Summer is in full swing here at the SOHP and this month’s episode of Press Record explores a sillier but often overlooked topic: what happens when animals take center stage during an oral history interview?

First, Rachel Seidman describes three moments when pets (almost) derailed her interviews and talks about fellow oral historians who reached out on Twitter to share their experiences with pets in the field. Next, Charlotte Eure sits down with former SOHP intern Kadejah Murray and current PhD student Rachel Gelfand who recount their respective trials with felines as young oral historians. Finally, Charlotte and Rachel offer some tips on how to navigate appropriately including companion animals before and during the interview process.