In this episode of the podcast I had the pleasure of chatting with Garrett Clancy who is the director of the new Docu-Movie "Crazy Cat Lady". The film is now released and streaming on many platforms including Amazon Prime so you may have already seen it.
The movie is really important for those who care about cats to understand the many issues faced in everyday life as it follows the struggles of cat overpopulation within Los Angeles however could apply to so many areas where there is a need for TNR and rescue to help keep the cat population down.
The problem in Los Angeles has become worse over the years since an injunction was put in place which restricted any form of government funding being spent on spaying, neutering or any form of population control. The problem then became one for the people of L.A who had to find ways to try and solve this themselves.
It has been compared to emptying the ocean with a teaspoon as we all know how prolifically cats breed and with this comes endless suffering which is unnecessary and cruel. There is no easy fix and ultimately the years of overbreeding has caused an explosion of cats being born into harsh conditions and this problem is not one which will go away overnight.
Garrett follows several different people who are involved with cat rescue, TNR, veterinary care and who deeply care for these neglected cats. Each person involved in the movie is different to the other, come from different backgrounds and have various reasons why they do what they do. They all completely crush the notion of the "Crazy Cat Lady" which is why it is such a perfect title for this gem!
You will see in great detail what their work involves being on the front line and the challenges they face for Garrett has been able to showcase to the viewer wonderful stories which weave together perfectly through the movie and you cannot help but warm to each character for different reasons.
This movie is important not only for animal rights but to also understand the political movements which many may support but not realise they are detrimental for many reasons. Injunctions like this one are not helpful or beneficial to anyone and cause only suffering and pain, not only for the cats who are the innocent victims, but to the ones who care enough to try and do something and by doing so witness what they do whilst doing so.
Please watch this movie and please consider helping cats in your local communities after doing so in any way you can because they all need help and this movie shows this very clearly and although this is L.A focused it is a worldwide issue and this movie flies the flag for this serious and complex problem on a global scale. I know you will enjoy this creative yet raw piece of work.
Happy Listening!
Fiona X