About the Summit:
The Cat & Advocate Wellbeing Summit is a progressive, virtual, and free event focused on empathy for cat advocates. Through education, support, and community, we aim to inspire meaningful change, enhance feline wellbeing, and empower those dedicated to their care.
Please note: This summit does not replace veterinary care for cats or mental health services for you.
Key Benefits:
Gain practical knowledge and skills to enhance feline wellbeing
Connect with a passionate community of cat advocates.
Discover thoughtful strategies to navigate the challenges of animal welfare.
Inspire meaningful change for cats and their caregivers.
Summit Schedule:
Saturday, February 22nd : Cat Wellbeing 10am - 5:30pm EST
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Sunday, February 23rd : Advocate Wellbeing 10am - 4:30pm EST
The Sessions:
The Power of Empathy in Cat Behavior -- Stephanie Merlin
Learn how understanding feline emotions and behavior can transform your approach to cat wellbeing. This session explores the profound impact of emotions on behavior and guides you on embracing a trauma-informed approach and implementing compassionate care strategies to strengthen the human-animal bond.
Enhancing Confidence and Adoptability for Cautious Cats-- Jaime Clifton
Help shy cats thrive in foster care and increase their adoption chances. This presentation provides practical techniques to build confidence in cats within foster, rescue, and shelter environments. Learn how to create safety and security, leading to easier handling, reduced stress, and increased adaptability.
Supporting Cats While Creating Coexistence-- Tori Schlosser
Certified Cat Trainer Tori Schlosser presents effective strategies to help cat professionals and advocates support adopters and clients in introducing cats. Learn to balance safety and success while considering each cat's wellbeing. Discover techniques for meeting individual needs, maintaining flexibility, and navigating challenging conversations compassionately. Achieve kitty harmony!
The Ethics of Cats in Social Media-- Shani Campbell
In this engaging presentation, we explore the intersection of feline charm and ethical considerations in the digital landscape. As cats dominate social media feeds, we examine the implications of cat content creation, from consent and representation to the potential for exploitation.
The Hidden Crisis in Cat Advocacy-- Stephanie Merlin
We must discuss the silent struggle of emotional overwhelm and burnout that impacts cat advocates. This session delves into the emotional toll and sparks a vital conversation about sustainability and adapting the animal welfare field to support advocates.
Nervous System Health: A Foundational Approach to Wellbeing in Animal Care Work-- Angie Arora
This session offers an introduction to nervous system health as a foundation for cat advocates’ wellbeing. Learn how stress and trauma impact us, and discover initial tools for strengthening nervous system capacity and resilience, along with resources for continuing this journey to professional sustainability.
Supporting Grief and Building Resilience When Caring for Cats-- Beth Bigler
Join Beth Bigler to explore the emotional challenges you face in your work, including grief, loss, and euthanasia. Gain practical strategies for building emotional resilience and managing workplace grief, with time for Q&A and discussion to deepen your understanding and apply these tools to your important work and mission.
Elevating the Standard of Cat Care-- Roundtable Discussion
This roundtable discussion brings together cat advocates from diverse fields to examine the challenges impacting feline welfare and wellbeing. By sharing real-world perspectives and experiences in behavior, sheltering, rescue, veterinary care, community cat care, and pet sitting, participants will collaboratively brainstorm solutions and strategies to elevate the standard of care for all cats.
Panelists: Dr. Lynn Bahr, Daniel "DQ" Quagliozzi, Daria Tavana, Tory Duchene, & Molly Kelsey
Caring for Advocates-- Roundtable Discussion
This roundtable provides a safe space for cat advocates to engage in open and honest conversations about the challenges they face, such as burnout, compassion fatigue, and feelings of isolation. Together, we can explore these emotional burdens, share coping strategies, and develop solutions for building a more supportive, inclusive, and sustainable field for those dedicated to cats.
Panelists: Kia Pascal, Alicia Halloran,Vanessa McKnight, Audrey Grant, & Daniel "DQ" Quagliozzi
Your Speakers:
Stephanie Merlin CFTBS, FFCP
Certified Cat Behavior & Wellbeing Educator
Stephanie, founder of The Fuflilled Feline, is a compassionate cat behavior and wellbeing educator dedicated to fostering empathy and understanding within the cat community. With over a decade of experience and professional education, she empowers cat guardians to enhance their feline companions' emotional wellbeing and strengthen their bond.
