vintage vibe.

00:32:12.767 --> 00:32:14.547
Erin Simpson: And you get them with spraggle on it.

00:32:14.547 --> 00:32:16.567
Erin Simpson: I feel like you know.

00:32:16.567 --> 00:32:18.207
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes, you did it perfectly.

00:32:18.607 --> 00:32:19.667
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love your stuff.

00:32:19.667 --> 00:32:26.507
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I did not imagine that you were designing it based on furniture, kind of, that you're inspired by.

00:32:26.507 --> 00:32:29.667
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But I see now that you've said it, I totally see that.

00:32:29.667 --> 00:32:31.267
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm not an interior designer.

00:32:31.267 --> 00:32:36.907
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So like I bet somebody in that space would immediately be like, this reminds me of XYZ.

00:32:36.907 --> 00:32:38.887
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But I want to take a break right here.

00:32:38.887 --> 00:32:46.047
Isabel Alvarez Arata: When we come back, I'm actually going to dig in more into your aesthetic, more into the things that make you and your product you.

00:32:46.047 --> 00:32:48.387
Isabel Alvarez Arata: We'll take a break right here and hear from our sponsors.

00:32:48.387 --> 00:32:51.827
Isabel Alvarez Arata: When we come back, Erin is going to give us more insights into Wildcat.

00:33:15.247 --> 00:33:16.907
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00:34:12.887 --> 00:34:14.067
Announcer: Let's Talk Pets.

00:34:14.067 --> 00:34:14.987
Announcer: Let's Talk Pets.

00:34:14.987 --> 00:34:16.027
Announcer: On Pet Life Radio.

00:34:16.027 --> 00:34:17.327
Announcer: Pet Life Radio.

00:34:17.327 --> 00:34:29.387
Announcer: PetLifeRadio.com.

00:34:29.387 --> 00:34:30.907
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Welcome back to Covered in Pet Hair.

00:34:30.967 --> 00:34:44.507
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm your host, Isabel Alvarez-Rana, and today I have the pleasure of having a drink and a chat with my friend Aaron Simpson, who is the founder of Wildcat, a line of gorgeous vintage meets modern cat accessories.

00:34:44.730 --> 00:35:03.670
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Her beds are beautiful, her scratchers are wonderful, and she makes an adorable natural stone whisker vase, which I had to buy when I first met her at the CFA Cat Show in Cleveland earlier this year.

00:35:03.670 --> 00:35:17.310
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Erin, before we get deeper into your products, which I adore, I want to play a game with you that I actually discovered at the CFA International Cat Show and Expo.

00:35:17.310 --> 00:35:19.370
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It's called Ask Your Cat.

00:35:19.430 --> 00:35:26.530
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And you may remember these because you were in the booth right next to Wendy, who is behind Card To Believe.

00:35:26.530 --> 00:35:27.390
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes.

00:35:27.390 --> 00:35:28.550
Erin Simpson: Awesome.

00:35:28.550 --> 00:35:34.450
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay, so for those who are watching and listening, this is a deck of cards called Ask Your Cat.

00:35:34.450 --> 00:35:36.950
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And this is what it says on the back.

00:35:36.950 --> 00:35:39.410
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Cats are obviously smarter than us.

00:35:39.410 --> 00:35:44.010
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Now unlock their endless genius with this pawsome answer deck.

00:35:44.010 --> 00:35:50.510
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Ask a yes or no question, draw a card and let the whiskered wisdom flow.

00:35:50.510 --> 00:35:54.290
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Seeking answers to life's questions, ask your cat.

00:35:54.290 --> 00:35:59.770
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I want to make this Thanksgiving themed because of course we're celebrating Thanksgiving.

00:35:59.770 --> 00:36:03.050
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I'm shuffling these cards here and all the answers.

00:36:03.050 --> 00:36:07.510
Isabel Alvarez Arata: This is kind of like a magic eight ball, but from a cat's perspective.

00:36:07.510 --> 00:36:17.750
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I want you and I to kind of go back and forth and ask Thanksgiving related yes or no questions about like Thanksgiving dinner and see what the cat has to say about our questions.

00:36:17.750 --> 00:36:19.130
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Are you ready to play?

00:36:19.130 --> 00:36:20.010
Erin Simpson: I'm ready.

00:36:20.010 --> 00:36:21.610
Erin Simpson: Binks might join for this one too.

00:36:21.610 --> 00:36:23.490
Isabel Alvarez Arata: If Binks has any questions he can ask too.

00:36:23.490 --> 00:36:26.210
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right, you go first.

00:36:26.210 --> 00:36:27.750
Erin Simpson: Okay.

00:36:27.750 --> 00:36:29.770
Erin Simpson: Will the turkey come out okay?

00:36:29.770 --> 00:36:30.930
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Are you cooking it?

00:36:30.930 --> 00:36:32.150
Erin Simpson: Absolutely not, yeah.

00:36:32.150 --> 00:36:33.250
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay, yeah, because...

00:36:33.250 --> 00:36:35.310
Erin Simpson: Yeah, I've never cooked a turkey.

00:36:35.310 --> 00:36:36.930
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay, this is what the cat has to say.

00:36:36.930 --> 00:36:37.810
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Are you ready?

00:36:37.810 --> 00:36:42.310
Isabel Alvarez Arata: If saying yes will get you to stop speaking to me in that creepy baby voice, then yes.

00:36:43.010 --> 00:36:44.130
Erin Simpson: That feels spot on.

00:36:44.130 --> 00:36:45.310
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah, that feels spot on.

00:36:45.310 --> 00:36:47.330
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay, I'll ask a question now.

00:36:47.330 --> 00:36:49.990
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Will anybody bring up politics at the table?

00:36:49.990 --> 00:36:53.190
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Maybe it's the cat nip talking, but yes.

00:36:53.190 --> 00:36:53.510
Erin Simpson: Yes.

00:36:53.510 --> 00:36:54.790
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Gosh, I hope not.

00:36:54.790 --> 00:36:56.390
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes, but it's probably true too.

00:36:56.390 --> 00:36:58.030
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right, you're next.

00:36:58.030 --> 00:37:03.250
Erin Simpson: Will I eat more than three dinner rolls?

00:37:04.290 --> 00:37:07.090
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Outfed at least three of my lives.

