Interview! Adam Myatt, The Cat Man of West Oakland

“These cats are street smart, tough as nails, and have definitely seen some stuff, but they are our neighborhood cats and are softies at heart.”

Cats have been taking over this amazing guy’s life for the last eight years! What started as a small photography hobby has turned into a life-changing endeavor for Adam Myatt, leading the “Cat Man of Oakland” to dive head first into cat rescue and TNR, and to open the first cat cafe in the United States.

Before he was the “Cat Man,” Adam was a musician and worked in a recording studio. He had a musician buddy who went on tour and started posting cat photos on Instagram with the hashtag #CatsOnTour. So when Adam himself went on tour, he kept the tradition alive and it just never stopped!

Friends were impressed with his cat photos and encouraged him to do something with them, but Adam was determined not to invest what little money had had into cat merchandise. Instead, he decided to start a crowdfunding campaign to get things rolling. Before he knew it, he had people signing up for a calendar he created and it has been wildly successful in the years since!

The 2018 calendar marks Adam’s sixth year selling through Kickstarter and he’s now working on a book & calendar pitch for 2019!

Adam has been stunned by how many people have gotten onboard and ordered calendars and also is blown away by how much the community in West Oakland wants to get involved with cat rescue efforts. Adam focuses his attention on doing more TNR in the community and making an impact on the community cat side of things, rather than on running an adoption center.

In a stroke of irony, the Cat Man won’t be adopting any of his feline friends anytime soon. His roomie of over 12 years is allergic and so having cats in his own home just isn’t in the cards!

So how does Adam get such great pictures of these feral cats? He gets down on their level, even if it means kneeling or lying down in the street to capture their sweet faces. And of course, treats and catnip always help! And believe it or not, those great pics are all taken with just an iPhone!

Learn more and grab your own 2018 Cat Calendar at catmanofwestoakland.com.

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