Comfort Creatures

NOT ALL CREATURES ARE COMFORTING. There. We said it. Ella's not a fan of pigeons and even Alexis, who is basically a cooler, edgier Snow White, has a few creepy crawlies/scary scuttlers that she's not a fan of. This week we discuss what it is that makes a creature not quite as comforting and try to overcome the ick. What creatures could you perhaps do without? Write in and let us know!   Send us Y...

This week Ella and Alexis are joined by the joy that is Gilli Nissim, writer, comedian and dog-mum to WILMA! One thing we know about CC guests- they're gonna name their pets well! We chat about Gilli's childhood dogs, the validation that comes from being the only one an animal likes and whether dogs really do help you on the pull (is that a very british phrase? What's the US equivalent?) Send us Y...

Is a cockroach a pet? What if it hisses and you can enter it in a derby race for a child's birthday? What about a little octopus? Perhaps something bigger like a llama? This week, Alexis tells a few stories about just a few of her childhood pets. Plus, Ella has some childhood pet strories of her own, though they primarily lived inside her mind. Plus, we have a top notch Ready Pet Go from Connor an...

BREAKING NEWS: A top secret group of incredible animal advocates in full camouflage have snuck past the people of Scotland like James Bond and reintroduced some ADORABLE wildcats back into nature! Or that's the way we like to picture it, anyway. Ella gives us the full report this week! Plus, Crumb is having a rough week and Cricket is handling it the grossest way possible, We do a brief introducti...

This week Ella and Alexis are joined by London based celebrity vet Dr Bolu Eso. Dr Bolu trained in Budapest, treated Jaguars in the jungle and loves bichon frise. He shares some insights into his day to day life as a vet, reveals what he wishes people knew about cats and deep dives into other big topics such as burn out and being a person of colour in the animal welfare world. We get serious and s...

We all know all dogs are gorgeous but did you know there's a holiday to celebrate some of the MOST uniquely gorgeous dogs in the world? Every year on June 23rd is Ugliest Dog Day based on the Ugliest Dog Contest that started in California in 1970s. This week, Alexis and Ella review an article that attempts to list the ugliest dog breeds and goes through some of the past conest winners of the festi...

This week, Ella and Alexis take a dive (get it?) into the folklore behind mermaids and dog-people. Of course, by dog-people we mean half-human-half-dogs like the Lupari in Doctor Who, not just people that LIKE dogs. Plus, Ella gives us an animal update on her trip to the Scottish Highlands and we have a modified Ready Pet Go from Erin about her London fox sightings! Also an update since recording:...

Ella and Alexis have learned the fastest way to make a friend is to ask about their pets, and the SECOND fastest way is to share a love for unusual dreams. Well, this week we got BOTH! Hayley Marie Norman is an actor, writer, podcast host, and most importantly fellow animal lover. We rant about the wrongful stereotypes of cat ladies, learn about rare goat-milk for jaguars, and of course learn all...

This week we're talking about TURTLES! Ella and Alexis couldn't open their phones without seeing a video of someone burying their pet turtle or pulling it out of the fridge, so they've gotten to the bottom of why someone might do such a thing! Of course, we had to find some fun turtle mythology to compliment the science as well. Plus, we learn about the oldest documented cat, Jonathan that STILL l...

Ele Woods is a comedian, actress, cat-mum, Great Dane Aunt and woodland nymph. We adore her! She chats to us today about mythological naming conventions, hybridising our animal selves and many many (tragic) mice! Plus, we have in-depth discussion on the French-ness of Basset Hounds and some next level pet names!  Send us YOUR pet stories (Ready, Pet, Go!) at comfortcreatures@maximumfun.org and don...

Last week in London Bluebell and Beth officially became Queens of England- at least that's our version of events. In honour of the Jack Russell's coronation, we take a look at some hilarious and historic royal pets, from highly decorated horses to nameless but nonetheless loved chameleons. Plus a Ready Pet Go from Lydia, Padre and Snuggles! Send us YOUR pet stories (Ready, Pet, Go!) at comfortcrea...

Brea Grant and Mallory O'Meara, co-hosts of Reading Glasses, are our soul sisters in fantasy nerdom, pet-parenthood and all things slightly goth. They join us this week to discuss talking bears and the etymology of Hermione, as well as telling us all about their wonderful pets, Lucy, Helhammer Potato, Birthday Party, Sailor Ripley and Luna Fortune! Help support this show and unlock bonus content!...