Jaime Clifton CFTBS, ABCCT, FFCP
Certified Cat Behavior & Training Specialist
Jaime, founder of The Kindred Cat, helps fearful cats become more comfortable with humans and their environment. With four resident cats, rabbits, and a foster cat, she uses clicker training to build trust and enhance the cat-human bond.
Tori Schlosser ABCCT, FFCP
Certified Cat Trainer
Tori Schlosser, a Certified Cat Trainer and Fear Free Certified Professional, owns Purrsuasion. She's passionate about helping people understand, nurture, and respect their unique feline companions. Tori empowers cat owners to build the best possible bond with their cats through compassionate training and education.
Shani Campbell CFTBS
Certified Cat Behavior & Training Specialist
Shani, founder of Wild at Heart, began her career in behavior analysis working with non-speaking children with autism. This fostered a deep understanding of non-verbal communication and respect. Transitioning to animal advocacy, she now creates behavior plans and videos to not only enable cats to live their best lives but also to save their lives.
Angie Arora MSW, RSW
Veterinary Social Worker
Angie Arora is a Veterinary Social Worker who supports high-stress, high-trauma exposed animal care organizations and its people to improve professional quality of life and wellbeing. Angie provides trauma-informed therapeutic coaching, training and courses to help people and organizations move out of states of surviving to thriving.
Beth Bigler GC-C, PGSS-C
Pet Loss Grief Counselor
Beth Bigler, pet loss grief counselor, educator, and author, is also the founder of Honoring Our Animals. She is recognized as a leading voice in normalizing companion animal grief, dedicated to validating and supporting those who are grieving through her practice and content creation.
Your Roundtable Panelists:
Elevating the Standard of Cat Care
Dr. Lynn Bahr (she/her)
Dr. Lynn Bahr, veterinarian since 1991, is passionate about feline health and the human-animal bond. As CEO of Dezi & Roo, she creates enrichment products for cats. Dr. Bahr is an award-winning advocate for feline welfare, serving on several boards and co-authoring "Indoor Cat: How to Enrich Their Lives and Expand Their World".
Daniel "DQ" Quagliozzi (he/him)
DQ is a Certified Feline Training and Behavior Specialist with 20+ years' experience. As founder of Go Cat Go, he offers compassionate solutions for cat behavior challenges, creating personalized plans that strengthen cat-human bonds. His expertise is shaped by his work at the SF SPCA and SFACC.
Daria Tavana (she/they)
Daria is an animal welfare professional with 13+ years of experience in fundraising and cat behavior. As Director of Development at The Street Dog Coalition, she secures veterinary care for pets of unhoused people. She also volunteers with the Animal Welfare Association, specializing in cat socialization.
Tory Duchene (she/her)
Tory is a Certified Pet Grief Specialist with 7+ years in cat rescue and veterinary assistance. As founder of Empawthy Pet Support, she specializes in chronic illness support, senior cat wellness, and grief guidance, empowering cat parents and their feline companions to thrive together.
Molly Kelsey (she/her)
Molly is a former vet nurse turned cat behavior consultant and welfare advocate, with 10+ years of experience in feline care and advocacy. She is passionate about improving the lives of cats and their humans through expert advice, science-backed solutions, and a deep love for all things feline.
Caring for Advocates
Kia Pascal (she/her)
This millennial RN traded human care for community cat care, starting a pet treats and toys business to give cats healthier options. Kia is passionate about cat nutrition and behavior, she loves caring for stray and feral cats, improving their lives through compassionate care and advocacy.
Alicia Halloran (she/her)
Alicia is an animal communicator with 25 years of experience helping pets and families connect. She specializes in supporting animals with special needs and volunteers at cat shelters, where she helps caregivers understand feline emotional and behavioral needs.
Vanessa McKnight (she/her)
Vanessa, owner of Vanessa's Pet Sitting Services, LLC, is a dedicated pet sitter with 10+ years of experience. She provides care for cats, including boarding. Passionate about cat advocacy, Vanessa supports rescues and educates others on feline welfare.
Audrey Grant (they/them)
Audrey is the owner and primary cat sitter of Mutts & Meows Pet Care in Brooklyn, NY! Their behavior- focused approach to cat care emphasizes play, building routines, and advocating for adjustments to reduce stress and build confidence in cats while owners are away.
Daniel "DQ" Quagliozzi (he/him)
DQ is a Certified Feline Training and Behavior Specialist with 20+ years' experience. As founder of Go Cat Go, he offers compassionate solutions for cat behavior challenges, creating personalized plans that strengthen cat-human bonds. His expertise is shaped by his work at the SF SPCA and SFACC.
