History of Cat Yoga
I had an actress friend, Tita Rutledge—a brilliant costume designer and owner of Rutledge Costumes in Baltimore—create a custom turban for my cat and a spectacular, floor-length cape for me. The back was embroidered with CATYOGA “Sensei” Mike Gabriel, and the inside was lined in this wild, swirling Age of Aquarius pattern that looked like something straight out of a psychedelic dream.
While Tita was still putting the finishing touches on the cape, she loaned me a costume from her shop for a photo shoot. That photo ended up on my Cat Yoga pre-paid phone card—and, as it turned out, it would take on a life of its own.
I mailed the picture to The Sun tabloid with a letter claiming I’d spent eight years studying in the Cat Yoga Temples of Tibet, where monks had trained me to become a Sensei-Master of the Ancient Art of Cat Yoga.
To my surprise, The Sun ran a full-page story. And that’s when things got wild. Suddenly, I was doing a live broadcast on WJZ-TV Channel 13 from my Baltimore apartment—which, by then, I’d converted into a full-blown Cat Yoga studio. Before long, I found myself sitting across from Geraldo Rivera on national television, and fielding interviews from hundreds of radio stations—from New York all the way to Guam.
PICTURED: Truffles, double-jointed male cat that liked to get in weird positions.
When a journalist asked me about the benefits of practicing the Ancient Art of Cat Yoga, I told them the truth: some cats suffer from the delusional, neurotic fear that their litter box is actually filled with deadly quicksand. Through Cat Yoga Meditation, I explained, even the most traumatized feline can learn to breathe, relax… and, at last, poop in peace.
PICTURED: Kitten falls victim to quicksand in the litterbox.
On February 21, 1995, the U.S. Patent Office awarded me a copyright trademark and made it official — CAT YOGA was mine. The papers were stamped, the dream was real… and the rest, as they say, is Cat Yoga history.
First-draft illustration of the Cat Yoga Institute, Central Command Center (work-in-progress concept art.)
For additional details, collaboration opportunities, or production inquiries regarding The Cat Yoga Squad, please contact me directly by clicking the button below.
The Cat Yoga Squad
An Animated Series & Graphic Novel in Development
When a spaceship full of extraterrestrial cats crash-lands on Earth, they’re rescued by the one and only Mister Cat Yoga—a cosmic guru devoted to peace, balance, and the occasional hairball. Together, they form The Cat Yoga Squad, using ancient feline wisdom and futuristic tech to bring harmony to a chaotic planet.
But lurking in the shadows is their misunderstood nemesis: The Mitzrian Man—a misunderstood troll with eight-foot arms, laser-beam eyes, and a bucket full of glue. He despises bullies and dishes out his own brand of karmic justice to kids who mistreat animals… by gluing their heads and sticking them to the ceiling. Come morning, they tumble down—minus a patch of hair—and gain a lifelong reminder to be kind.
A surreal, heartwarming, and hilariously twisted adventure—The Cat Yoga Squad proves that enlightenment can come from anywhere… even outer space.
First-draft illustration of the Mitzrian Man under the bed in action! (work-in-progress concept art.)