The fantastic feral drag clown of found object artistry, RatCatXO pounces into Round 1 of Mx. Nobody this weekend!
Thotyssey: Hello RatCat, thanks for chatting today! So, the World Cup is over and Madonna performed at halftime for two minutes! Did you follow any of that, lol?
RatCatXO: LMAO! I was rooting for Spain like everybody, but honestly I was not super tuned in–my fav teams got knocked out early. Cheers to Madonna though, I guess!
Speaking of celebs: although he’s neither rat nor cat, I was wondering if you had any interest in latest social media sensation Jimothy, the deformed raccoon! I’m seeing him everywhere now.
I have not heard of this creature, and will be looking him up immediately. One sec.
[A short time later] Okay wait, I can’t believe it’s a real raccoon! I was expecting like a taxidermy horror or something. I wish Jimothy everything in the world, and I hope he lives a long, happy and comfortable life.
And a few brand endorsement deals, at least!
Back to the star of the moment: how might you describe RatCat to the uninitiated, as far as the looks, performances and themes you serve?
Well, I am New York’s number one rat drag artist for sure… which was much easier to say before. There’s now four of us total! Five, if Dawn wants to scurry back into her rat drag look. Each rat is unique… and personally to me, trash is treasure. Most of my looks are made from second hand materials, or just straight up trash! The more I grow, the more I am able to experiment with trash in new ways and expand what I’m able to create. I also fall into the section of drag that is explicitly clowning, and have leaned more and more into clown paint and techniques. My performances range from genuine ballads from the heart, to all kinds of rat gags, lore, and culture–there’s more than people realize! Also, I love a good coochie pull.
So if you see, like, a cat hunting a rat in a park or something, would you root for the rat?
Yeah, of course! That’s Ratland! A rat in a bodega, though… girl, get out of there! Now those cats are the real hunters, they got something to protect.
Can you share a bit of your origin story with us: where are you from originally, and what sort of interests did you have that may have ultimately put you on this drag / clown / furry path?
I am actually from New York! One of my earliest memories is of seeing the scab rat outside a business, so rats have always been in my life. I grew up mostly in LA though, and am really glad to have finally moved back here for good. I’ve always loved animals and talking animal movies. Cats is my favorite musical; I rented the DVD from Netflix when I was 10 and it changed my life, I was obsessed with Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: the Squeakuel growing up, Cats Don’t Dance is one of my favorite movies, my childhood crush is Kovu from Lion King 2… furry shit has just always been a part of my life.
I studied clown in college, and around the same time really dove into the drag world. I got to help work Manila Luzon’s booth in 2019 and bought my first wig there, and still use it to this day. I love clowning; as a philosophy for life, it really helps you embrace failure and the absurdity of things. Everyone needs to take a clown class for sure.
But the culmination of all of this was in 2023. I was living with my grandparents after college, and had experienced a huge loss; a friend had passed away right after we graduated. I had also gotten dumped before that, and then had to leave all my friends because I couldn’t stay in Boston where I had gone to college. The media I could watch was super limited because of how tender my heart was, and I found myself drifting back to Drag Race. I was so inspired by earlier seasons, and it felt daunting… but I wanted to be a part of the art form. I’m no 7 foot Glamazon though, and the idea of a rat pop star drag persona just sort of came to mind… especially with how small and weird I may look next to the more traditional queens. I also have always been passionate about sustainability, and the rat theme fit the idea of using trash and found treasure to make up recycled looks. It was two more years from that point until I developed it enough to debut, and even after debuting it’s still constantly a growing identity.
Do you have any “strangest found object I ever made a look out of” anecdote?
Gosh, it’s so hard because I’ve brought trash back from Bolivia to use: caution tape, but in Spanish because I love using caution tape. Grabbing fallen caution tape from the subways while in nice clothes is always a bit nerve wracking, but kinda funny. I have to be so careful because you never know what’s gotten on it before I sanitize it.
I also am making a look using a tarp my grandfather had put up while repainting the kitchen. I brought it back rolled up in my suitcase, and had to grab it from the garage at night so it didn’t get thrown away in the bin.
No doubt you’ll be finding all the Things for the look(s) you’re presenting in Round 1 of the Mx Nobody pageant you’re competing in this Friday at Coney Island USA! What inspired you to join this competition, and what can folks expect?
OMG yes God, I’m so excited… I honestly can’t believe I got pulled from the wig. I’m super nervous; the competition is fierce, so I will be bringing my absolute A++++ game! I love The Nobodies so much; they’re such a weird, fun punk collective, and I’m so honored to get the chance to be a part of it. I’m here to win though–that’s my inspiration–and to get my name out and show what this lil’ rat can do! I don’t want to spoil the act. There will be some classic RatCat stuff, trash outfits, rat lore… but with a special twist. And I’ll be delving into something I haven’t really tried yet, so fingers crossed it works!
And I hear that a puppet / clown / drag benefit show is coming up also!
Yeah! Pixie Pierrot, a phenomenal drag king, is hosting a charity fundraiser on July 26th; It’ll be a pantry drive at Phil’s, 12pm brunch! Lots of puppets, clowns and fun, and the chance to help out the community!
Then on the 29th, you’ll be performing for Bri Joy’s birthday show at C’mon Everybody!
Yes, that’s gonna be so phenomenal and a great little victory lap… whatever happens at Mx. Nobody! I’m super excited to celebrate his birthday; he’s actually my drag baby, so it’s a big day for sure.
What else is coming up for you?
I have a bunch of things cooking up on the side… top secret, though! Otherwise, I’m hoping to do BunnyTrix’s open clown set [at Bar Freda] on the 30th, and real excited to see my friend Anomolee compete in Kings Cup [at Club Cumming] on the 29th! But other than that, you’ll just have to stick around and see what pops out the oven.
Excellent! Okay, my traditional closer: what’s your favorite / most essential item in your drag bag?
God, that’s so hard to say. A very real answer is black liner or liquid lipstick, because if all else fails I can do a lot with just some fierce bold details–including my favorite thing, which is writing “Rat Cat” across my ass.
My fun answer would be my cock, aka my little honking chicken I got from Clown Cult. I love clipping it to my underwear and having people give it a lil’ squeeze, lol. Full consent, of course!.
Thanks, Rat!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for RatCatXO’s upcoming appearances, and follow the performer on Instagram.
Thotyssey 