With the hit new documentary miniseries “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness” out on Netflix, people everywhere have been raving over the insanity that is the story of Joe Exotic and pals. While most find it difficult to relate to the wild situations that take place in the show, one guy finds the scenes are all too relatable. Twenty-six year old Josh Davis owns two cats in his Brooklyn studio apartment, and considers himself to be the Tiger King of his building complex.
“I may not own hundreds of tigers, but I’m no stranger to the precarious nature of taking care of cats,” said Davis when we caught up with him at his apartment. “Just look at my shoes!” he said, gesturing to his scratched up suede chukka boots. He continued to pet his cat Snowball, “You think a goldfish could do that?”
The show’s setting in rural Oklahoma could not be more different than Davis’ contemporary Park Slope neighborhood, which he noted actually makes it more difficult to care for his cats.
“Oh, I can’t let these ones out. They’ll ravage the pigeon population. It would honestly be a public safety issue.” explained Davis. “This one here basically is a big cat. She’s a maine coon.”
The main draw of the show isn’t the cats, however. The show focuses on the deranged characters and the rampant corruption surrounding the big cat industry. The main rivalry pits the sideshow zoo owner, Joe Exotic, against animal sanctuary manager, animal rights activist, and alleged husband murderer, Carol Baskin.
“My Carol Baskin is Joanne in apartment 3C. She only has one cat, but has the nerve to call herself the ‘cat woman of Riverside Heights.’ Uh…hello? You only have one cat, I have TWO,” asserted an exasperated Davis. “And things can get pretty crazy around here, too, if you know what I mean,” he exclaimed while putting two fingers up to his lips pretending to smoke a joint.
While there may not be a coronation of Mr. Davis as the Tiger King of Brooklyn any time soon, we can confirm: He is the leader of a cute little kitty gang!
HornRimmer 