Recordings of the three-part Art of Raising a Happy, Healthy Kitten Webinar Series are now available for you to view free-of-charge at the National Kitten Coalition e-Learning Center!

To access the NKC eLearning Center, click on the button below and create your free account (or log in if you’ve created an account previously). Then, you can view the Art of Raising a Happy, Healthy Kitten Webinar Series plus other NKC webinar recordings.

Part One: Getting Ready for Your New Family Member
Originally presented May 6, 2023

This webinar will cover:
– Selecting the right kitten (evaluating your needs and expectations, where to go, what questions to ask)
– Preparing your home (kitten proofing, necessary supplies, litterbox logistics)
– Where to go for help (finding the support you need)

Speakers:

Rosemarie Crawford, LVT
Co-Founder and Director of Educational Programs, The National Kitten Coalition

Natalie Pascale
Adoption Counselor and Vice President, Cat Adoption Team

Part Two: Raising a Happy Kitten
Originally presented May 20, 2023

This webinar will cover:
– Socialization (kitten kindergarten, introduction to new experiences)
– Understanding Behavior (environmental enrichment, appropriate play)
– Fear Free handling (training techniques)

Speakers:

Jessica Benoit, RVT, VTS (Behavior)
KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA, Elite Fear Free Certified

Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior)
CCBC, KPA-CTP, Elite Fear Free Certified

Part Three: Raising a Healthy Kitten
Originally presented June 3, 2023

This webinar will cover:
– Routine Vet Care: (finding a cat-friendly practice, vaccines, spay/neuter)
– Normal Development: (growth and nutrition)
– Common Health issues: (what to watch for to help decide when to go to the vet)

Speakers:

Kelly St. Denis, DVM, MS, DABVP (Feline)

Vicki Thayer, DVM, DABVP (Feline)

Speaker Bios:

Jessica Benoit, RVT, VTS (Behavior)
Jessica Benoit is a Registered Veterinary Technologist and the co-owner of Companion Veterinary Clinic, a Fear Free Certified Practice in Alberta, Canada. She is a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. Jessica is also a Fear Free Certified veterinary professional, trainer, and speaker. She has a special interest in cooperative veterinary care and enjoys helping canine and feline patients feel more comfortable and empowered for veterinary examinations and procedures. Jessica enjoys educating and sharing her knowledge both locally and internationally for veterinary professionals and trainers and providing client education seminars. In addition, she provides mentorship for veterinary technologists and trainers interested in animal behavior.

Rosemarie Crawford, LVT
Rosemarie Crawford is a licensed veterinary technician with a long history of helping animals – particularly kittens. She is co-founder of The National Kitten Coalition and has almost 20 years’ experience in animal welfare. As a medical staff member in a high-volume, open-access shelter, Rosemarie worked closely with the shelter veterinarian to provide for the animals’ medical and surgical needs. She assisted in developing and implementing life-saving protocols for the care and treatment of kittens in the shelter’s nursery room as well as for those in foster care. Additionally, Rosemarie served in two shelters as the foster coordinator and understands the challenges -and rewards- of creating, expanding and maintaining foster programs. In addition to presenting training sessions for The National Kitten Coalition, Rosemarie works at a six-doctor veterinary practice in northern VA, and in her spare time enjoys traveling with her husband and fostering ill, injured or debilitated kittens.

Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior)
Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, VTS (Behavior), CCBC, and KPA-CTP.  She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training in Cleveland, Ohio.
Her teaching credentials include lecturing on the regional and national levels and lecturing at multiple veterinary technology programs. She is a Fear Free certified speaker, a Fear Free Practice Certification Consultant, and the host of the podcast, Tails from a Vet Tech. Tabitha has helped to develop training and behavior programs for various veterinary hospitals and shelters and works as a consultant for many shelters and private veterinary practices.

Natalie Pascale
Natalie Pascale is an avid volunteer and cat lover, and a resident of Portland, Oregon, where she lives with her husband Kyle and their 4 special-needs rescue cats.  She has volunteered with the Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood, Oregon for the last 8 years, her primary role being an adoption counselor.  She has conducted nearly 3000 adoptions, piloted CAT’s virtual adoption process during the pandemic, and trains and mentors new volunteers. She is passionate about helping families find a kitty that is a great fit, working with adopters to understand their new cat’s behavior and medical needs, and providing them with tips and resources to help their new kitty adjust and live the best life possible in their new homes. Natalie also currently serves as Vice President of the board of directors for Cat Adoption Team.  In her professional life, Natalie works for Salesforce in Customer Success, where she helps educational institutions use technology to better serve their learners and drive their institutional missions forward.

Vicki Thayer, DVM DABVP (Feline)
Dr. Thayer has an almost 50-year background in feline medicine, including owning a successful feline-only practice in Walnut Creek, California for 20 years.
She has served on the board of the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) for 20 years, wearing many hats. She served as President of the Association from 1996 to 1998 and as AAFP Delegate to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) from 2004-2010.
Dr. Thayer served as Board President for EveryCat Health Foundation from 2011-2014 and as Executive Director from 2014-2018. She remains active in the Foundation, serving as a co-chair of the Education Committee and the Scientific Review Committee. She was also a co-chair of the 2022 AAFP/EveryCat Feline Infectious Peritonitis Diagnosis Guidelines published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.
She previously served as a board member and Vice President of the Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood Oregon.

Kelly St. Denis, DVM, MS, DABVP (Feline)
Dr. St. Denis is a practicing feline medicine specialist, board certified with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.
Dr. St. Denis is medical co-editor of the AAFP Feline Practitioner Magazine with Dr. Jessica Quimby and has recently joined Drs. Margie Scherk and Andy Sparkes as a co-editor of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.
Dr. St. Denis is a consultant on the Veterinary Information Network in feline internal medicine and lectures internationally on all things feline.

About EveryCat Health Foundation:

EveryCat Health Foundation is the world’s only nonprofit focused solely on feline health research. Since 1968, we’ve awarded grants for cutting edge research in feline medicine, ranging from clinically applicable proposals to long shot investigations with game-changing potential. Arguably, no organization has changed the way feline medicine is practiced as much as EveryCat Health Foundation. EveryCat Health Foundation advances feline health by supporting groundbreaking research and education that benefits every cat, every day, everywhere.

This Webinar is being offered free of charge thanks to our generous sponsors!