Happy belated international Koala day! We can, of course, assume you all had this momentous day marked in your calendars, took the day off work and school and had a barbie (BBQ) in honour of our Aussie friends... right? This week we get deep into marsupial pouches, discuss half a dozen opposable thumbs and explain why lady-Koalas are modern queer icons. There is *some* mention of sexy things this...

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! The one and only ALIE WARD is here! The beloved host of Ologies joins us this week and we get the full adoption story of Gremmie, we discuss the fun part of AI, and even get some top notch opossum facts! We also discuss the heartbreaking feeling of wanting to love your pet more than they can handle, learn about being posh, and even reminisce about Tumblr poetry! All of this and...

How many types of bats do you think there are? Would you believe there are over A THOUSAND? Well there are! April 17th is Bat Appreciation Day and in this episode we do our best to appreciate them! Alexis and Ella learn all about bats, their life cycle, their link to vampires, and we even find some fun bat folklore. Plus, we have a SIAMESE Ready, Pet, Go from Emily and we both have some cute pets...

Juno Kelly is a writer, journalist and fabulously dressed West-Londoner, as well as being one of Ella's ultimate besties! She's on the show for chats about monochrome pets, badly behaved dogs and why our creatures are basically our babies. Ella is forced to accept that she may not be a bengal cat after all and Alexis learns that mussels love porridge oats? All of this and more this week on Comfort...

Happy National Siamese Cat Day! I'm sure you're busy celebrating the holiday, but we wanted to make sure you had the perfect companion podcast for the day! This week, Alexis does a deep dive into siamese cats, their history, and even some of their fun lore! Are they magic? Most likely! Plus, we have a fantastic Ready, Pet, Go from Lene and we complain about doing laundry for maybe too long! You be...

HAPPY MAX FUN DRIVE! If you don't know, Max Fun Drive is the best time of the year to become a member of Maximum Fun! It's the best way to support the shows that you love and there are some AWESOME gifts for members this year! Head to maximumfun.org/join today! We also have some really fun bonus content planned if we reach our goals this year! Tune in to hear all about them! This week, we're joine...

HAPPY MAX FUN DRIVE! If you don't know, Max Fun Drive is the best time of the year to become a member of Maximum Fun and support Comfort Creatures! Plus, there are some AWESOME gifts for members this year! Head to maximumfun.org/join today! We also have some really fun bonus content planned if we reach our goals this year! Tune in to hear all about them! This week, Persephone has upped the game fo...

Jacqui Rose, J.P. Rose or just Jac is a horse girl, dog and cat parent and one of us in every way it is possible to be one of us. The best-selling author joins us this week to talk about her horsey history, her cockatoo called Barry and why she thinks animals are so special. This is a real gem of an episode, so switch off the hoover (guest who wrote this), make a cuppa in your CC mug, and enjoy! S...

Sloths! Giant ones, two toes ones, three toes ones, swimming ones, sleeping ones, smiling ones- this week we have the LOT. Alexis plays professor this week and teaches Ella all about these fasciating creatures. If you fancy a hit of happy hormones, just go look up sloths doing stuff. Seriously, take a self-care sloth moment. You deserve it. Ella also reads a fantastic Ready Pet Go from Erin, Poppy...

Snakes! Mice! Cats! Robots! FanFic! Frogs! This episode has something for everyone! We're joined by the delightful hosts of Let's Learn Everything: Ella Hubber, Tom Lum, and Caroline Roper! We've got a harrowing story of mice and snakes with a twist ending, a thorough discussion of cat bells, and even a blossoming pet lover. Don't forget to check out Let's Learn Everything here on MaxFun to find o...

An Ostrich and a giraffe, a hen and her puppies, a very good dog and his penguins- this week we're indulging in every animal lover's dream and discussing amazing pet companion stories. Prepare to have your heart WARMED. This will be a recurring segment because there are just too many good ones, so please write in if you've come across any that particularly squeeze your stomach. We also have an epi...

This week Tom Merritt and Sarah Lane of Daily Tech News success join us to tell us about their wonderful pets~ Plus, we talk pet tech, big dogs, and cats that adopt you! If you have any pet tech tales we'd love to here about them- do self cleaning litter trays actually work???- so please keep your Ready Pet Gos coming!  Check out Otis on instagram at @otisreddinglane, Sawyer's movie instagram @che...

Happy Year of the Rabbit! As a belated homage to the Lunar New Year we're looking at the animals of the Chinese Zodiac and telling the story of the great race that decided them. We also have a lovely bittersweet cat-related Ready Pet Go from Anne and pet updates, including Cricket's new found love of apricating! Send us YOUR pet stories (Ready, Pet, Go!) at comfortcreatures@maximumfun.org and don'...