Plot

From the dawn of humanity to online cat celebrities, this entertaining series explores the unique bond uniting humans and cats, for better and for worse.

With more than 200 million cat owners, the domestic cat is the most popular pet worldwide, and everything seems to indicate it has now entered its era of glory. Cat videos are among the most-watched of all categories of videos on the web. The resources devoted to cats in our society are as innumerable as they are unlikely; luxury hotels and private chauffeurs, state-of-the-art hospitals, designer clothing, video games, paleo diets, film festivals, museums, cryptocurrency, music for cats, the list goes on. The rise of celebrity cats online has contributed to heightening the value of a colossal billion-dollar industry. Should we be surprised? After all, humankind has purposefully shaped domestic cats to become the objects of our affection. This documentary series traces the origins of domestication, from the ice age to the present day, unveiling the reasons of our mutual attachment, and dwells on the positive and negative impacts of cats in our lives and communities. From Canada to France to London and Los Angeles, this film introduces us to cat lovers, enthusiasts, researchers, and detractors to help us to paint a portrait of an animal that, despite its enormous popularity, remains enigmatic and misunderstood in many ways.

EPISODE 1

In this first episode, we explore the relationship and the science behind our love for cats. From Paris National Natural History Museum to the thousand-year-old Chauvet cave, we go back in time to learn about the origins of the domestic cat. Through genetic analysis of the cat's DNA and the latest scientific discoveries, we delve into the 20,000-year-old relationship that unites us.

We visit one of the world's biggest cat shows in London to meet with passionate owners and we look at the evolution of domestic cat breeds from tiny Munchkins to 30-pound African wildcats crossbred with domestic cats. We explore the differences between cats and dogs and the reasons of our attachment to this seemingly useless animal. Guided by "cat therapists", we deepen the analysis of the cat's psychology and explore some of their less known, sometimes bizarre, behaviors.

EPISODE 2

Whether it's because of the hormones induced by "purr therapy" sessions or because of our innate need to care for cute (and fluffy!) creatures, our love for cats seems to know no boundaries. In this Cat Empire documentary's episode, we dive deeper into the relationship uniting humans to cats.

We head over to cat-related festivals around the globe (Vancouver's Meowfest, L.A.'s Catfest) to meet cat people and talk about how we can make life better, for both our cats and for us, with catification expert Kate Benjamin.

Cat hotels, music designed for cats, home cooking for our pets, top of the line medical care, from Bordeau's Cat Café to London's Tanks for Cat, we meet with creators and business owners who brought their love for cats to the next level.

While visiting pet trade shows, we explore the multi-billion-dollar industry that has emerged in recent years and scout for the latest trends in cat care.

EPISODE 3

Our love for cats is not without consequences, and our meat-eating companion's carbon footprint is enormous. In fact, the U.S. cat foot print is equivalent to that of the average African country! Even more alarming, the cat's ability to reproduce quickly has led to a serious overpopulation problem. With dozens of millions of stray cats wandering the streets of U.S. cities, the issue has gotten so bad that according to researchers, it has become one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in the U.S., killing billions of animals each year. We meet scientists who try to prevent their proliferation and promote euthanasia, and we roam the shady streets of Los Angeles at night with volunteers and "cat activist" trying to save them.

Fortunately, killing and neutering cats are not the only solutions, and we spend a day exploring the world's most massive no-cage private shelter, offering a home to more than 1,000 free-roaming cats in California.

Not content with having conquered the world, cats have expanded to and (according to many) taken over the internet. We look at the most popular trends, from "memes" and the "keyboard cat" to the uprising of millionaire celebrity cats and we try to understand the reason of their online fame. We meet with the founder of My Pet Agency, Paris's first talent agency dedicated to influential animals and we cross the English Channel to enter the secret world of The Magnificats, England's most famous cats, who stream their daily life to their million and a half Facebook followers., we end our journey by spending time with some of the internet most famous cats: Pudge, BenBen and Nala (Instagram's most influential cat, with a staggering 4 million followers!), as they attend Vancouver's Meowfest to meet with their fans.