Cat Eyes: Make-up, Magic and Myopia with writer Zahra Hankir, Animal Communicator Alicia Halloran and Cat Ophthalmologist Steve Hanes

Welcome back to 6 Degrees of Cats, the world’s #1 (& only) cat-themed culture, history and science podcast! In this 40-ish minute odyssey of the mind, we head back to the Fertile Crescent with the help of Zahra Hankir, author of New York Times Book Review Editors pick, Eyeliner: A Cultural History, to explore why the aesthetics of the “cat eye” belie the deep symbolic and protective properties this design invokes - and how eyeliner connects us to our ancestors and cultures across the world! We then travel to other realms to see what else those mesmerizing, chatoyant eyes may be picking up - carbon monoxide? Mice in the walls? GHOSTS? - with clairvoyant animal communicator Alicia Halloran of Healing Habitat. Then, with the help of Dr. Steve Hanes of the Veterinary Eye Center of NYC, we train our gaze directly into the physical eyeballs of our feline friends to observe the biomechanics and optical oddities that might help explain at least some of that infamous creepy cat stare phenomena. (Why is there no X-File on this yet?) By the end of this episode, you’ll feel especially reverent of the extra-sensory vigilance our house guardians possess! Support the podcast at https://ko-fi.com/6degreesofcats for as little as $1 / month for stickers, early access to new episodes and behind the scenes audio. View the show notes and more on The Captain’s Log, the companion podcast newsletter here: linktr.ee/6degreesofcats. And check out these supplementary episodes: The Golden Age of Cats: The Medieval Middle East, Muezza and the Mark of Muhammad (or Mary)Curiosity Didn’t Kill the Cat, Part 1: Research and Righting ReflexesCuriosity Didn’t Kill the Cat, Part 2: Exploring Science Fairs, Schrodinger’s Cat, and the Fascinating Concept of Cats as Liquids About the experts: Alicia Halloran is a trained animal communicator and holistic coach who specializes in spiritual behaviorism and clairvoyant healing. Since 2005, she has helped animals and their people through her business, Healing Habitat. Learn more about Alicia’s work at aliciahalloran.com or follow her on Instagram at @odieseyes.Zahra Hankir, M.A., M.S., is the author of Eyeliner: A Cultural History (Penguin Random House), a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Pick. She is a Columbia University–trained journalist with an academic background in Middle Eastern Studies, Islamic movements and international politics. Visit www.zahrahankir.com for more information on her work and upcoming publications.Steve Hanes, V.M.D., M.S., D.A.C.V.O. is a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist at the Veterinary Eye Center of NYC. Dr. Hanes received his veterinary studies degree at the University of Pennsylvania and interned in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Florida, later completing his comparative ophthalmology residency at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. Please visit https://www.vecnyc.com/doctors/steve-hanes to learn more about Steve and the Veterinary Eye Center of NYC. Producer, writer, editor, sound designer, host, basically everything* Captain Kitty (Amanda B.) * with co-executive producers Binky & Snuggles and new associate Peanut Animal voices include: Binky, Snuggles and Peanut _^..^_ Music: Leathered: "Look Alive" © 2025Additional sound effects from Pixabay.com Logo design: Edward Anthony © 2025 (Instagram: itsmyunzii) Research used: Abbasi, S. M. (2017). A study of the evil eye phenomenon and how it is translated ... Indian Journal of Scientific Research. https://www.ijsr.in/upload/108373904925.pdfCat’s Eyes. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. (n.d.). https://naturalhistory.si.edu/explore/collections/geogallery/10025988Crivellato, E., & Ribatti, D. (2006, October 23). Soul, mind, brain: Greek philosophy and the birth of Neuroscience. Brain Research Bulletin. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S036192300600298X?via%3DihubEarsc. (2021, April 7). World from space: “how we use technology inspired by bats to see water availability in fields.” EARSC. https://earsc.org/2021/04/07/world-from-space-how-we-use-technology-inspired-by-bats-to-see-water-availability-in-fields/Gem-A. (2025, February 19). Understanding the cat’s eye effect in gemstones: Gem-a. Gem. https://gem-a.com/gem-hub/understanding-the-cats-eye-effect-in-gemstones/Hankir, Z. (2023). Eyeliner: A cultural history. New York: Penguin Books.Jiang, J., Borowiak, K., Tudge, L., Otto, C., & von Kriegstein, K. (2017, February 1). Neural mechanisms of eye contact when listening to another person talking. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5390711/Johnston, A. M., Turrin, C., Watson, L., Arre, A. M., & Santos, L. R. (2017, July 13). Uncovering the origins of dog-human eye contact. https://caplab.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/2017-johnstonetal.pdfPeissig, J. J., Killian, A., & Mousavi, M. (2016, September). The role of the eyes and makeup ...