Interview! Adam Myatt, The Cat Man of West Oakland

"These cats are street smart, tough as nails, and have definitely scene 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 8 years! What started as a small photography hobby has turned into a life-changing endeavor, leading the Cat Man down a path that led to diving head first into cat rescue TNR and opening the first cat cafe in the United States.

Adam was actively playing in bands and worked in a recording studio and had a buddy who went on tour and started posting on Instagram with the hashtag #CatsOnTour. So when Adam, himself, went on tour, he kept the tradition alive and it just never stopped!

After posting photos for awhile, he had friends who were impressed and encouraged him to do something with them, but he was determined not to invest what little money had had into cat merchandise. But he decided to start a crowdfunding campaign to get things started. 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 will be his 6th year selling through Kickstarter and he's now even working on a book & calendar pitch for 2019 that may take it even further!

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 when a cat is trapped. He is focused on doing more TNR in the community and making an impact on that side of things, rather than 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 having cats in his own home just isn't in the cards!

So how does he get such great pictures of these sweet feral cats? He gets down to their level, even if it means kneeling and laying down in the streets to capture their sweet faces. And of course, treats and catnip always help! Believe it or not, those great pics are all taken with just an iPhone! Because who wants to carry crazy photography gear around the streets of Oakland?!

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