00:37:07.090 --> 00:37:08.290
Isabel Alvarez Arata: That's a hard no.

00:37:08.850 --> 00:37:10.210
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So you're going to have more, you think?

00:37:10.210 --> 00:37:11.190
Erin Simpson: Yeah, maybe five.

00:37:11.190 --> 00:37:12.270
Erin Simpson: Yeah, TBD.

00:37:12.270 --> 00:37:12.690
Erin Simpson: Yeah.

00:37:12.690 --> 00:37:14.930
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So tell me about this dinner roll thing.

00:37:15.230 --> 00:37:16.730
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Do you like enjoy them?

00:37:16.730 --> 00:37:17.570
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Do you hate them?

00:37:17.570 --> 00:37:18.550
Erin Simpson: What's going on?

00:37:18.550 --> 00:37:35.230
Erin Simpson: It's funny because I think, so I'm a lifelong vegetarian, and a lot of times at Thanksgiving, there's like the main meat things, but even in the stuff that's not meat, I have a bunch of cat hair stuck to my face now, but it's like, you know, appropriate to be literally covered in cat hair, stuck in my lip balm.

00:37:35.230 --> 00:37:44.130
Erin Simpson: Even like the things that are vegetable based, there's always like the sneaky meat, you know, whether it's like chicken broth or like little like bacon bits and all that.

00:37:44.130 --> 00:37:46.370
Erin Simpson: So I learned to be like, oh wait, no, no, I can't have that.

00:37:46.370 --> 00:37:47.170
Erin Simpson: I can't have that.

00:37:47.170 --> 00:37:51.030
Erin Simpson: So, you know, I would end up just like eating rolls.

00:37:51.030 --> 00:37:56.690
Erin Simpson: Like I would end up eating several of them and then maybe like sneak something else like after everything was cleaned up.

00:37:56.690 --> 00:38:05.170
Erin Simpson: It's like, okay, maybe we'll make like a microwave something, but you know, it's like, it's not always like the most vegetarian friendly meal.

00:38:05.170 --> 00:38:06.210
Isabel Alvarez Arata: No, it's not.

00:38:06.750 --> 00:38:10.450
Erin Simpson: So yeah, but then if you plan for it, you can have some really good stuff, so.

00:38:10.450 --> 00:38:11.350
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay, okay.

00:38:11.350 --> 00:38:17.530
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, I'm going to ask, will Erin have anything safe to eat at the table?

00:38:17.530 --> 00:38:21.410
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Don't tell other cats, but I actually like that idea.

00:38:21.410 --> 00:38:23.530
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So he's being nice to you.

00:38:23.530 --> 00:38:25.010
Isabel Alvarez Arata: He hopes that you do.

00:38:25.110 --> 00:38:26.510
Erin Simpson: Okay, we'll take it.

00:38:26.510 --> 00:38:27.510
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right, last one.

00:38:27.510 --> 00:38:28.610
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Last one for you.

00:38:28.610 --> 00:38:31.670
Isabel Alvarez Arata: What question do you have for the cat?

00:38:31.670 --> 00:38:37.230
Erin Simpson: Is somebody going to over serve themself with the boot, speaking of who's on this show?

00:38:37.230 --> 00:38:40.210
Erin Simpson: Somebody can have a little too much on Thanksgiving.

00:38:40.210 --> 00:38:42.610
Erin Simpson: Not me, someone.

00:38:42.610 --> 00:38:43.270
Isabel Alvarez Arata: No.

00:38:43.270 --> 00:38:44.010
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Wait.

00:38:44.010 --> 00:38:44.990
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah.

00:38:44.990 --> 00:38:45.810
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah.

00:38:45.810 --> 00:38:46.350
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah.

00:38:46.350 --> 00:38:47.370
Erin Simpson: Okay.

00:38:47.370 --> 00:38:47.710
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes.

00:38:47.710 --> 00:38:50.590
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Somebody is going to overster and hopefully it's not me either.

00:38:50.590 --> 00:38:50.850
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay.

00:38:50.850 --> 00:38:54.070
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Am I going to get to tipsy on Thanksgiving?

00:38:54.070 --> 00:38:55.490
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Ignoring you.

00:38:55.490 --> 00:38:55.810
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay.

00:38:55.810 --> 00:38:57.650
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I mean, I guess it's a really boring question.

00:38:57.650 --> 00:39:00.030
Isabel Alvarez Arata: When you ask my family, they'd be like, probably.

00:39:00.030 --> 00:39:00.770
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right.

00:39:00.770 --> 00:39:02.050
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm going to ask again.

00:39:02.050 --> 00:39:03.750
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay, fine, but I'm not happy about it.

00:39:03.750 --> 00:39:04.650
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes, go get tipsy.

00:39:04.810 --> 00:39:07.530
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right, I'll take that as a green light from the cat.

00:39:07.530 --> 00:39:08.430
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Great job.

00:39:08.430 --> 00:39:10.130
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thank you for playing with me.

00:39:10.130 --> 00:39:19.930
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I've been using these with my kids and the cat's kind of a jerk in these, which is kind of, you know, funny, because we were talking about how like not all cats are jerks, but this cat is an aloof cat.

00:39:19.930 --> 00:39:27.390
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And that's why he has a deck of cards because a very social extroverted cat probably wouldn't have invested his time in making something like this.

00:39:27.390 --> 00:39:32.110
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But I will have my kids ask the deck, hey, am I going to have a good day today?

00:39:32.110 --> 00:39:33.970
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And the cat will sometimes be really nice.

00:39:34.050 --> 00:39:35.550
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And sometimes not so nice.

00:39:35.550 --> 00:39:36.770
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And they think it's hilarious.

00:39:36.770 --> 00:39:37.890
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I love these.

00:39:37.890 --> 00:39:38.930
Isabel Alvarez Arata: These are fun.

00:39:38.930 --> 00:39:42.110
Isabel Alvarez Arata: A little conversation starter of nothing else.

00:39:42.110 --> 00:39:45.870
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay, so we're coming back to Wildcat and the aesthetic.

00:39:45.870 --> 00:39:47.770
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Why is aesthetic so important to you?

00:39:47.770 --> 00:39:56.010
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like most people just go to the store, find either it's really cute and not functional or just functional and not that cute.

