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Comfort Creatures

Ella McLeod, Alexis B. Preston

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Comfort Creatures is a show for people who prefer their friends to have paws instead of hands! Every week, Alexis and Ella talk to guests about their pets or creatures that give them comfort, discuss their favorite fictional critters, learn about pets in history, and discover differences between pet ownership across the pond. Whether you have a giant sloth, two siamese skinks, or just know way too much about unicorns, every animal friend is welcome on Comfort Creatures!
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A CC record has been set - THREE CRIES IN AN EPISODE! This week we discuss Louis Wain, the guy who might just be responsible for changing the way Britain feels about cats. Plus we have a bumper Ready Pet Go from Meg, who tells us all about her "lesbian menagerie" (iconic). Also a look ahead to our next episode, where we'll be discussing the film 'T…
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Alexis, in true Snow White fashion, saved a baby bird! In honour of Pico's rescue and recovery, we discuss all things sparrow - biology, mythology and how loudly those little dudes chirp! Reminder: Read Book One of Redwall with us for the LIVE STREAM on May 12th at 12pm PST on Youtube. Follow us on Youtube @ComfortCreaturesPodcast. Make sure to fol…
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Why did three Vizslas cross the road? Tune in for the punchline! This week we're joined by writer and illustrator Bethanie Murguia. She tells us all about her new graphic novel Wagnificent as well as warming our hearts with tales about her three Vizslas Thunder, Luna and Cosmos. Also Persey, busy playing the nosey neighbour, has passed a torch to C…
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Ella has had QUITE the day, but ultimately has had a strong change of heart for our pigeon friends! Crumb got to visit his old pal Tugboat, who is as great as ever! Plus, we do a little research on Foxes after a recent garden visit and of course some fun fox mythology! Save the date and read along! Our Redwall Livestream for the Book One of book on…
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In honor of Ella's book release (THE MAP THAT LED TO YOU), Ella has some very fun history on sea dragons, both real and fictional! Then, Alexis did some research about nursery rhymes involving animals. Ever wondered why those mice were blind? Find out! We also have a Ready Pet Go from Melissa and Merlin as well as some updates on our Redwall readin…
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Lucy Rose is a fantastic writer, but more importatly she has a cat named Figgy! We learn abour Figgy's wild former life, her very particular favorite movie, and her rat hunting skills (spoiler: she's terrified of them). Ella and Alexis also have some updates about their pets, plus ELLA'S NEW BOOK IS OUT! THE MAP THAT LED TO YOU is available whereve…
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This week Ella has some exciting Snow Leopard news and Alexis discovers the greatest community effort possibly of all time: The Fishdoorbell (De Visdeurbel)! Plus, Ella has some cat DRAMA outside her window and Alexis struggles with Crumb's ear infection and Cricket's feelings. We also have a great Ready Pet Go from Katie! When we recorded this we …
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It's week two of MaxFun Drive and we've got a full house this week! We are joined by Austin Taylor and Brenda Snell of Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries, and we've solved the biggest secret of all: They both have fantastic pets. Austin tells us all about the dramatic dynamics of pets Opal, Kat, and Karol. And Brenda discusses Angel the cat as well…
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HAPPY MAX FUN DRIVE! To honor this exciting week we're joined by Drea Clark from Maximum Film! We learn about her current cats, chat the funniest cat names, and some of our favorite animal performances in films! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT SO FAR! The MaxFun drive is the exciting time of the year where we rally for your support to keep our podcast g…
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Hear the full episode by becoming a member! Go to maximumfun.org/join to join! You will get this bonus episode plus all of the other BoCo from past years. Plus, cool gifts and the bragging rights to say you contribute to the art you love! Thank you! You make this show possible! maximumfun.org/joinBy Alexis B Preston, Ella McLeod, Blair Preston
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This special network wide event is a celebration of the MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts. J. Keith v…
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It's Ella's birthday! What better way to celebrate than to talk about greek mythology surrounding Pisces! We also discuss some fun fish facts and the Angler fish and learn why they are the ultimate girlboss. Happy birthday Ella! We'll see you next week for the MAX FUN DRIVE! Send us YOUR pet stories (Ready, Pet, Go!) at comfortcreatures@maximumfun.…
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This week Ella and Alexis honour the leap year by giving frogs their flowers and toads the praise they deserve. They also honour the arrival of Alexis' new niece with a deep dive into birthing -- warning... the episode is not for the squeamish. Or indeed for anyone who doesn't want to know about naked mole rat birthing. We also have a fascinating a…
