Frances and Family
Frances and Family is a real-life pet lifestyle brand and live-streaming show hosted by Chris Thomas, a former tech professional turned full-time cat caretaker. The show features Thomas and his adopted feline family, led by a once-feral cat named Frances who gave birth to seven kittens in his basement. The family now stars in a weekly product review show called Cool Cat Stuff with Frances and Family on Amazon Live.
Background
In 2023, a pregnant feral cat wandered into Thomas’s backyard in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Initially scared and skittish, the cat — later named Frances — slowly warmed up to Thomas as he fed her daily. After showing up with an injury one evening, Thomas brought her inside, where she gave birth the next day.
The original plan was to find homes for the kittens, but the family bond proved too strong to break. Instead, Thomas decided to keep all eight cats, launching what would become a major pivot in his life and career.
Development
Shortly after adopting the feline family, Thomas lost his job. In an effort to support his new responsibilities, he launched a pet product review show on Amazon Live under the name Cool Cat Stuff. The show features weekly live streams where Thomas and the cats demonstrate and review various cat-related products. The show’s tone is warm, humorous, and authentic — built around the loving dynamic of a man and his rescued cat family.
Online Presence
The story went viral on TikTok under the handle @francesandfamily, where millions of users followed the journey of Frances from stray to star. Frances and her kittens became beloved symbols of rescue, compassion, and unexpected family.
Frances and Family has expanded its reach across:
Impact
The story of Frances has been featured in media outlets like Newsweek and has resonated deeply with online audiences. The transformation from feral cat to internet celebrity cat mom — and from unemployed man to full-time cat dad and content creator — is seen as a modern tale of healing, resilience, and love.
References
See also
- Influencer pets
- Amazon Live
- Pet product marketing