00:39:56.010 --> 00:40:05.390
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And they're okay with either one of those options, but like, what do you believe about the important or the importance of the role of esthetics in pet products?

00:40:05.390 --> 00:40:16.410
Erin Simpson: Yeah, I gave this a lot of thought when I was starting out because I had that same thing where it was like, if I thought, I'm like, oh my gosh, I finally found something that's like, you know, attractive and cute and they would never use it ever, ever.

00:40:16.410 --> 00:40:27.730
Erin Simpson: And then the stuff that they would end up using that like would be just trash that I couldn't throw away and be like basically destroyed, but it would just like, you know, that they love was like so, you know, hideous.

00:40:27.930 --> 00:40:35.390
Erin Simpson: And I think that, you know, as somebody just for me personally, like I love, I love interior design.

00:40:35.390 --> 00:40:43.590
Erin Simpson: I love things like, you know, it makes me happy to have things around me that like have color, that are beautiful shapes, that feel like fun treasures and all that.

00:40:43.590 --> 00:40:47.050
Erin Simpson: So I think there's like, there's definitely a big benefit there.

00:40:47.050 --> 00:40:58.730
Erin Simpson: But I think that where it becomes a more critical issue with pet stuff is because what I started to find, I did a lot of research to understand like how, you know, because I mean, I could talk to people about their caps for hours and hours and hours.

00:40:58.950 --> 00:41:04.190
Erin Simpson: And I think like a theme that I found was like, you know, take something like scratchers, for example.

00:41:04.190 --> 00:41:06.950
Erin Simpson: Like there were some people that just didn't have scratchers.

00:41:06.950 --> 00:41:08.190
Erin Simpson: They're like, they're ugly.

00:41:08.190 --> 00:41:25.870
Erin Simpson: Like, oh, I don't want to have, you know, I got a couple and then they got like shredded to bits and they were just trash or, you know, like, and then they'd be like frustrated about their couch getting messed up or they would get some kind of, you know, scratcher pull or something like that, that they would then put like in a weird corner of their house.

00:41:25.870 --> 00:41:27.470
Erin Simpson: So it was like out of the sight line.

00:41:27.470 --> 00:41:39.410
Erin Simpson: And I think that as I learned more about cats and their behavior and how just how much their territory, like the physical placement of things and the surroundings, like that is that is such a make or break for their well-being.

00:41:39.410 --> 00:41:54.530
Erin Simpson: And for, you know, even minor things, you know, I and I'm obsessed with cats and I feel like I learn stuff new every day about just like the things that, you know, their their need to have choice and their need to kind of have control over their environment, but also like their core territory.

00:41:54.530 --> 00:42:04.950
Erin Simpson: And I think that something that, you know, certainly there are cats who like to like hide away, but a lot of cats, like they're scratching in your living room because that's like, that's like, you know, that's high value territory.

00:42:04.950 --> 00:42:06.330
Erin Simpson: That's like where people are hanging out.

00:42:06.330 --> 00:42:07.450
Erin Simpson: That's where they want to hang out.

00:42:07.450 --> 00:42:14.270
Erin Simpson: And if you have a scratcher, that's, you know, if you actually get your cat a scratcher, you know that they need to scratch for their health and well-being.

00:42:14.270 --> 00:42:16.670
Erin Simpson: Like, so we're there, you do at least know that.

00:42:16.670 --> 00:42:20.370
Erin Simpson: So you're getting a scratcher, but then you're like, this is so ugly, I'm gonna stash it in this weird corner.

00:42:21.050 --> 00:42:25.710
Erin Simpson: You know, your cat wants to scratch something in this like, you know, prime territory.

00:42:25.710 --> 00:42:33.410
Erin Simpson: And so a big thing for me was like, I wanna make things that like people are proud to have out, like out in their house.

00:42:33.410 --> 00:42:40.090
Erin Simpson: And especially, I mean, and for a lot of us, if you're living in a small place, I started working on this when I was living in San Francisco in a tiny apartment.

00:42:40.090 --> 00:42:45.150
Erin Simpson: It's like, you have no choice, but to have this stuff kind of right in your eye line.

00:42:45.150 --> 00:42:50.770
Erin Simpson: And it's like, you know, so I wanted to make a scratcher that's like, okay, would you put this right next to your couch?

00:42:50.770 --> 00:42:54.190
Erin Simpson: Would you put this like next to the TV where you're going to stare at it every day?

00:42:54.190 --> 00:43:00.050
Erin Simpson: You know, and that's like, that is something that obviously it's like, aesthetics are not just like a nice to have.

00:43:00.050 --> 00:43:04.770
Erin Simpson: It's actually like a make or break of like, is it going to be useful for your cat?

00:43:04.770 --> 00:43:07.630
Erin Simpson: Is your cat going to actually get that benefit of being able to use it?

00:43:07.630 --> 00:43:16.650
Erin Simpson: And same with these beds, you know, it's like, I made them to be as cute as a throw pillow, you know, because it's like, would you put this in front of your like fire on your sofa?

00:43:16.830 --> 00:43:29.410
Erin Simpson: Like, you know, these things where it's like, if your cat is going to get that benefit of, you know, that warmth and that bodily support, it's like, if you're stashing it in a weird spot where maybe, you know, they don't actually want to hang out.

00:43:29.410 --> 00:43:33.130
Erin Simpson: And so that's kind of a make or break with the aesthetic piece.

00:43:33.130 --> 00:43:42.290
Erin Simpson: And so it's almost like, I, you know, I joke, it's like, there's all these other things going on with my products and so much detail and so many of these subtle small things.

00:43:42.290 --> 00:43:52.030
Erin Simpson: Like again, with this, it's like this fabric, I tested so many different fabrics to find one that would not snag when you're making biscuits, but also have that like nubby feeling that they seem to love.

00:43:52.030 --> 00:43:59.050
Erin Simpson: You know, it's like, if you have a jacket made out of this, anyone knows they're obsessed with this material, but this material, it washes terribly.

00:43:59.050 --> 00:44:04.250
Erin Simpson: You know, so there's like all these little tiny details and it's like, it's like, you don't need to know any of that.

00:44:04.250 --> 00:44:06.550
Erin Simpson: I just want you to buy it because you think it's cute.

