What’s In A Name: Catzilla’s Story
She was part of a litter of strays who were born in the garage of a grandmother.
Soon after the litter was born, a major forest fire broke out and the entire area was forced to evacuate. As the grandma packed her most valuable belongings, she noticed that the mama kitty also evacuated, but not before abandoning her litter’s only orange tabby kitten.
At just five weeks old, the grandmother knew she couldn’t leave this baby to fend for herself behind her washing machine, so she scooped her up and evacuated to her daughter’s house, who happened to be the mother of our favorite neighborhood playmates.
She was rescued by my family, and it was abundantly clear that this kitty meant business. Her constant spitting, hissing, clawing, and biting earned her the nickname Catzilla, and it stuck. My six year old self was so enamored by her that I was brought to tears whenever I cared for her—and not just because of all the cat scratches!
I had been cat-obsessed since the beginning, spouting feline fun facts as soon as I learned to speak, and collecting any and all cat-themed toys, trinkets, clothing, books, and more. Catzilla was my cat to care for, and I was proud to learn the value of respect, body language, and unconditional love with her.
As I earned her trust, it was obvious that she wasn’t really bad, just misunderstood. She was simply communicating in the ways she knew how, setting boundaries with the tools she had available. Although she eventually settled into a calmer disposition, she always inspired me with her strong sense of survival and crystal clear communication style.
Through Catzilla, my soft spot for “bad” cats was born.
When I set out to create Bad Cat, I knew I wanted to work with and for the witchier among us. As a witchcraft practitioner myself, it seemed clear that this community, much like Catzilla, was profoundly misunderstood. It always boggles my mind that some people view witchcraft, and related practices like energy healing and astrology, as evil. Once you've lived it, it's obvious that witches are most often in pursuit of healing, wellness, community, and connection with the divine.
So, this is why I named my business Bad Cat; because I wanted to build a community based on trust, respect, clear communication, inclusivity, and patience. All of these lessons were taught to me by my first, very very “bad” cat.
In loving memory of Catzilla, 2004-2019
