Juju Plus Juno

The Ultimate cat conference was an educational goldmine for rescuers, business owners, and cat enthusiasts alike.

Earlier this month, I had the absolute pleasure of attending True Rescue‘s Ultimate Cat Conference in Lebanon, Tennessee. Just outside of Nashville, the location and venue couldn’t have been better, with the event hosted at Cumberland University’s Alumni Hall.

The event was 3 full days, packed with amazing speakers from all areas of feline rescue. As someone who is not a shelter professional, trapper, or bottle-feeder (but with big plans to be a foster mama ASAP), to say I learned a lot at this event would be an understatement.

When True Rescue founder Amy Simcik welcomed the attendees for the weekend, she shared the initiative of the conference. The goal: to bring together like-minded, forward-thinking people who work in all realms of cat rescue to stop the spread of misinformation, openly discuss senitive topics, network, listen, and, of course, learn.

Amy shared that the desire to host The Ultimate Cat Conference came after her team attended a similar event, and left disappointed. True Rescue itself is only 5 years old, but over the course of the weekend, I learned how their dedication to feline education is already making a huge impact, both locally and nationwide.

We got to hear from Hannah Shaw, Jackson Galaxy, Sterling Davis, Dr. Matt McGlasson, and so many more.

It goes without saying that there were tears everywhere, all weekend. The first time I felt teary-eyed was when Amy introduced Hannah Shaw, also known as “Kitten Lady” on the first day.

“I had this tiny kitten who was just… dying,” Amy shared. “It seemed like there was just nothing I could do to save it. I found Hannah’s videos, and the kitten made it through the night.”

In 2 sessions, Hannah shared an incredible amount of neonatal kitten knowledge. She also encouraged rescues to apply for grants from her organization, Orphan Kitten Club.

Feline health information was abound each day, thanks to professionals like DVM Scott Gables, DVM Matt McGlasson, and LVT Rosemarie Crawford. They shared valuable knowledge concerning feline health challenges like Panleukopenia, FIP, and FELV, and opened the floor for questions.

I learned so much from certified feline behaviorists like Stephen Quandt, who spoke on “From Feral to Friendly,” and just how easily it is to build trust with semi-feral and under-socialized cats. It was heartbreaking to be reminded how many cats are euthanized in shelters when they are simply terrified, and no one will spend just 5 minutes per day to gain their trust.

More tears flowed when Eric Phelps from Sister Kitten Rescue spoke on disaster response.

On the final day of the conference, I was so moved to learn about Sister Kitten Rescue, and how they navigated last year’s horrible flooding tragedy in Asheville. I plan to share more about their story in an upcoming post.

True Rescue even threw the attendees a party on Saturday night after the conference, with food, drinks, karaoke, and plenty of cats running around. Many of the speakers attended, and Amy Simcik presented a special award to local WTVF reporter Nick Beres, to recognize him for being a consistent supporter of the rescue.

Attending the Ultimate Cat Conference was such an unforgettable experience. From the wealth of knowledge that was shared and the high emotions in the room each day to the after-party, it was clear that True Rescue is building a community full of compassion, knowledge, and collaboration. I left feeling so inspired and more committed than ever to start supporting cat rescues in any way that I can, and truly can’t wait for next year’s event.