00:44:06.550 --> 00:44:10.710
Erin Simpson: And then like, you know, I snuck all these things in there that are actually really good for your cat.

00:44:10.710 --> 00:44:21.570
Erin Simpson: And so it's like almost like I snuck the kale in your smoothie or like, even like, even like, you know, the ergonomic chairs that like, it's really good for your back pain, but like they just look cool.

00:44:21.570 --> 00:44:25.430
Erin Simpson: So you're like, okay, I'll get like, I just buy it because you think it looks pretty.

00:44:25.430 --> 00:44:32.790
Erin Simpson: And then meanwhile, there's all these things that are actually very cat centric, you know, that are built in there, you know, but you have to.

00:44:32.790 --> 00:44:35.810
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And user friendly too, because washable is so important.

00:44:35.810 --> 00:44:39.810
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like I have a bed here that is, you know, somebody gave this to me because it's washable.

00:44:39.810 --> 00:44:46.330
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And like, I think, I don't know how often she washed it because she was getting rid of it and I was like, I need one.

00:44:46.330 --> 00:44:47.490
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But it's falling apart.

00:44:47.490 --> 00:44:48.970
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like, you know, the seams are fraying.

00:44:48.970 --> 00:44:50.710
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like, I don't know how long she's had this.

00:44:50.710 --> 00:44:51.990
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I don't know.

00:44:51.990 --> 00:44:59.410
Isabel Alvarez Arata: A lot of people will wash stuff that's not meant to be washable and it'll like withstand it a couple washes, but then it starts to fall apart.

00:44:59.410 --> 00:45:08.970
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So tell us what material you use and how you kind of came to, I'm sure that it's not like something you just knew, you had to do some research, right?

00:45:08.970 --> 00:45:13.490
Erin Simpson: I did, I did a ton of testing and you know, it's like, that's the gift of being somebody.

00:45:13.490 --> 00:45:16.990
Erin Simpson: I'm like a, you know, like writer, marketer, brand person, all these things.

00:45:16.990 --> 00:45:19.630
Erin Simpson: Like I am not an industrial designer.

00:45:19.630 --> 00:45:22.390
Erin Simpson: I am not like a, you know, engineer, all these things.

00:45:22.390 --> 00:45:32.610
Erin Simpson: So I learned a lot of this stuff by just like Googling, by asking people, by just doing all the research, by being the annoying person, like calling the random like factory, then asking a million questions and all that.

00:45:32.610 --> 00:45:34.610
Erin Simpson: And then just like testing tons of stuff.

00:45:34.610 --> 00:45:47.030
Erin Simpson: I mean, to get to where I am right now with these products, I made so many prototypes and had so many versions that's like, okay, this isn't going to work or like, even, you know, I originally was like, I want like organic filling for these beds.

00:45:47.030 --> 00:45:53.650
Erin Simpson: And then what I realized is like a lot of the organic fill, it will retain the smell of pet mess.

00:45:53.650 --> 00:45:56.090
Erin Simpson: It will take like four days to dry, you know.

00:45:56.230 --> 00:45:58.870
Erin Simpson: And so I ended up testing a bunch of different fill.

00:45:58.870 --> 00:46:00.650
Erin Simpson: It won't keep its shape as well.

00:46:00.650 --> 00:46:07.310
Erin Simpson: And so this is like a quick dry poly fill that keeps that firmness because I was creating this to like last as long as possible.

00:46:07.310 --> 00:46:15.630
Erin Simpson: And that's really my view about sustainability too, is like I know just for me alone how many pit things I've had to throw away, you know, the things that last a long time.

00:46:15.630 --> 00:46:24.430
Erin Simpson: So I'm like, if you're keeping this for a few years, like if it's, you know, even if it's like a poly based material, like it's not going to end up in a landfill.

00:46:24.430 --> 00:46:27.290
Erin Simpson: It's not going to create that waste if it lasts a lot longer.

00:46:27.290 --> 00:46:35.970
Erin Simpson: So that's been my approach is like, what's going to actually withstand the day to day of like, you know, and I have one cat who like, you know, bless her heart.

00:46:35.970 --> 00:46:38.030
Erin Simpson: Like she kind of always has like a messy bum.

00:46:38.030 --> 00:46:39.190
Erin Simpson: And that's just like the reality.

00:46:39.250 --> 00:46:43.190
Erin Simpson: And so that's when I end up throwing her, you know, favorite bed of these in the wash.

00:46:43.190 --> 00:46:46.310
Erin Simpson: And then I mentioned, you know, cat with IBD throwing up on these.

00:46:46.310 --> 00:46:55.510
Erin Simpson: And so, you know, and this, this material also does a really good job of kind of naturally repelling fur a little bit because of like the way that the fibers are kind of poiled.

00:46:55.510 --> 00:46:57.450
Erin Simpson: So it doesn't act as a magnet for fur.

00:46:57.450 --> 00:47:04.310
Erin Simpson: So I really just end up throwing this in, you know, the wash when it actually has a mess, but it is a quick dry fill.

00:47:04.310 --> 00:47:09.610
Erin Simpson: So it'll dry in less than a day, just air dry and keep its shape.

00:47:09.610 --> 00:47:14.270
Erin Simpson: But yeah, so it's a poly based fabric and a poly based fill.

00:47:14.270 --> 00:47:14.890
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Awesome.

00:47:14.890 --> 00:47:15.350
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Okay.

00:47:15.350 --> 00:47:20.210
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And so when did you start designing these products?

00:47:20.210 --> 00:47:24.130
Isabel Alvarez Arata: How long did it take for Wildcat to be what it is today?

00:47:24.130 --> 00:47:24.510
Erin Simpson: Yeah.

00:47:24.510 --> 00:47:26.310
Erin Simpson: So it's one of those things.

00:47:26.310 --> 00:47:37.110
Erin Simpson: I know we were talking about slowing down earlier, Isabel, and it's like every bone in my body is like, I want all this stuff created like yesterday, and I want like, you know, and it's so maddening to go.

00:47:37.110 --> 00:47:58.770
Erin Simpson: I think that's honestly been almost like a weird, even though I like, I can't even believe I'm saying that, but like a gift of going through this process is like, these things take 10 times longer than you think it's going to take, and each thing, like then once you get one step forward, you're like, okay, I fixed this weird problem and this weird thing that was curling up over here, but now this weird thing is happening.