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This week Ella and Alexis chat lucky escapes and rodents performing daring feats of rescue! Also, some hot analysis of smart grumpy pups and happy bimbos, and a Guinness world record scandal! Plus, we have a Ready Pet Go from Ginger and Chonk. Send us YOUR pet stories (Ready, Pet, Go!) at comfortcreatures@maximumfun.org and don't forget to rate, re…
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Best-selling YA thriller author Cynthia Murphy joins us this week to chat all about the marvel that is her pup Loli. We chat happy buses, snobby dogs and cat reincarnation. Send us YOUR pet stories (Ready, Pet, Go!) at comfortcreatures@maximumfun.org and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe! Follow us @comfortcreaturespodcast on Instagram! J…
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Welcome to the something O'clock news, coming to you not at all live at no specific time from two separate continents! Tonight, with Ella and Alexis; Dogs now have ferries on cabins and Pigeons are NOT spies. This is a very serious news podcast now, ok everyone? Plus, we have a Ready Pet Go from Pear Tree and a cute little Valentine's Day history. …
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John-Luke Roberts, host of new Max Fun podcast soundheap joins us to chat about his childhood pets (a veritable menagerie!), the pigeons that he was once visited by, and our new campaign to have turtles as Kings! Send us YOUR pet stories (Ready, Pet, Go!) at comfortcreatures@maximumfun.org and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe! Follow us …
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Every year on February 2nd we celebrate Groundhog Day! And by "we" it turns out that's only in the US and Canada. Alexis fills in Ella on this wacky holiday and does some digging into its origins. Ella reads up about groundhogs themselves and both hosts agree they have no interest in "Groundhog Punch"! Send us YOUR pet stories (Ready, Pet, Go!) at …
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This week Ella and Alexis are joined by Comedian Cat-Mum and master website designer, Brooke Harnett. They discuss her cats Frank and Beans, her childhood ferrets and whether the 'girl cat/boy cat' tik tok binary holds up. We also discuss human food for pets, specifically: Why does Garfield love Lasagna? Tell us YOUR pets preferances! Does your dog…
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This week Ella and Alexis are joined by the host of the new Max Fun podcast Eurovangelist! Jeremy Bent talks all about his amazing German Shepherd Nessie, being a dog nurse and Eurovision! Also chats about wild horses, wild donkeys and some questionable Shrek impressions! Be sure to check out Jeremy's new show EUROVANGELISTS here on Maximum Fun! Se…
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As our first FULL year as a podcast comes to a close, Ella and Alexis reflect on some of the top animal stories from the year. Remember the bus that picked up all the dogs? What about the longest Python ever recorded? Did you keep up with Neil the Seal? We're here to reminisce and learn about all the fun events of the year! We also discuss New Year…
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This week we are ABSOLUTELY delighted to be joined by Teresa McElroy, the wife-host of SHMANNERS! We hear about ALL of the pets in the household, cats, dogs, and even fish! We also get some manner-tips relating to pets (we've dubbed it "pet-iquette"), learn about the cycle of Stevens, and of course the Easter kitten. Unfortunately since the time of…
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It is officially winter and the holiday season is in full swing at Comfort Creatures HQ. This week, while the pets curl up under the covers, Ella and Alexis are complaining about a gift list for pets clearly written by Cruella DeVil! We also share some tips for Holiday gift ideas, familiar names, and a great Ready Pet Go from Audra! Send us YOUR pe…
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We're joined this week by the author of MULTIPLE hilarious poetry books from the persepective of our furry friends, Francesco Marciuliano! Francesco's newest book is "Oh. It's You: Love Poems by Cats", and it's exactly as funny as the name sounds! He is also the author of "I Could Pee on This" and "I Could Chew on This" and many other delightful bo…
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Somehow we've done almost 70 episodes without talking about DRAGONFLIES? It's a colorful, fascinating creature with DRAGON in its name which is basically everything we look for in a Comfort Creatures animal! We finally learn ALL about dragonflies (and their cousin the damselfly) and of course some fun mythology! Plus, we have holiday food talk, Art…
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That's right folks, we had to bring out the big guns for this one! Renee Colvert is BACK to give us some much needed Tugboat updates and help us decide the winner of the pet costume contest! has Tugboat left behind the city of stars to be a full blown mountain dog? Were we actually able to pick a winner? There's only one way to find out and it's by…
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As we ALL know, November 19th is WORLD Anteater day! It only seems fitting that Ella learn everything she can about these toothless, long-nosed mamals! We also look into some Anteater folklore, update you on our pets, and have a great Ready Pet Go from Adam and Duke! Also if you haven't sent your pets in halloween costumes you must submit them by t…
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Do you have a favorite (favourite) pet or does the very thought of trying to pick send shivers down your spine? Our guest today is Aine Feeney and she has some STRONG opinions on her two cats Bloom and Fauns. Bloom is her ride or die and Fauns? He's alright. Plus, Alexis is dog-sitting this week and it's Bonfire Night in London! Send us YOUR pet st…
