A Mother’s Tail: Introducing St. Gertrude, the Patron Saint of Cats (and Her Mom)

6 Degrees of Cats

It's Mother's Day and we are here for it on 6 Degrees of Cats, the world's #1 (and only) cat-themed culture, history and science podcast.
In this episode, get ready for the motherload - in which we delve into the topic of motherhood through the captivating story of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, the Belgian abbess and (alleged) patron saint of cats.

Joining our host is Catholic culture researcher René Ostberg, M.A., who guides us through the life of St. Gertrude, her relationship with cats, and the pivotal role of motherhood in her story. Alongside René, we have returning guest and doula Jade Hillery, M.P.H., and media professional and working mom, Alem Tedeneke, M.A., who share their unique perspectives on motherhood, from the physical to the spiritual and emotional dimensions of mothering.

Support the podcast, sign up for The Captain’s Log, the companion podcast newsletter and more here: linktr.ee/6degreesofcats.

Reference image:

• Cat meme on St. Gertrude (source: unknown)

About the experts:

• Jade F. Hillery, MPH, CD (DTI), is a reproductive and sexual health trainer and educator, full spectrum doula, and sensual movement instructor. She works to support other trainers and educators in creating intentional learning spaces; promote healing through sensual movement; and help people tap into their own power. She is also a board member for Aaliyah in Action and a co-host of The Good Black Podcast.
• Rene Ostberg is a Chicago-based writer and researcher who specializes in Catholic culture whose writing has appeared in many publications such as National Catholic Reporter and Encyclopaedia Britannica. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in library and information science.
• Alem Tedeneke, M.A. holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Communications from Columbia University and works for a large international organization in the social impact space. She can be followed on Twitter via @eyealem.

Producer, writer, editor, sound designer, host, basically everything*

• Captain Kitty (Amanda B.)

* with co-executive producers Binky & Snuggles

Animal voices include:

• Binky & Snuggles _^..^_

Opening and closing credits:

• Leathered: "Look Alive" (c) 2022
• Samples licensed via Loopcloud
• Additional sound effects from Pixabay.com

Logo design:

• Edward Anthony © 2024 (Instagram: @itsmyunzii)

Research used:

• Drife, J. (2002, May 1). The start of life: A history of obstetrics. Postgraduate Medical Journal. Retrieved from https://pmj.bmj.com/content/78/919/311
• Fried, J. P. (2001, March 4). Following up. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/04/nyregion/following-up.html
• Garner, G. (2021, July 20). Mother cat in recovery after heroically saving her kitten from Barn Fire. People.com. Retrieved from https://people.com/pets/mother-cat-recovery-after-saving-kitten-barn-fire/
• Green, R. (2011, August 28). Scarlett the fire cat stray cat's devotion to kittens she carried one-by-one from fire an uplifting story of Motherly love. Spokesman.com. Retrieved from https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/dec/09/scarlett-the-fire-cat-stray-cats-devotion-to/
• Kybele. CYBELE (Kybele) - Phrygian Goddess, Mother of the Gods. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.theoi.com/Phrygios/Kybele.html
• Leeson, J. (2022, September 27). Is your cat ready to give birth? here's what to expect on the Big Day. How to Tell When a Cat Is Ready to Give Birth, So You Can Support Your Little Mama on the Big Day. Retrieved from https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/health-care/cat-neutering-spaying/how-to-tell-when-a-cat-is-ready-to-give-birth
• Ostberg, R. M. (2021, March 17). Meet St. Gertrude, cat lady of the Catholic Church. U.S. Catholic. Retrieved from https://uscatholic.org/articles/202003/how-st-gertrude-of-nivelles-became-the-cat-lady-of-the-catholic-church/
• Small, M. F. (2023, April 12). The biology of . . . morning sickness. Discover Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/the-biology-of-morning-sickness
• University of Edinburgh The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. (2019). Understanding feline social structure - ed.ac.uk. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ed.ac.uk/sites/default/files/atoms/files/1._understanding_feline_social_structure.pdf
• Youens, R. (2021, February 17). 11 facts you should know about mommy cats. Petfeed - Pet Care Tips, How-to Guides, Funny Stories, Comics, and Videos. Retrieved from https://petcube.com/blog/11-fact-about-mommy-cats/