00:47:58.770 --> 00:48:07.550
Erin Simpson: And so it's like, it's like the universe is like, no, dude, you like, you're going to take like a slower path to get here, but like, if you, if, you know, it's like, how much do you want this?

00:48:07.550 --> 00:48:10.150
Erin Simpson: You want to keep going or you want to just be like, okay, I'm over it.

00:48:10.150 --> 00:48:18.490
Erin Simpson: Like, you know, so I think that's been like, it's been definitely like psychologically, you kind of have to be like, hey, how bad do I want to like create this like perfect cat bed?

00:48:18.490 --> 00:48:22.870
Erin Simpson: You know, so, so I think there's been like, there's been definitely like a lot of that.

00:48:22.870 --> 00:48:28.050
Erin Simpson: And so if you would have told me, I, cause I knew I wanted the name Wildcat.

00:48:28.050 --> 00:48:34.390
Erin Simpson: So I like got the name and formed the LLC and followed my trademark and stuff like in 2018.

00:48:34.390 --> 00:48:38.250
Erin Simpson: And that I was doing, you know, I had like a full time other job.

00:48:38.430 --> 00:48:42.070
Erin Simpson: And so it was something where it was like moving slowly and I would kind of chip away.

00:48:42.290 --> 00:48:43.830
Erin Simpson: And I had a lot of product ideas.

00:48:43.830 --> 00:48:45.450
Erin Simpson: So it takes a long time to narrow it on one.

00:48:45.450 --> 00:48:50.650
Erin Simpson: And I mentioned my first two products are actually not what you see today.

00:48:50.650 --> 00:48:52.950
Erin Simpson: And those ones are still things that I would really love to make.

00:48:52.950 --> 00:48:55.750
Erin Simpson: And I have it varying, you know, levels of like prototypes.

00:48:55.750 --> 00:48:57.910
Erin Simpson: One of them is actually in the background right there.

00:48:59.410 --> 00:49:03.490
Erin Simpson: It's a special screen for your litter area.

00:49:03.490 --> 00:49:16.450
Erin Simpson: And that was one that meant a lot to me because I, you know, knowing what I know about, you know, cat behavior issues and inappropriate elimination being such a big one and being like, oh, well, my cat's like, they don't want to have an enclosed litter box.

00:49:16.450 --> 00:49:20.010
Erin Simpson: And I don't, you know, I don't want to give them that, but I want something so I don't have to stare at it.

00:49:20.010 --> 00:50:01.270
Erin Simpson: So I have a lot of, you know, there are ideas on the back burner, but the ones that like these ones, specifically the scratcher shapes that you see today, that I have two different styles, and then this bed, it took like about three years, like from start to finish of like my first sketches and, you know, kind of like then getting the first, you know, like concept drawings and like first prototypes and then like finding somebody who could help me, because you don't want to see what like my janky prototypes that I sewed, like, you know, that's like, yeah, it's not a great look, but it's good to test with caps, you know, and then you can be like, okay, they like something about this shape, but I had so many different with the scratchers too.

00:50:01.270 --> 00:50:04.950
Erin Simpson: It's like I had, I had ones where I'm like, oh my gosh, I love how this looks.

00:50:04.950 --> 00:50:06.650
Erin Simpson: And the cats were like, we hate this.

00:50:06.650 --> 00:50:08.370
Erin Simpson: We want nothing to do with this scratcher.

00:50:08.370 --> 00:50:09.710
Erin Simpson: I'm like, come on, it's great.

00:50:09.710 --> 00:50:11.110
Erin Simpson: Like sprinkling catnip on it.

00:50:11.110 --> 00:50:12.070
Erin Simpson: I'm like, come use it.

00:50:12.070 --> 00:50:12.810
Erin Simpson: Like you'll love it.

00:50:12.810 --> 00:50:13.410
Erin Simpson: I promise.

00:50:13.410 --> 00:50:14.970
Erin Simpson: They're like, nope.

00:50:14.970 --> 00:50:17.230
Erin Simpson: So I have a lot of friends and family and people.

00:50:17.230 --> 00:50:21.210
Erin Simpson: I have like a lot of great people that were very patient, early testers.

00:50:21.210 --> 00:50:24.530
Erin Simpson: I'm like, okay, I have a different shape of scratcher that I want you to try.

00:50:25.610 --> 00:50:36.650
Erin Simpson: But it's also like observing cats and noticing the things in your house that they like that are not meant for cats, also inspired a lot of the, you know, the shape of somebody.

00:50:36.650 --> 00:50:39.410
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, you're filling a gap in the market, which I love.

00:50:39.410 --> 00:50:43.070
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I love that you did that with your whisker vase.

00:50:43.070 --> 00:50:49.430
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Tell us about the material that you use, because it's not just any whisker vase, as if there were many.

00:50:49.490 --> 00:50:53.590
Erin Simpson: Oh my God, these are, it's so funny, because I have like saved my cat's whiskers for a long time.

00:50:53.590 --> 00:50:55.330
Erin Simpson: Obviously I have, I have a few.

00:50:55.330 --> 00:50:59.990
Erin Simpson: And it's been so cute, because I have, I have Banks, who you saw, he has black whiskers.

00:50:59.990 --> 00:51:05.290
Erin Simpson: And so now I have found probably like, because he's new, so I've only found like four of his whiskers.

00:51:05.290 --> 00:51:09.850
Erin Simpson: And so I've been putting them in like my different ones, be like, oh, I'm going to put a black one in here.

00:51:09.850 --> 00:51:15.530
Erin Simpson: Yeah, I'm like, it's very exciting for me to get to throw a black whisker in my like white whisker vase.

00:51:15.570 --> 00:51:16.950
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Beautiful.

00:51:16.950 --> 00:51:20.870
Erin Simpson: These, yeah, these were actually, so I was keeping them in my jewelry box.

00:51:20.870 --> 00:51:25.250
Erin Simpson: And, you know, and I would just like kind of grab, there wasn't any grand plan for them.

00:51:25.250 --> 00:51:31.750
Erin Simpson: You know, although I know there are some amazing people who do beautiful jewelry and I definitely, I can't wait to commission something made of them.

00:51:31.750 --> 00:51:34.430
Erin Simpson: But at the time I was just not doing anything with them.

