Cat Daddies (2022): Eight Men and the Cats Who Changed Their Lives

Mye Hoang’s Cat Daddies (2022) is an entertaining glimpse into the lives of eight men who unapologetically adore their feline companions and challenge the old adage that dogs are man’s best friend.

Cat Daddies Review

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How it all started

Cat Daddies is the first feature-length documentary by director, producer, and editor Mye Hoang. “I’ve worked in independent film most of my life and also curated for film festivals,” Hoang told The Cat Movie Archive. “I still feel like a newbie on the scene, but I prefer working independently on a smaller scale.”

Hoang has always loved cats. “I currently have five, and they are very spoiled,” she told me. “One day, I hope to adopt a cat from Qatar and a blind cat—an idea I got after working on my second feature project, 25 Cats From Qatar. Until then, I’m happy to foster when I can and help find ways to connect people who want to help.”

Before filming Cat Daddies, Hoang was already following many of her future subjects on social media (several were Instagram-famous).

“I really wanted to get Goal Kitty,” she said. “Goal Kitty in 4K, Cinemascope, larger than life—that would be so awesome.”

That was her first spark of inspiration.

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But Hoang also wanted to challenge stereotypes about masculinity and cat ownership, and to highlight the emotional bonds between men and their cats. She hoped the film might inspire more people to adopt and better understand these pets.

“People don’t always know what it’s like to live with a cat,” she explained. “There are a lot of misconceptions.”

Ultimately, Hoang set out to make the kind of movie she herself would want to watch—warm, engaging, and full of heart.

Who are the cat daddies?

The documentary features eight different men from all around the U.S.

David Giovanni

The absolute standout is David Giovanni, a former construction worker who grew up in an orphanage in Georgia and is now a disabled and undocumented immigrant. When Hoang featured him in Cat Daddies, he had been homeless on the streets of New York City for two years.

David’s life changed when he found a sickly kitten he named Lucky. He brought the tiny cat to the SPCA, asking them to help. When they said the kitten might not survive, David refused to leave his side. Lucky pulled through, and from then on, he became David’s lifeline.

Even as David battled illness and underwent cancer treatment, Lucky remained his source of hope. A kind woman named Pam stepped in to care for Lucky while David was in the hospital, ensuring the two could be reunited once he recovered.

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Hoang hadn’t planned to feature David’s story, though.

She was already filming when, out of the blue, someone messaged her—someone who had been friends with David and Lucky and had tried for a couple of years to get them off the street. They were running out of options, and out of desperation, she reached out.

At first, Hoang hesitated because David’s story was so tonally different from everything else she was filming. She didn’t know if she could make it work or do it justice. But as soon as she and her crew met him and learned more, it was clear they had to have him. “He literally said that he had nothing else to live for except for his cat. How can that not get you?” she says.

Lucky’s rescue was the beginning of a profound bond, one that carried David through some of the hardest years of his life.

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Ryan Robertson

Hollywood stuntman Ryan Robertson lives in Atlanta with Toodles, his 25-pound Maine Coon. Toodles helped Ryan connect more deeply with others, including his girlfriend. During lockdown, the couple began feeding and providing TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) services for local community cats, turning their home into a hub for feline care.

Nathan Kehn

This actor-turned-social-media influencer often calls himself Nathan the Cat Lady. He creates playful, lighthearted videos featuring his four cats—Pickles, Ginger, Annie, and Princess. His offbeat humor, combined with the cats’ personalities, has earned him a large and devoted online following.

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Jordan Lide

Jordan Lide works as a firefighter at the Belmont Fire Department in Greenville, South Carolina. He adopted a stray cat named Flame, who quickly became the firehouse mascot. Flame’s presence softened his colleagues’ views on cats and brought warmth to the station’s daily life.

David Durst

Truck driver David Durst spends his days traveling across the United States with his cat, Tora, who often wears outfits. She draws attention from fans wherever they go, and their adventures are popular on social media.

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Will Zweigart

Brooklyn ad executive Will Zweigart founded Flatbush Cats, a rescue group devoted to Trap–Neuter–Vaccinate–Return for feral cats. He documents his rescue work, which includes transforming the lives of street cats like Teddy, who was once matted and homeless but now lives in comfort.

