Mayim Bialik, Star of “Call Me Kat,” Once Flew Across the Country With a Mini Cat in a Full Body Cast

Cat lover Mayim Bialik is beginning 2021 with a bang—and for pussycat aficionados, it’s a giant one.

The celebrity of loved sitcoms “Blossom” and “The Big Bang Theory” kicked off the 12 months with the new TV collection “Call Me Kat,” in which she performs a lady who quits her activity as a math professor to apply her dream of opening a cat café in Louisville, Kentucky.

In the display, Dr. Bialik, who additionally occurs to have a PhD in neuroscience, wears cat-centric shirts with sayings like, “The future is feline” and delivers traces comparable to, “You scared the cat out of me!” Naturally, we reached out to her to be told extra about the display and her love of cats.

Congratulations on the release of your new sitcom “Call Me Kat” on Fox! Of route, we adore that your personality owns a cat café. Does that mirror your individual love of cats? Are you a fan of cat cafés your self?

Huge cat lover right here! Always had been. I’ve by no means been to a cat café. I used to be making plans to head for analysis for the display after which quarantine hit! I like operating with cats on our set—it’s in truth the icing on the cake of this activity!

What else excites you about the display?

I like enjoying a “real” lady—she’s goofy and awkward and socially apprehensive and a laugh and comfy in her frame. Our supporting forged is dynamite. From TV legend Swoosie Kurtz to the extraordinary Leslie Jordan to Broadway celebrity who automatically steals my middle, Cheyenne Jackson, to veteran comedienne Kyla Pratt and Groundlings alum Julian Gant. We all are so excited to play in combination and make America chuckle if we will be able to!

Are pussycat characters like Firework specifically skilled for TV paintings? It’s been stated to “never work with animals or children” in movie or TV—and everyone knows what it’s love to “herd cats.” What has your enjoy been like operating with cats on the display?

I’m proud our cats aren’t tethered or drugged. However, this implies they from time to time behave like actual cats. Their running shoes (I name them their mothers and fathers) are loving and affected person and all of us paintings with the cats very respectfully, giving them breaks and house as wanted. All of those cats are “professional” cats however fact be informed, Piper (Firework’s actual identify) was once a in particular grouchy lady and he or she wanted some house to be her grouchy superior self. Many cats we have now on set are the Ragdoll breed which is a breed recognized for being docile and satisfied to only take a seat and loosen up.

In the pilot, your personality, Kat, retorts that she’s now not afraid of being a “sad cat lady” as a result of she’s going to be a “rad cat lady”—woohoo! Do you imagine your self a rad cat woman?

Ha! I’m a rad cat woman. I feel puppy house owners have had a actual Renaissance in the previous years; we’re noticed as dynamic loving and energetic oldsters of fur small children and I feel it’s about time!

Bialik’s particular wishes rescue cat, Adamantium, aka Addie. Photo courtesy of Mayim Bialik

Can you let us know about your 3 rescue cats and whether or not they may make visitor appearances in long run episodes of “Call Me Kat”? 

My cats would hate to be on set! Our paintings cats had been raised round other folks and strangers and sounds and actions that will terrify my small children evidently!

I misplaced my loved Shadow right through COVID, however his child brother Nermal (the runt!) has taken over my lap and the space. Nermal is tiny—he by no means truly grew previous infant cat dimension—and loves turning any blanket into one thing to suck on to go to sleep. He’s four, as is Adamantium—aka Addie—who’s my particular wishes rescue. She was once born with out a pectoral muscle and wanted particular surgical procedure (which was once carried out through ShelterChic in New York). She and I flew from NY to our house in LA along with her in a complete frame forged. She additionally by no means grew a lot however is prospering and turns out to serve as simply wonderful! She and Nermal play all day and annoy Frances, my 12-year-old tabby who hates kittens, which I didn’t know till I were given them. She hides out in my bed room and lives her grumpy existence with me, most commonly.

Those are my fur small children.

Frances, Bialik’s personal grumpy cat. Photo courtesy of Mayim Bialik

As a mother of two boys, do you assume it’s necessary for kids to spend time with pets?

Absolutely! They be informed such a lot. Everyone has that cuteness button which will get driven and I feel particularly for boys who’re continuously advised to “toughen up” in our tradition, I like that my boys cuddle and maintain our kitties so sweetly. It’s additionally a possibility for them to be told accountability for an animal. They feed them and alter the clutter and cling them when I’ve to trim nails.

One of Bialik’s 3 rescue cats, four-year-old Nermal, who by no means grew previous “toddler cat size.” Photo courtesy of Mayim Bialik

You use your superstar to give a boost to a selection of just right reasons. Do you might have any favourite animal organizations? What are they, and why?

Best Friends Animal Society has been a section of my existence for such a lot of years. I visited their sanctuary in Kanab, Utah and my more youthful son is elevating cash for them for his Bar Mitzvah undertaking. They necessarily have psychiatric maintain animals who’ve been abused they usually give animals the dignity to are living in peace. As a vegan, I give a boost to Farm Sanctuary, Gentle Barn, and all of the organizations looking for to make the international secure for animals.

You’ve written a number of books, together with the cookbook Mayim’s Vegan Table. Why do you recommend adopting a vegan nutrition?

I by no means favored consuming animals, even sooner than I knew what veganism was once. I stored reducing issues out and in the end learned that the method not to wonder whether I used to be being cruelty-free was once to only…be cruelty unfastened. I don’t wonder whether unfastened vary is unfastened vary sufficient, for instance. I additionally considerably lowered seasonal allergic reactions, since dairy was once activating that. I’m hardly in poor health the method I used to be as a child and youngster. I additionally love my digestive device now that I don’t consume meat and dairy!

You additionally write for the website online Grok Nation, which you based in 2015 to advertise deeper conversations about fresh problems, and introduced the psychological well being podcast Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown this month. Do you ever sleep? 

GrokNation is not, however I’ve a podcast on psychological well being that simply began on January 12! I’m the usage of my neuroscience PhD and my non-public enjoy to chip away at the stigma surrounding psychological well being. Our website online is Bialikbreakdown.com if other folks need to be informed extra!

Call Me Kat airs on Fox Thursdays at nine/8c and can also be streamed on-line at fox.com/call-me-kat

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