00:51:34.430 --> 00:51:44.450
Erin Simpson: And I had this beautiful stone that I had found and I actually like took tape and I put it on the back and I fanned out some of the whiskers and I taped them on and it almost like had this air plant vibe.

00:51:44.770 --> 00:51:48.030
Erin Simpson: And so I had that on my desk for a while and I just so I kept staring at it every day.

00:51:48.030 --> 00:51:50.430
Erin Simpson: I was like, this looks so pretty with them fanned out.

00:51:50.430 --> 00:51:53.510
Erin Simpson: I wonder and I like called a friend that I know who is a jewelry designer.

00:51:53.510 --> 00:51:57.310
Erin Simpson: I was like, do you have like a drill where you could drill in a crystal?

00:51:57.410 --> 00:52:03.510
Erin Simpson: And that kind of started the process of like, you know, and so now if you can see, like there's like a tiny hole.

00:52:03.510 --> 00:52:10.230
Erin Simpson: And so it's a hole that's like I had to test a bunch of different, like widths and depths of like what will fan them out properly.

00:52:10.230 --> 00:52:13.750
Erin Simpson: And even if you only have a couple, it will still kind of fan them out.

00:52:13.830 --> 00:52:15.970
Erin Simpson: But you can fit, you know, quite a few in there.

00:52:15.970 --> 00:52:18.590
Erin Simpson: So it's like they're they're so pretty.

00:52:18.590 --> 00:52:19.810
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love them.

00:52:19.810 --> 00:52:21.470
Erin Simpson: I have rainbow, right.

00:52:21.470 --> 00:52:22.670
Erin Simpson: And this is moth agate.

00:52:22.670 --> 00:52:24.430
Erin Simpson: So they're natural crystals.

00:52:24.430 --> 00:52:25.390
Isabel Alvarez Arata: What was the first one?

00:52:25.390 --> 00:52:26.530
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Remind me the first one.

00:52:26.530 --> 00:52:29.970
Erin Simpson: This one is rainbow fluorite and this one is moth agate.

00:52:29.970 --> 00:52:33.250
Isabel Alvarez Arata: OK, I think I got the rainbow fluorite when I purchased mine.

00:52:33.250 --> 00:52:33.690
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yeah.

00:52:33.690 --> 00:52:34.510
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes.

00:52:34.510 --> 00:52:35.170
Erin Simpson: I love it.

00:52:35.170 --> 00:52:36.770
Erin Simpson: I think Bob, this is a sneak peek.

00:52:36.770 --> 00:52:39.610
Erin Simpson: I was testing a few other kinds of stones.

00:52:39.610 --> 00:52:40.930
Erin Simpson: This is flower agate.

00:52:43.110 --> 00:52:45.710
Erin Simpson: I have a couple other ones and a couple other little shapes.

00:52:46.430 --> 00:52:47.710
Erin Simpson: I'm testing some things.

00:52:48.070 --> 00:52:48.970
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love it.

00:52:48.970 --> 00:52:53.270
Erin Simpson: In the spring, hopefully, I'll have a couple of new different colors to choose from.

00:52:53.270 --> 00:52:53.850
Isabel Alvarez Arata: OK.

00:52:53.850 --> 00:53:01.190
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I do an annual gift for pet lovers list, and obviously, that's going on there.

00:53:01.190 --> 00:53:05.350
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Because we always buy for the pets, but we forget to buy for the pet people.

00:53:06.870 --> 00:53:12.170
Isabel Alvarez Arata: A lot of times, the only gift we send is when it's a sympathy gift.

00:53:12.170 --> 00:53:13.130
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Don't wait that long.

00:53:13.130 --> 00:53:21.530
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Give them a welcome kitty vase for the whiskers, so that one day, when the cat's no longer with them, they still have the whiskers and the vase.

00:53:21.530 --> 00:53:22.890
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It would be so nice.

00:53:22.890 --> 00:53:26.310
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I just feel like there's so many moments where you can give that as a gift.

00:53:26.310 --> 00:53:29.550
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Holiday, birthday, welcome home kitty.

00:53:31.230 --> 00:53:39.170
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Just like for somebody who's on your team and loves cats, but you don't know what to get them, something really unique and special.

00:53:39.450 --> 00:53:40.550
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I just love that idea.

00:53:40.550 --> 00:53:47.110
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think there's so many uses especially for gift-giving, and or you can just buy it like I did for yourself.

00:53:47.110 --> 00:53:47.950
Erin Simpson: Buy it for yourself.

00:53:48.150 --> 00:54:07.890
Erin Simpson: It's funny you said about the thing for yourself, because when I was making these things, I was like, obviously, I want to make something for me too, and so I made, I think you saw these at my booth, maybe Isabel, but I make mini scratchers so that when you get a Wildcat scratcher, it's like you get an exact replica of the same scratcher that your cat has, so you can twin with your cat, but it's a nail file.

00:54:07.890 --> 00:54:09.030
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I love it.

00:54:09.030 --> 00:54:15.650
Erin Simpson: No, it's like it's a good like fidget for my fellow neurodivergent people out there, where we're like, we always need something in our hands.

00:54:15.650 --> 00:54:25.390
Erin Simpson: It's like, you know, on a Zoom call, you can just be using your human scratcher, your cat gets a scratcher, you go, and so I'm like, I'm trying to sneak in the human presence in there when I can.

00:54:25.390 --> 00:54:26.190
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So cool.

00:54:26.370 --> 00:54:30.790
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right, we're going to wrap this up with some final Thanksgiving thoughts.

00:54:30.790 --> 00:54:42.590
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So I'm going to give you however much time you need to tell us some, when you look back at 2024, what stands out as something you're really grateful for?

00:54:42.590 --> 00:54:53.110
Erin Simpson: Yeah, you know, so many things that I think, the thing that comes to mind the most is I had to say goodbye to my soul kitty, Stella, just a couple months ago.

00:54:53.110 --> 00:54:55.470
Erin Simpson: And it's been so hard.

00:54:55.570 --> 00:55:01.210
Erin Simpson: I know any animal person knows it, you know, the grief is, it's very heartbreaking.

00:55:01.210 --> 00:55:08.650
Erin Simpson: And I think that, like I haven't even posted about it or told a lot of people just because I'm like, I'm not quite there yet.