Jeff Judkins

Jeff Judkins is a software engineer living in Boulder Creek, in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains. He shares his life with his cat Zulu. When wildfires threatened their home, Jeff and Zulu relocated to hotels. Through the disruption, Zulu remained a constant source of comfort and calm.

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Peter Mares

Schoolteacher Peter Mares is the owner of Keys, also known as GoalKitty, an Instagram-famous cat known for stretching in an adorable, goal-like pose. Her toes once reminded Peter of a keyboard, inspiring her first name, Keyboard, which later became Keys. He trained her by rewarding the trick with coconut oil, leading to viral fame, a large social media following, and even a line of merchandise.

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Is Cat Daddies worth watching?

Like many films with multiple storylines, some are more engaging than others. The story of David Giovanni and Lucky stood out as the most moving. Hoang could have easily made an entire documentary about these two without losing any momentum.

I was less invested in the celebrity cat stories, probably because I didn’t know them. Fans of Nathan the Cat Lady and Goal Kitty will no doubt enjoy seeing them on the big screen.

The film also prompts us to think about how we define masculinity. As the director suggests, true strength comes from caring for and protecting others. Showing compassion is a core part of leadership. Cat Daddies challenges the traditional image of strength and replaces it with one rooted in empathy.

What lingers the most, however, is the warmth and sense of community. The love these men feel for their cats—and the effort they make to keep them happy or rescue others—is both heartwarming and inspiring.

Cat Daddies is doubtlessly one of the better cat documentaries out there. It screened widely at film festivals and won numerous awards, including:

• Audience Award at the 2021 Dallas International Film Festival, 2022 San Francisco Indiefest, and 2022 Frozen River Film Festival
• Excellence in the Art of Filmmaking at the 2021 Tallgrass International Film Festival
• Outstanding Achievement in Documentary at the 2021 Newport Beach Film Festival
• Best Documentary Feature at the 2021 Animalis Fabula Film Festival
• Honorable Mention at the 2022 Julien Dubuque International Film Festival

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Cat Daddies: Where Are They Now? (2025)

The end credits of the documentary give a quick update on how the cat dads’ lives have changed since filming wrapped. For example, Nathan teamed up with fellow influencer Sterling “TrapKing” Davis to launch a dating app for cat lovers, and Peter moved in with his girlfriend, Sheree, but their cats don’t get along.

“I keep in touch with most of them,” Hoang told me. When I asked how David and Lucky were doing, she explained: 

“David is still fighting his cancer. It’s terminal, and it’s a miracle he’s made it this far. Lucky now lives with Pam, and David visits as often as he can — which is most of the time. Recently, David and Pam rescued a mother cat and her kittens and took them in. They were able to get them spayed at the new Flatbush Cats clinic in Brooklyn, thanks to fellow cat dad Will Zweigart, who now runs the organization full time. Because of the film, David has met many new friends and supporters from around the world who continue to send him messages. You can find updates and support his GoFundMe here.”

If you’re curious to dive even deeper into the stories of the cat daddies, the DVD also includes an exclusive bonus feature called “Where Are They Meow?”

Final thoughts & Blu-ray Giveaway

Have you seen the Cat Daddies documentary? Do you follow any of these “cat daddies” on social media? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

By the way, Hoang just released her second documentary, 25 Cats From Qatar. If you’re interested, you can read my review on 25 Cats From Qatar and my interview with the director about the film here.

We’re also giving away a Blu-ray of the documentary! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. The giveaway is open worldwide and closes on August 31, 2025.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cat Daddies trailer

Where to Watch Cat Daddies

You can watch Cat Daddies now on Amazon Prime.

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About the author

Vanessa Morgan is the editor of When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals, Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampires Movies, Evil Seeds: The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children, and Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies. She also published one cat book (Avalon) and four supernatural thrillers (Drowned Sorrow, The Strangers Outside, A Good Man, and Clowders). Three of her stories became movies. She introduces movie screenings at several European cinemas and film festivals and is also a programmer for the Offscreen in Brussels. When she is not writing, you will probably find her eating out or taking photos of felines for her website, Traveling Cats.

Discover more movies with cats in my book Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies.

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