Star of The Simpsons and host of the popular true - offense podcast , “ Small Town Dicks , ” Smith is also a self - professed gaga cat momma — and passionate beast rescue advocate .
She ’s tried learn her cats touse the can . Nope . pool on III . No way . She even installed a nerveless computerized tomography gym " that ’s so beautiful , it bet like a slice of Danish carving " along her stairway for their entertainment . Her CT do n’t use it .
In other words , celebrity like actress Yeardley Smith are just like us — her fabulous felines , Zipper and Petunia , allowherintotheirworld . She ’s just the narrator of it . And the individual who fetches their food at 4:15 each first light .
Photo: Courtesy of Yeardley Smith
But she would n’t have it any other elbow room . Smith loves everything about cats . " I care how they reek , how they ’re cuddly , their size … I love theirpurringand their nerve . I just sense we were meant to be together , " she tells Daily Paws . What a coincidence — those are some of the many reasons we love cats , too !
Devoted to Rescue Cats
Almost all of her khat have beenrescues . For example , when she first discovered Zipper and Petunia , it was during an espousal issue at a preferred supplies retailer , and she could n’t stop thinking about them . They were n’t biological sisters , but kitten pals all the same , so after simmer over the decision for a while , Smith decide to adopt them both . Now they ’re sweetsenior kittiesat almost 14 . Once close and cuddly , these sidereal day they simply tolerate each other , Smith says .
Zipper ( above),namedso because she zipped around as a youngster , is indifferent . About four years ago , she was ill for months with a sinus issue and lose her hearing . But she ’s a relatively tranquil lap cat and enjoysacupuncture . Smith thought Petunia , below , had the most perfect pearly - pink olfactory organ , like a heyday . Petunia is more anxious , and always on patrol . " I wonder why . What could I have done when she was a kitten to make her know that she ’s good , well , and that I would do anything for her , so she could just loosen ? " Smith sound out .
amazingly , as a renowned actress andvoiceover artist(she ’s acted as Lisa onThe Simpsonsfor more than 30 years ) , Smith does n’t make up voice for her cats or speak to them in a specific way , but she can imitate their variance in meows perfectly ( Watch the fun on TikTok ! ) Like many preferred parents , she ’s confident that if one of them were mislay and she was searching the locality , she would lie with them instantly by their meows . " It ’s like your kids — you may just narrate . "
Courtesy of Yeardley Smith
Yeardley Smith, Self-Professed Cat Fan…atic
Are Zipper and Petunia fuck up ? Oh yes ! " If there ’s half a can ofcat foodleft when we all go to bed , I cover it with a eyelid and put it in the ' fridge . When it comes out in the good morning , I put it in the microwave oven for 6 seconds so it ’s elbow room temperature when I give it to them , " Smith enunciate . " But sometimes even now , they ’re like , ' Iknowthat ’s yesterday ’s . ' "
And although the pussycat have an unreasonable number ofcat toy dog , Smith believes that anybody who has a cat knows toy are virtually useless , stating their pet plaything is a crinkle - up Post - it .
She also ca n’t resist persistent Zipper ’s 4:15 breakfast wake - up calls . Unlike Petunia , Zipper ca n’t follow a cue to go back to bed , because she would n’t be able to hear it . Smith , a really light sleeper goby , aver Zipper " does this affair where she says , ' Mewrer?'—and then she waitress . ' Mewrer ? ' She just keeps at it . If you put her outside the way , which I ’ve tried , but of course that does n’t process , because cats and shut room access are just a no - go . "
So she gets up , feeds them , and goes back to bed . " And then I experience like , ' Yeah , you own me . ' "
And let ’s talk about the cat gym , which she had build because they were going to be indoor cats . An intricate maze of boxes , steps , andshelvesto observe the globe from on high ( as kitties are prone to do ) seemed like thebestidea .
" For the first two years , perhaps , they were sort of interested in it . And now … they do n’t use it at all , except now and again , to sleep in the top trays , where there are little box which are laid with carpeting and a bit soft , " she says . " I call back it was so attractively designed , and I was so excited about it ! But they kind of thumbed their small nose at me and say , ' Ha ! Who handle , ma’am ? ' "
Caring for Cats During the Pandemic
As many of us understand , pandemic homelifechanged the relationship between Smith and her ducky . " It ’s a funny affair . I experience like hoi polloi who ’ve never had cats say , ' Oh , I do n’t wish cats — they’re so upstage , they ’re sort - of standoffish . ' I ’ve never had that experience with any of my cats . I really really love and honour their independency . "
But she feels they ’re more needy now because their routine is interrupt , and they follow her around like dogs and interrupt her work . Her solution ? Put a big , poofycat bedin front of the gun fireplace in her office . Seems to do the trick !
She ’s an ardent supporter of the Best Friends Animal Society , which just recently celebrated 11 class of protagonism travail to finally make Los Angeles thelargest no - kill residential district in the nation . She encourages prospective pet parents to take their time when choosing toadopt a puss , and wait for one that stick with you . If you do n’t make a connection during one visit , go back again and see who ’s new .
" Do n’t experience as though you should take one just because they ’re a rescue . Do n’t feel rushed — of course , we want to rescue them all , " Smith enunciate . " But it ’s authoritative to palpate like there ’s already a symbiotic human relationship between you , because I feel in many way that our pets choose us . "