00:55:08.650 --> 00:55:19.850
Erin Simpson: And I think that, you know, but it's, so this year, I think when we said like slowing down, I think that I got so much time with her and it was just like the last year of her life.

00:55:19.930 --> 00:55:22.310
Erin Simpson: And I got to be with her for 17 years.

00:55:22.330 --> 00:55:22.530
Erin Simpson: Wow.

00:55:23.450 --> 00:55:27.030
Erin Simpson: And she is who, I mean, I created every step of making Wildcat.

00:55:27.030 --> 00:55:31.890
Erin Simpson: You know, as we talk about it, it's like a, it's a celebration of her because, I mean, I made the bed for her.

00:55:31.890 --> 00:55:56.890
Erin Simpson: She tested everything and, you know, and it was like, so she was there when like the first box came of like the first prototype and she's like jumping on the box and it's like, she's just been right next to all the late nights, like making things like, you know, so it just, it's very closely tied to her and I would not have done it, if not for her, cause she was who, you know, just, I mean, I got her like a little bit after college, like in my first like, you know, apartment.

00:55:56.890 --> 00:56:11.350
Erin Simpson: And so it's like how many different cities and like life moments of like, you know, first big breakup or like big job or like leaving a stable job to start your own business and like becoming a like human mom and like, she's just there for all these things.

00:56:11.350 --> 00:56:28.510
Erin Simpson: And so in the, in this year has been, it was a lot of slowing down with her and, but still having so many nice moments of just like, you know, going, she loved going to sit outside and on her little harness and just like sitting in the sun or just like laying next to her for a while and just looking at each other.

00:56:28.510 --> 00:56:33.650
Erin Simpson: And so it's like, when I think of this year, it's, it's like, it's sad, but that's like, that's the number.

00:56:33.650 --> 00:57:03.530
Erin Simpson: When I think of gratitude this year, I'm like, oh my gosh, like I got 17 years with my like, you know, my, my soul cat, you know, and obviously like no offense to these other kitties here, you know, but it's like people know when you have like your soul cat or your soul dog, I'm like, oh gosh, like I feel like so, so grateful and thankful to like, that I even got to meet her, you know, we both got to cross paths while we were both here, much less like 17 years through, you know, all those, yeah, life moments.

00:57:03.530 --> 00:57:10.990
Erin Simpson: So it was like, it's, it's very sad, but it's also, I like let myself be like, dude, be like so happy.

00:57:10.990 --> 00:57:20.170
Erin Simpson: Like it's like you, you know, like what a, like, I mean, I, I don't know if I'll ever like have that feeling again about another human or animal.

00:57:20.170 --> 00:57:26.850
Erin Simpson: And that's like, I wish she was here forever, but also I'm just like so happy that I got to be with her.

00:57:27.630 --> 00:57:32.350
Erin Simpson: The sun is, as I'm talking about, that's like shooting out through the window into my face.

00:57:32.350 --> 00:57:34.210
Erin Simpson: She's like, all right, stop talking about me.

00:57:34.210 --> 00:57:35.690
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like I think so too.

00:57:35.690 --> 00:57:36.830
Isabel Alvarez Arata: What was her name?

00:57:36.890 --> 00:57:39.070
Erin Simpson: Her name is Stella.

00:57:39.070 --> 00:57:41.510
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Oh, Stella, are you kidding me right now?

00:57:41.510 --> 00:57:48.610
Erin Simpson: I know this is some art of her and Marmite, which they were not friends, but we have them pretend friends in this picture.

00:57:48.610 --> 00:57:50.690
Erin Simpson: But no, yeah, she's the best.

00:57:50.690 --> 00:57:59.670
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And okay, so you're telling me that Stella, which means star in Italian, and we're talking about her and the biggest star just starts shining on you.

00:57:59.670 --> 00:58:01.670
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I just feel like she's there.

00:58:01.670 --> 00:58:02.530
Erin Simpson: She's there.

00:58:02.530 --> 00:58:03.630
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes, I saw it.

00:58:03.630 --> 00:58:04.730
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I saw it.

00:58:04.730 --> 00:58:06.750
Isabel Alvarez Arata: She's there and she's grateful.

00:58:06.770 --> 00:58:08.430
Erin Simpson: I'm just saying so, yeah.

00:58:08.430 --> 00:58:09.110
Erin Simpson: Yeah.

00:58:09.110 --> 00:58:11.310
Isabel Alvarez Arata: She is grateful for you.

00:58:11.310 --> 00:58:23.090
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I think that we can all say that, especially in their senior years, when they need the most care, I think our pets kind of like really recognize all that we do for them.

00:58:23.090 --> 00:58:26.890
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And it's probably why I love seniors so much, because they're like, you know.

00:58:26.890 --> 00:58:28.010
Erin Simpson: I know you love senior pets.

00:58:28.010 --> 00:58:31.130
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Yes, I love senior anything.

00:58:31.130 --> 00:58:38.650
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Senior pets are my favorite because I just feel like they're so intuitive and they know what we're doing for them.

00:58:38.650 --> 00:58:42.810
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And they don't take it for granted like maybe a younger pet does.

00:58:42.810 --> 00:58:51.450
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And actually, I'll say what I'm grateful for is actually, I'm in like one of those moments in my life where it's like just go, go, go all the time.

00:58:51.450 --> 00:58:59.150
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I'm grateful that my pets actually make me feel appreciated, whereas the rest of my family is also just go, go, go.

00:58:59.150 --> 00:59:01.090
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And like nobody stops to say thank you.

00:59:01.330 --> 00:59:07.890
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And anytime I come home, the way that my pets receive me and like being like, oh, she's back.

00:59:07.890 --> 00:59:10.110
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thank God.

00:59:10.110 --> 00:59:16.050
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I'm so grateful for that because like sometimes you think like, if you're not there, people just like live life as usual, right?

00:59:16.050 --> 00:59:18.030
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Like business as usual.

00:59:18.030 --> 00:59:24.750
Isabel Alvarez Arata: But my pets make sure that I know that they missed me and that they appreciate all that I do for them.

00:59:24.750 --> 00:59:33.870
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I feel like I need that right now because, you know, when you have little kids who are always asking for stuff, my husband is doing so much, just as busy as I am.

00:59:33.870 --> 00:59:40.450
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And my family is going through a lot of transitions, like my extended family moves and babies and things.

