Who Are the Cat Writers’ Association: Petra Luna

By Mollie Hunt

Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? is a series of interviews with CWA members, but not your usual who, what, and where discussion. I like to ask a different set of questions and am always amazed by the answers. I hope you are too.

Our guest today on Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? is Petra Luna. Petra grew up surrounded by animals, including cats, dogs, bunnies, birds, koi fish, horses, and angelfish in a large aquarium. While she loves all animals, she has a special bond with cats.

Here is her story:

A few years ago, my cats Chopin and Wazoo suddenly fell ill. Despite multiple vet visits, no one could figure out why their kidneys were failing. The only thing they would still eat were chicken jerky treats, so I continued giving them to our cats—happy that they at least got something in their stomachs. Sadly, Chopin passed away in my arms at just one and a half years old, and his mom, Wazoo, followed a few months later—on my birthday. 

After suspecting that the popular chicken jerky treats from overseas were to blame, I had them lab-tested. The results were heartbreaking. They contained a toxic ingredient fatal to cats.

If you’ve ever had a pet, you can relate to the guilt I experienced when I discovered my velvet paws had passed away from the “treats” I fed them. This discovery led me to research the unhealthy ingredients in most cat foods. My findings prompted  me to start the CatCrazy Channel on YouTube in 2019 after being a partner in an entertainment marketing company working with ABC, NBC, 20th Century Fox, The CW, and CBS for 10 years on radio and television promotions (I was responsible for all talking points and radio copy). 

I began creating videos with expert interviews, food comparisons, and even episodes on how to make your own cat food so that other cat parents didn’t have to go through the grief of losing their cat prematurely.

This passion for educating cat parents led me to found CatCrazy™, Inc., and assemble a fantastic team of cat-loving experts in their fields with the intent to offer healthy cat food to other concerned cat parents. Together, we are not only developing the best cat food on the market, but also a cat culture that prioritizes the health and well-being of our feline friends. The channel now has more than 132K subscribers, sweepstakes to benefit cat foundations, help for cat rescues to adopt cats, and valuable information for cat parents seeking answers about healthy cat food.

Part 1:

About My Craft:

I create, produce, and edit all of my YouTube episodes, aiming to release at least one new episode every week. Since 2019, I have created around 350 videos and have shared more than 600 posts on Instagram. My journey started out of my passion for cats.

In 2003, I received the Golden Palm Award for Best Script at the Beverly Hills Film Festival.

In addition to creating content, I also enjoy painting. You can check out some of my artwork by clicking on the link at the end of this post. If you keep scrolling, you’ll come across a few of my cat paintings.

How cats inspire my creativity:

My partner and I are proud cat parents of five felines, and our lives revolve around them. We have one boy, Zeus, and four girls: Sochi, Angel, Briga, and ZsaZsa. They are our everything. We live in a cat house with many cat trees, cat walls, toys, food dispensers, self-cleaning litter boxes, and water fountains. Meanwhile, the cats tolerate us because we’re their food providers, litter box cleaners, and entertainment purveyors. 

My husband is a classical pianist, and the cats enjoy lying on the piano while he plays or performs. We also make good heating pads at night. I call them our “cats with jobs” since they are the real stars of my videos. When the lights go on, they know it is game time, and Angel is our best performer. Whatever we ask her to do, she does.

All five are very talkative and inspire me to write all through out the day, from when I wake up to when I go to sleep, and even while asleep since Sochi snuggles up under the covers with me while Zeus prefers to perch on top of me. The cats are hard to ignore and absolutely priceless.—hard to ignore and absolutely priceless.

What I Enjoy About Belonging to CWA:

Even though my current roles as a writer, producer, and editor for the CatCrazy Channel and the founder and CEO of our cat food company keep me from enjoying the many benefits at the moment, I love connecting with like-minded cat enthusiasts who are as crazy about cats as I am.. I love all the great tips that are getting shared and enjoy interviewing other members on my channel about topics like TNR, their careers, or new book releases.

Part 2:

Mollie: What crosses your mind when someone tells you they don’t like cats?

Petra: That’s more or less the end of the conversation.

Mollie: Do you sing to cats? If so, what songs do you sing?

Petra: I make up melodies and sing to them, telling them I love them.

Mollie: What cat-themed item is sitting on your desk right now?

Petra: A cat laser toy in the form of a cat, cat “egg” toy, cat lover mug, and cat pen. Behind and next to me, a Kit-Cat Clock, many cat shelves, cat decals on the wall, and to my right, a Litter-Robot. And I see five cats—three sleeping and two playing.

Mollie: What famous cat or cat person have you met?

Petra: Tony Kaye, founding member of the band YES and proud cat parent of Monkey, is a good friend. Also, in my travels to CatCon and many cat shows, I have met and chatted with Dr. Mikel Delgado, The Two Crazy Cat Ladies, Nathan the CatLady, Susan Thixton from Truth About Cat Food, the beautiful Somali Therapy cat Summer, Bengal Surfer-cat Mavi, Cat Named Calvin, and many others.

Mollie: Is your cat an unofficial (or official) emotional support animal?

Petra: Unofficial—but they make me smile even if the day is rough.

Mollie: What would your life be without cats?

Petra: Dull.

Mollie: Have you ever seen a ghost cat?

Petra: In a dream, I saw my cats Chopin and Wazoo together with my dad, who passed away the same year. They were having a great time, and my dad told me that they were all fine and enjoying each other’s company.

Please give us the names and short descriptions of your cats.

• Zeus – he is the master of fetching balls! He can do this for hours… or as long as you have time to do so.
• Angel – she’s our star and a real tomboy. Loves playing with her brother, Zeus.
• Sochi – our Marilyn Monroe! When she looks at you, you do what she wants! 😉
• Briga – an alpha female and not afraid of anything.
• ZsaZsa – a true independent. Loves to be loved… but on her terms only… a true Tortie!

You can find Petra Luna on her YouTube channel, CatCrazy.

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