Natalie Telfer — from the comedic duo Cat and Nat — had it all figured out. She was going to have the most perfect babies, the most supportive husband and the absolutely cleanest house. She even had a spreadsheet that predicted she’d one day have three boys and one girl.
That last expectation actually came true. But all those aspirations of orderly perfection, she quickly learned, were utter nonsense.
“I thought being a mother was going to be just like the movies — and it is exactly the opposite of that,” Telfer says. “You’re crying all the time, you’re exhausted, it’s a mess. I was so in the throes of being so tired I couldn’t think. Nothing on TV was realistic, and there was nowhere to turn to where the truth was.”
She found that truth after reconnecting with Catherine Belknap, a casual friend from high school, on Facebook. As they commiserated about how hard it all was (they now have seven kids ages 6-13 between them), their instant chemistry became a life saver for each.
Dubbing themselves Cat and Nat, the two started hosting small community groups for like-minded mothers in the Toronto area. Their quick humor, outrageous honesty and free-flowing wine quickly drew a following, and now they have become a genuine phenomenon — a near-conglomerate with their own YouTube channel, iHeartRadio award-nominated podcast, two books, a card game called Mom Truths, a wine brand dubbed Twin Truths and carefully curated gift boxes — including one with a pink vibrator that “take(s) you to places you only dreamed of.”
Cat and Nat are coming to Detroit!
Now Cat and Nat are bringing their high-energy and hilarious show to Detroit on May 6, when they will appear at Sound Board at MotorCity Casino.
“In the beginning when we started to create an in-person community in Toronto there was such a need for a place for moms to go, have conversations and not be judged,” says Telfer. “I wish it wasn’t true, but it seems women need permission to have a good time, and we are here for that. So many moms go to bed at night, rethink everything they did that day, and feel guilty. They go out of their way to plan every event and party for their kids but don’t know if it’s okay to take that night off with the girls because there is so much on their plate.”
Not only is it OK, it’s essential, say Cat and Nat. As they declare on their website, “It doesn’t have to be this hard and you don’t need to figure it out on your own.” Belknap puts it this way: “The feeling of being out of control is the same for each and every parent.”
Their show at Sound Board at MotorCity Casino is a high-energy blend of standup, games, audience participation, DJ music, dancing — and male dancers. “We came up with that idea over tequila one night,” Telfer admits. “We both have very short attention spans so we need everything to be super exciting.”
The evening celebrates women and motherhood in all its forms. “We highlight best friend stories, and everyone cries tears of happiness and joy that women can be so amazing to each other. Everyone who comes says, ‘I didn’t know how much I needed that,’” Telfer says.
Sharing motherhood as a journey
The duo first experimented with live shows four years ago. Since no one was willing to back their production, they did it all themselves, from booking the venues to selling the tickets, in four different cities. It was a hit and they’re thrilled to be back on the road post-pandemic, especially since they now have professionals taking care of all the details.
Though Nat says “98% of the audience are women,” some brave and open-minded men do attend the shows. “They have such a good time and they understand their wives better. And if you come alone, when you leave you will have a roomful of friends.”
Both women say they are happy to be beyond the baby stage in their motherhood journeys. “It was very overwhelming knowing they could choke, they could fall … I was always concerned, even when they were sleeping quietly, were they breathing?” Telfer recalls.
But now, of course, comes the difficult tween and teen years. “We knew parenting was hard,” they admit on their website, “but we didn’t know it would get progressively harder.”
Find Cat and Nat at catandnat.ca. Get your tickets to their show on May 6, 2022 at Sound Board at Motor City Casino Hotel.