00:59:40.450 --> 00:59:44.450
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And like everybody just asks for stuff, you know, inevitably.

00:59:44.450 --> 00:59:49.190
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And my pets kind of like give that back, like that gratitude back.

00:59:49.190 --> 00:59:51.330
Erin Simpson: And I do feel refilling your cup.

00:59:51.330 --> 00:59:53.030
Erin Simpson: And obviously, like, yes, we have to feed them.

00:59:53.030 --> 00:59:54.490
Erin Simpson: We have to, you know, scoop the box.

00:59:54.490 --> 00:59:55.170
Erin Simpson: We have to do that.

00:59:55.170 --> 00:59:59.870
Erin Simpson: But at the end of the day, I know I felt like that so much in, you know, becoming a parent.

01:00:00.110 --> 01:00:03.330
Erin Simpson: And I'm sending you hugs for all the intent life things happening.

01:00:03.330 --> 01:00:11.130
Erin Simpson: But I think I had friends who were like, oh, man, like, when you become a parent, are you going to, like, you know, not care about your cats anymore?

01:00:11.130 --> 01:00:12.930
Erin Simpson: And what I found, it's actually the opposite.

01:00:12.930 --> 01:00:17.170
Erin Simpson: We're like, and not, you know, my daughter is wonderful and I love her more than anything.

01:00:17.170 --> 01:00:19.110
Erin Simpson: And also, she's five.

01:00:19.110 --> 01:00:23.370
Erin Simpson: Like, I exist solely to just I looked for her.

01:00:23.370 --> 01:00:27.330
Erin Simpson: And it's only like you said, it's like the cup is constantly being dumped out.

01:00:27.510 --> 01:00:33.050
Erin Simpson: And then these these pets are like here, like, hey, I just like, I just want to vibe with you.

01:00:33.050 --> 01:00:35.730
Erin Simpson: And I'm so happy to like have you here.

01:00:35.730 --> 01:00:39.090
Erin Simpson: They're not stressed about the past or worried about tomorrow.

01:00:39.090 --> 01:00:42.010
Erin Simpson: They're just like, hey, hey, Isabel, like, come here.

01:00:42.010 --> 01:00:43.970
Isabel Alvarez Arata: You know, they're like, exactly, exactly.

01:00:43.970 --> 01:00:45.110
Erin Simpson: Like you need that cup.

01:00:45.110 --> 01:00:46.530
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Let me refill it for you.

01:00:46.550 --> 01:00:47.490
Erin Simpson: Yeah, exactly.

01:00:47.490 --> 01:00:51.470
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And I'm telling you, my Van Gogh is the most affectionate of all three of my pets.

01:00:51.470 --> 01:00:53.670
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And he will find his way to snuggle me.

01:00:54.050 --> 01:01:01.530
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And he just like his energy just gives me so much peace and soothing.

01:01:01.530 --> 01:01:06.270
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And it just is like, it brings me back to like, everything's going to be okay.

01:01:06.270 --> 01:01:12.690
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So tell my audience how they, yes, that we could, he takes care of me when I don't take care of myself, I guess.

01:01:12.690 --> 01:01:19.030
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So tell me, how can our audience learn more about you and your amazing brand, Wildcat?

01:01:19.030 --> 01:01:19.970
Erin Simpson: Thank you, Isabel.

01:01:19.970 --> 01:01:25.550
Erin Simpson: Yeah, I'm on Instagram and Wildcat is just me and the cats, so I'm easy to find.

01:01:25.550 --> 01:01:29.670
Erin Simpson: So on Instagram, I'm at Wildcat Living, just spelled out.

01:01:29.670 --> 01:01:32.170
Erin Simpson: And then my website is wearewildcat.com.

01:01:33.270 --> 01:01:34.150
Erin Simpson: And yeah, and I'm Erin.

01:01:34.150 --> 01:01:41.210
Erin Simpson: And yeah, I'm, and I will be at CatCon and you know, usually at the different, like, figure cat events.

01:01:41.210 --> 01:01:44.210
Erin Simpson: So, you know, hopefully I'll get to say hi to folks in person.

01:01:44.210 --> 01:01:48.150
Erin Simpson: Yeah, definitely CatCon, maybe some others in 2025, who knows.

01:01:48.210 --> 01:01:48.850
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Awesome.

01:01:48.850 --> 01:01:49.150
Isabel Alvarez Arata: All right.

01:01:49.150 --> 01:01:51.930
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Well, I want to propose a toast to you for being so awesome.

01:01:51.930 --> 01:01:54.410
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I just think the world of you, I love your products.

01:01:54.410 --> 01:01:56.250
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thank you for taking the time to be here.

01:01:56.250 --> 01:01:57.530
Erin Simpson: Thank you so much, Isabel.

01:01:57.530 --> 01:01:58.670
Erin Simpson: Thank you for having me.

01:01:58.670 --> 01:01:59.010
Erin Simpson: Cheers.

01:01:59.010 --> 01:01:59.930
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Of course.

01:01:59.930 --> 01:02:00.650
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Cheers.

01:02:00.650 --> 01:02:03.950
Isabel Alvarez Arata: I also want to propose a toast to my executive producer, Mark Winter.

01:02:03.950 --> 01:02:05.430
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thank you, Mark.

01:02:05.430 --> 01:02:11.950
Isabel Alvarez Arata: And to our audience for joining us for these awesome conversations and to get to know the stories of these awesome people in the pet industry.

01:02:11.950 --> 01:02:14.310
Isabel Alvarez Arata: It is not just about pets, it's also about people.

01:02:14.310 --> 01:02:18.150
Isabel Alvarez Arata: So here's to a life covered in pet hair, because there's no better way to live.

01:02:18.150 --> 01:02:18.890
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Cheers.

01:02:18.890 --> 01:02:21.770
Erin Simpson: Cheers.

01:02:21.770 --> 01:02:28.310
Isabel Alvarez Arata: To learn more about covered in pet hair, please visit coveredinpethair.com or petliferadio.com.

01:02:28.310 --> 01:02:30.770
Isabel Alvarez Arata: Thanks for watching and I'll see you next time.

01:02:30.770 --> 01:02:36.790
Announcer: Let's talk pets every week on demand, only on petliferadio.com.