Below is the list of our 2017 Speakers. 2018 Speakers to be announced in February 2018. Have suggestions for topics/speakers you would like to see at our next event? Contact us here.
Jackson Galaxy
Jackson Galaxy will be giving the keynote at the inaugural Cat Camp. He is the host of Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell and two-time New York Times best-selling author with 20+ years of experience helping humans understand cats and helping cats find their mojo.
Learn more about Jackson Galaxy or his non-profit, Jackson Galaxy Foundation.
NYC Feral Cat Initiative
Kathleen O'Malley, the Director of TNR Education for the NYC Feral Cat Initiative, will be speaking about TNR. The NYC Feral Cat Initiative (NYCFCI), a program of the private nonprofit Alliance for NYC’s Animals, supports the efforts of organizations and individuals who work to help stray and feral cats — collectively known as “community cats” — and perform Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). Our goal is to humanely reduce the population of community cats. TNR, which includes ongoing care of community cats, is the most humane and effective approach to reducing their population and ensuring good quality of life. Most community cats are not socialized to humans and are not suited for adoption, but they can live long and healthy lives in their outdoor home. Anyone who cares about community cats can get involved in helping them, and the NYCFCI will show you how.
Hannah Shaw aka Kitten Lady
Hannah Shaw is founder of the rescue and advocacy project, Kitten Lady. Shaw is known for her inspiring and educational videos, photos, and resources about how to save the lives of kittens. She has rescued hundreds of orphans, and trains shelters and individuals around the world about innovative approaches to animal protection. Shaw's personal mission is to create a global change in the way we perceive and treat animals--especially the tiniest felines--orphaned kittens.
Kate Benjamin of Hauspanther
Kate Benjamin is the founder of Hauspanther LLC and editor of the popular cat style blog hauspanther.com. Hauspanther's mission is to spread the word about how good design can enhance the way we live with cats, improving our lives and the lives of our beloved feline companions. Kate specializes in helping people live stylishly with cats, bringing them product information and interior design tips to help Catify their homes. Kate also designs a line of innovative cat furniture in partnership with Primetime Petz.
Kate has been interviewed as a cat style expert by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and CBS Sunday Morning. She makes guest appearances on Jackson Galaxy's hit show My Cat From Hell on Animal Planet and has co-authored two New York Times bestselling books with Galaxy, Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!), and Catify To Satisfy: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home.
BUB
BUB is a very special, one of a kind critter. Discovered as the runt of a healthy feral litter in a tool shed in rural Indiana, she was taken in as a rescue when it was clear that she would require special care. Since then, BUB has overcome great challenges, is a published author, a talk show host, a movie star, a chart topping recording artist, and has helped raise well over $500,000 for animals in need.
*Please note that 100% of the proceeds from her meet & greet will be donated.
Dr. Jennifer Conrad - Paw Project
Dr. Conrad founded the Paw Project, which rehabilitates all sized cats, such as lions, tigers, cougars, jaguars and their domestic counterparts maimed by declawing. Actually an amputation of the last bone in the cat's toe, declawing often cripples these magnificent creatures, both from the pain caused by the bone fragments left behind, and from the progressively debilitating arthritis produced by abnormal stress on other joints as the cats try to avoid walking on their painful amputated toes. Dr. Conrad is most proud of the NEw Lease of Life program where domestic cats who have lost their homes from being declawed are taken out of shelters, many off death row, provided corrective surgery and/or pain management and then adopted into new forever homes. The Paw Project is behind the only anti-declawing laws passed in all of North America. Currently, they are sponsoring two bills, one in New York State and one in New Jersey
Adam myatt aka the cat man of west oakland
Adam Myatt is not your normal crazy cat lady. What started as a simple photography hobby featuring his community's feral 'Hoodcats,' quickly turned into a life changing journey which lead to helping co-found the first permanent cat cafe in the USA. Before opening the Cat Town Cafe and Adoption Center, Myatt took an inspirational trip to Japan to see cat cafes in action, and visit two of the feral cat islands. Then in the fall of 2016, he embarked on the #CatManAcrossAmeowica road trip, where he visted more than a dozen open cat cafe's across North America. Learn more at www.catmanwestoakland.com and follow along on Instagram.com/catmanofwestoakland
Christina Ha
Since finding her first cat on the streets nearly four years ago, Christina Ha has been obsessed with cats. Christina is the co-founder and Pastry Chef at the popular patisserie, Macaron Parlour. Christina combined her passion for baking and adoration for cats as a co-founder of New York's first cat cafe, Meow Parlour. Meow Parlour has served as a foster home for over 200 harder to adopt cats since opening in December 2014
Ingrid King
Ingrid King is the award winning author of five cat books, including Buckley's Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher, Purrs of Wisdom: Enlightenment, Feline Style, Tortitude: The BIG Book of Cats with a BIG attitude, and Adventures in Veterinary Medicine: What Working in Veterinary Hospitals Taught Me About Life, Love and Myself. She is a former veterinary hospital manager. Her popular blog, The Conscious Cat, is a comprehensive resource for conscious living health, and happiness for cats and their humans. The Conscious Cat has won multiple awards, including DogTime Media's Pettie for Best Pet Blog in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, and About.com's 2012 Reader's Choice Award for Best Website About Cats. Ingrid lives in North Virginia with her tortoiseshell cats Allegra and Ruby. For more information about Ingrid, please visit www.ConsciousCat.com.
Kerry DIamond
Kerry Diamond is the co-founder of Cherry Bombe, the magazine about women and food, and host of the Radio Cherry Bombe, a weekly podcast. She's also co-owner of the Brooklyn eateries Nightingale Nine, Smith Canteen, and Wilma Jean. Kerry regularly dragged home stray cats as a child and today is the proud parent of Dusty, a Russian Blue rescue.
Motor kitty rescue
Motor Kitty Rescue is a non-profit, volunteer and donor driven cat rescue, established in Detroit, MI. in 2016. We are focused on providing medical care and homing for rescued street cats, while also assisting with feral TNR efforts in the city and surrounding communities.
Robin A.F. Olson
Robin A. F. Olson is the author of the multi-award-winning blog, "Covered in Cat Hair," which chronicles her over 15 years of rescuing cats and kittens. Olson's stories are often an emotional roller coaster ride, but she does whatever it takes to save a life. Her hope is that in sharing her experiences with others, they'll be inspired to help make life better for cats, too. Olson jokes that her stories often come with a "tissue warning" because she doesn't want anyone to get caught crying at her desk when they're supposed to be working.
In 2010, Olson turned her love for cats into the non-profit rescue: Kitten Associates, based in Sandy Hook, CT. Her innovative program, "Kitties for Kids," designed to bring comfort to the families in Newtown after the 12/14 tragedy, earned her rescue many awards, including a Certificate of Recognition from the State of Connecticut and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. Olson is an advocate for species-appropriate nutrition and just celebrated her first year as a Certified Cat Behavior Counselor. When not caring for her many cats, Olson is a spotter for the National Weather Service and does a wee bit of stand-up comedy
Beth Adelman
Beth Adelman, MS, is a cat behavior consultant in New York City. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three well-trained cats. She is on the Cat Committee of the Pet Professional Guild, and is the former editor of Cats magazine and DogWorld and former cat columnist for the New York Post. Beth has wowrked as a writer and a speaker for teh Winn Feline Foundation. She has also been a speaker at New York's Meow Parlour, the Cat Writers Association, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Kutztown University, Pet Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Kutztown University, Pet Sitters International, the Garden State Cat Club and the Cat Fanciers Association, and a guest on a variety of radio shows.