How one man’s bond with a colony of feral cats became a story of survival, sovereignty – and love
Now streaming: Episode 7 of The Pets Mag Podcast
🎧 Listen on Spotify | 📺 Watch on Vimeo & YouTube| 🐾
Feature article in the August edition of Pets Magazine.
Some people rescue animals. Others build sanctuaries.
But Eshete simply showed up, every day, for a group of forgotten cats on the streets of Brooklyn – and changed all their lives, including his own.
In this unforgettable episode of The Pets Mag Podcast, host Marie Carter-Robb is joined by Academy Award® nominee Laura Checkoway and the extraordinary man at the heart of her documentary The Cat Man Eshete.
The story begins in Ethiopia, where Eshete fled civil war as a young man, leaving behind his family, his studies – and everything he knew. His journey took him to New York, where decades later, he encountered a cat named Nubia who would quietly alter the course of his life.
“I chose them before food. That’s love.”
Eshete didn’t plan to become a cat carer. “It just happened,” he says, gently. “They found me.” One by one, the cats arrived. He fed them, protected them from cars and construction sites, and neutered the colony with help from local rescue groups. At one point, he was caring for nearly 30 cats. Now, he watches over a smaller group of seniors – including a cat once named Puerto Rico, or Rico, whose quirky spirit Eshete remembers with joy.
“They’re comedians,” he says. “Spiritual animals. They make you laugh. They make you feel peace.”
To outsiders, he was just a man on the street. “People thought I was homeless,” he admits. “They called the police. But I was there to protect them.”
A Stranger, A Glance – and a Film
Filmmaker Laura Checkoway met Eshete by chance while walking through her Brooklyn neighbourhood. “He was surrounded by cats and pigeons,” she says. “Our eyes met. We started talking. And we’ve never stopped.”
What began as a spontaneous connection turned into a powerful friendship – and eventually, the 25-minute documentary The Cat Man Eshete, now streaming via Al Jazeera English’s Witness series.
Filmed in Brooklyn and Gondar (Eshete’s hometown in Ethiopia), the documentary captures both present-day reality and Eshete’s dreamlike recollections. Sequences shot on 16mm film echo his memories, his longing, and his deep love for his homeland – a “mountainous paradise,” as he calls it.
What the Podcast Reveals
In the episode, Eshete opens up about his past, his trauma, and how the cats helped him survive. His voice is poetic, quietly profound. He speaks of their independence, their loyalty, and their ability to restore something long-lost in his soul.
“They gave me joy,” he says. “I raised them like family. And they raised me, too.”
Laura adds: “What Eshete does is what rescue really means – not just taking animals in, but showing up for them. With nothing. And everything.”
A Story That Stays With You
As with all great stories, The Cat Man Eshete is about much more than cats. It’s about devotion. Sovereignty. The emotional truth of living in exile. And the way animals can save us – without ever saying a word.
📺 Watch the film:
YouTube – Al Jazeera English: Witness
🌐 Read more or subscribe:
📸 Follow Laura on Instagram: @laurachecks
📝 A memoir by Eshete is currently in development.