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This week we discuss deer and dogs playing poker! Ella visited Richmond Deer park and bumped into the London Chihuaha group. Alexis gives an art history lesson on the Dogs Playing Poker painting. Plus, we have a Ready Pet Go from Jaz and Mori! SEND US YOUR PETS IN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES! Send us your Ready Pet Gos! at comfortcreatures@maximumfun.org an…
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Happy Halloween Comfies! This week we're staying on spooky season themeing but have returned to our scheduled wholesome programming; Vampire Squids are just Spongebob characters in costume and Sea Serpents actually exist! We're serious. They're noodly dudes with psychic powers. Tune in if you don't believe us! We hope you've all eat a ton of confec…
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TRIGGER WARNING: SOME BIG TIME PHOBIAS. Trypophobia and Bed Bugs (ICK) This week, in the run up to halloween, we deal with some legitimately discomforting creatures. Given that on this podcast spooky critters are cute, it didn't feel appropriately halloween-y to chat about your bats, rats and cats... for these are friends of the pod. Instead we tal…
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This week Ella discusses the latest internet rabbit hole she's fallen down and asks Alexis very important dragon question (send us in your answers too! Email, Insta, Discord, the usual!). We also have some Herphomes chat, an animal rights update and a Jumbotron! Cozy season is on the horizon friends... Send us YOUR pet stories (Ready, Pet, Go!) at …
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QUOKKAS ARE THE CUTEST ANIMALS IN THE WORLD. That's it. That's the episode. Plus some science, some history and a Ready Pet Go from Emily and Gus! (But really it's just a chat about how CUTE these smiley dudes are!) Send us YOUR pet stories (Ready, Pet, Go!) at comfortcreatures@maximumfun.org and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe! Follow …
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We're tired of pretending most of our favorite poems don't include animals! The truth is Alexis and Ella love poetry! Particularly poems about animals (or animals as metaphor)! We've each found some of our favorite animal focused poems and had a wonderful time sharing and discussing! We also have some pet updates: Percy is HOT and Crumb gets closer…
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This week we're joined by the Ornithologist, Bird Ringer and wildly successful Mya-Rose Craig aka BirdgirlUK. Mya-Rose was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Bristol at just 17 for her work in conservation and has seen over half of the worlds birds. She has travelled widely, written books (PLURAL) and is a fountain of knowledge on a…
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Ella found the perfect wedding venue (complete with a CURSED lake!) and so begins the age old question: Should I bring goats to my wedding? This week Ella has found some fun ways that people have integrated animals into their wedding and some updates on all the fun animals she saw in Ireland. Alexis has found a variety of animals that mate for life…
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Did you know that Possums only live in Australia? Opossums are naive to the Americas- Possums are actually a totally different animal. They'e an example of our favourite thing- CONVERGENT EVOLUTION BABY. Both animals are marsupials, however possums (the aussies) are more closely related to kangaroos. This week we are joined by Ally the Opossum expe…
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Listen, we want to be very clear that we do not condone war NOR the use of animals in it! However, sometimes you remember that there was a bear named Wojtek in World War II who was an ACTUAL enlisted soldier and you have to tell the story. We also discuss the pets we WISH we could have if they were actual options. Would you have a pet beer drinking…
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IT'S OFFICIAL! Comfort Creatures is a WHOLE YEAR old! Thank you to everyone for an incredible first year! To celebrate our podcast anniversary/birthday we are joined by the wonderful, Alice Hope. Alice may not have a pet of her own but she is well on her way to being the next David Attenborough! Alice is a Science Communicator and Storyteller and s…
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Just when Ella thought it was safe, Percy is back in the kitchen and ruining baking dishes! Meanwhile, Cricket is working on his own pee issues and wearing his BIG BOY Belly bands! And while that might seem like a whole episode in itself, the fun continues and Alexis and Ella do a deep dive into Clouded Leopards. Did you know they are their own typ…
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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…
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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 br…
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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. Plu…
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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 t…
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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…
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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 th…
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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 Lon…
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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 ra…
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