Imagine this: you’re sitting front and center at a comedy show when an unexpected “heckle” echoes from the back of the room. It’s not the usual loudmouth—it’s a series of sassy meows.
“Oh, is that Pebbles?” the host quips, entirely unfazed.
Sure enough, you catch sight of the culprit—a small, mischievous gray kitten weaving through the audience, occasionally pausing to bat a curious paw at someone’s leg. Welcome to Zoomies, a standup comedy show with an audience of adoptable rescue cats.
Every first Friday of the month, humans and felines come together in the back room of the Brooklyn Cat Cafe, a nonprofit animal rescue center, for an unforgettable evening of comedy. Dozens of adoptable cats and kittens roam freely during the performances, turning the event into an adorably chaotic blend of standup and cat antics.
Picking my way over a few napping furballs, I found an open seat and settled next to my “date” for the evening, a brown and white tabby. Encouraged by the staff to pet and interact with the cats, I couldn’t resist giving my seatmate some ear scratches as we waited for the show to start.
As a comedy fan and self-proclaimed cat enthusiast (my own cat has an Instagram), I was both thrilled and slightly skeptical. A comedy show packed with free-roaming cats? This could either be brilliant or beautifully chaotic. Fortunately, it was a bit of both.
The lineup featured host Marty Cunnie, producer Ryan Sudhakaran, and comedians Shaunak Godkhindi, Jules Posner, Alison Leiby, and Natasha Vaynblat—all of whom braved the feline-filled venue with a mix of humor and improvisation. As the sets began, it quickly became clear that cats don’t make for orderly comedy show attendees. They darted across the stage, tussled with each other, nosed around the audience, and took swipes at the dangling microphone cord.
Pebbles, the gray kitten with a taste for the limelight, became a recurring character throughout the show. The comedians quickly picked up on her antics, turning her unpredictable behavior into a running gag.
“Pebbles knows how to set boundaries and loves a good scritch—on her terms, of course,” Brooklyn Cat Cafe described her. “We think she’ll make the perfect companion once she’s in her forever home.”
Sure, the show may lack the polished lights and smooth flow of a traditional comedy club, but it made up for it with warmth, charm, and a side of cat hair. I left the evening with a smile and a slight urge to adopt. My only regret? Not bringing Pebbles home with me. But maybe, just maybe, she’ll find her match at the next Zoomies show.
