We were lucky to catch up with Kayla Delcoure recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kayla, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?
I am a internet comedian focused on the lives of my cats. My online personality name is “Gizmo’s Best Life” because my orange cat, Gizmo, was the main focus of my comedy. This last October Gizmo developed a very dangerous disease called Feline Infectious Peritonitis, commonly referred to as “FIP”. The disease used to be 100% fatal but now thanks to a black market drug, cats like Gizmo get a fighting chance to overcome the disease.
Unfortunately, Gizmo’s FIP caused too much irreversible damage to his kidneys that he was not able to recover. He passed away peacefully at home in my arms on November 1st. I was devastated. It felt like my whole world had gone up in flames. Everything hurt.
Kayla, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Before I begin telling our story, I want to warn you that it does begin in a time of mourning and loss. I ask you to read through our loss though because it was ultimately the foundation upon which so much good has been built.
December 13, 2021, twelve days before Christmas, our family suffered the unexpected loss of our kitten, Waffles. He was nine months old and developed the same terminal illness, Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). He showed lethargy one day and then three days later he was gone. I’ve owned cats for 25 years and had never even heard of such an aggressive and fatal disease.
After losing Waffles, my family was inconsolable. My husband and my four-year-old and five-year-old sons were all destroyed. My other cats were depressed. And I was utterly lost. A week went by and as Christmas approached, it was clear that the only way we could begin our journey of healing was to find another kitten who needed a home.
And then we found Gizmo.
Gizmo, who was named “Jingles” by the shelter looked like a peachy little cotton ball when we found his adoption profile online. I sent in an application to adopt him from Pippi’s Place Pet Rescue in Lawrenceville, GA. In it, I explained the heartbreaking loss our family experienced. The founder of the rescue reached out later that day to talk. She had been taking care of Gizmo personally since he was rescued and she wanted to make sure he would be going to the best possible home.
It didn’t take long for her to decide that we were the right family. We drove out the next day to pick him up. The second Gizmo came home, the weight on our hearts started to lift. Our other three cats welcomed him after only a few hours. He was the spark our dark world needed.
It was clear after day two that Gizmo was destined for fame. He greeted our Christmas tree by diving under it and smacking an ornament clear across the floor. Every bout of mischief he had we welcomed. It brought us so much joy that I had to share him with the world.
I created his TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. It took so little effort to make him go viral because he was just that genuinely hilarious. In under six months, he amassed over 40,000 followers on Tiktok. His Facebook and Instagram presence were growing as well. About three months into his online presence, he started gaining the attention of media outlets. The Dodo did an entire feature video about Gizmo and his obsession with play tunnels. There are also articles online about the same tunnel obsession and then his incessant howling. One of his videos even made it onto a TV news network in the UK.
As Gizmo rose to internet fame, we started doing product endorsement videos. That gave me the idea to start using that notoriety for good. At first, I would post and share videos about local rescues and the cats they had available for adoption. I decided to try something bigger for Gizmo’s birthday in August 2022.
I created a fundraiser for Pippi’s Place Pet Rescue, the rescue where we adopted Gizmo. In two weeks, we raised over $1,000. In total, we raised over $1,200 for the organization. I decided to make that an annual tradition to celebrate Gizmo’s birthday.
Fast forward to now, we are rapidly approaching half a million followers online and are an officially registered legal entity!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
In addition to all of the emotional turmoil I experienced with Gizmo’s passing, I also had to think about what to do from the business side of things. After some time had passed, I rebranded our channels are “Gizmo’s Best Friends” and changed the logo from just Gizmo to Gizmo and the four other cats as well.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative/comedian is reading people’s reactions about how I made their day with my humor and my cats. There is so much darkness in the world. Being the light for those in need fills my heart with joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gizmosbestfriends.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gizmosbestfriends
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GizmosBestFriends
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GizmosBFFs
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gizmosbestfriends
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@gizmosbestfriends