Never Did I Imagine I Would be a Pioneer

by Christine Michaels

When someone would ask, "where do you see yourself 10 years from now," in  my "younger" years, normally in a job interview I had a prepared statement. Something along the lines of a position utilizing my degree... I now say I have no idea. In this fast-paced digital life where everything changes and evolves yearly even monthly, it is impossible to answer that question.  It is my hope to be doing what I love most.

 In April 2009 I moved from south downtown (Brickell area) to a new building in north downtown, within a neglected neighborhood--empty gravel lots, old, dilapidated buildings and many stray cats.  Never in my life did I live in a neighborhood with stray cats. I thought they only existed in other countries. How wrong I was. That led me to do some homework and seek answers to my burning questions about how to help these stray cats that looked hungry and sad. Thus, the more I learned, the more hands-on I became in helping these helpless creatures. 

A community cat in downtown Miami

So I started learning how to care for these stray cats and kittens and find homes for the friendly ones. But there were so many. A few volunteers across South Florida would never put a dent in the estimated half a million homeless pets.  Education was key to get others informed and involved. So I started blogging to share what I was learning with hopes of motivating residents to take action in their neighborhood. This was in 2009.

First I never realized there were other cat bloggers. And some who had been blogging consistently for over a year.  I wasn't alone! We shared our knowledge and love for cats through our blogging. 

At a pet blogging conference in May 2012, the keynote speaker was Betsy Saul, founder of Petfinder.com. She shared the history and progress of our nation in helping stray and unwanted dogs. But the world was sorely behind in science when it came to stray cats. The population of stray and feral cats was only rising at epidemic proportions. That is the greatest need.

A slide from Betsy Saul's presentation

She went on about how to start a movement. The room was so quiet, Betsy had us spellbound.

When she asked the question how many blogs were dedicated to feral and community cats, out of an entire conference room of 200 attendees, only two people raised their hands. Ironically those two individuals raised their hands from the "newbie" table.   The two bloggers were Peter Wolf of Voxfelina.com and me. Certainly there were others in the country right? 

It was not until after the conference that I met a veterinarian at my regular job and she brought her dog on a tour that I was guiding. I was excited to talk to her about pet care especially cats. When she asked me how long I had been blogging, she turned to me in amazement and said, "Do you realize you're a pioneer ?"  I stood dumbfounded.  I studied in college and held a Master's degree in business. Never in my dreams did I picture myself a trailblazer in a field not related to my academic studies.

To learn that my hard work, blood, sweat and tears was paving the way was one of the greatest discoveries and joys of my life. 

I had joined the ranks of cat bloggers like Bonnie Koenig, Ingrid King, Deb Barnes, Debbie Glovatsky, Tamar Arslanian, and Caren Gittleman to name a few. 

Christine Michaels, Snoopy, Deb Barnes, GloGirly

Pioneering women. 

Little average me. 

Ten years ago:
I had no idea I would become a cat owner.
I had no idea I would become a cat lover.
I had no idea I would become a stray and feral cat trapper and rescuer.
I had no idea I would become an award-winning, nationally recognized cat blogger.
I had no idea I would be a pioneer. 

I Am A Pioneer. 

And I used to say I'm not a cat person!

The power of social media and passion combined with determination can move mountains to make a difference in my city. Yes we are making a difference. 

Join us--and let's move mountains!

BlogPaws 2013

Christine and Deb with Triscuit, the kitten

BlogPaws 2013 came and went like a passing summer shower in Miami--all the thunderous preparations and anticipation (except there are no dark clouds), a downpour of bloggers and "pawties" (aka networking events), and then we cleared the Sheraton hotel like rays of sunshine, and headed back home to improve upon our efforts and continue educating and/or entertaining readers about all things pets.

This was my second BlogPaws conference and I was even more excited to attend than the previous year for several reasons--Reuniting with friends, meeting other bloggers for the first time, making new connections with other bloggers and major pet vendors and organizations, and attending seminars eating meals with pets--dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets and baby chicks.

What started as a one-person effort to manage community cats and educate neighbors with a simple blog, Riverfront Cats has grown to a fully operational nonprofit with followers nationwide. While we are still relatively small (four volunteers), the progress of Riverfront Cats would not be possible without harnessing the technology of the internet and social media. BlogPaws 2013 brings it all together --people and technology.

Triscuit, a rescue kitten from Random Felines,
attended seminars all day with her foster mother Jeanne

In 2012, I had met other bloggers online and to meet them in person and have an actual conversation more than 100 characters long was sheer delight--squeals, big hugs and broken record refrains ad nauseam "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I finally get to meet you!!!" The blossoming of a new friendship is not only a benefit of the conference, it's a treasure.  Pictured below are Terry Frum (Brian's Home) and Caren Gittleman (of Cat Chat and Dakota's Den)  Terry and Caren are the two of the most genuine people, loyal blogging friends and passionate supporters of all cats, especially our Riverfront stray and feral Cats. I am over the moon to have finally met them. Check out their blogs!

Deb Barnes, Terry Frum, Caren Gittleman, and Christine Michaels (me)

Teamwork or the collaboration of residents, neighbors, organizations, schools, and corporations can make a difference in improving the welfare of pets.  We see it everyday as bloggers, small and large non-profit organizations and companies unite to educate the public about the benefits of adopting shelter pets, the latest science in pet health and nutrition, property training techniques...the list goes on. A personal highlight was meeting Olivia Melikhov, Social Media Manager from the ASPCA. One of their goals is to work with small local nonprofits like Pawsitively Humane/Riverfront Cats for reversing the rate of homeless pets in Miami. Super exciting!

Olivia Melikhov (ASPCA), Christine Michaels, Deb Barnes

Earlier last year, I developed new relationships online with famous cat bloggers thanks to a difficult situation (the Loews Hotel cat saga) that willingly came together for a common good. I met them at BlogPaws 2012 and throughout the year we have kept in contact via comments on blogs and Facebook. The mutual support is a blessing and I am most grateful.  Reuniting at BlogPaws 2013,  was a definite highlight. Our presence was visible and dog owners and hotel guests took notice. Note most cat bloggers were not wearing cat ears. Our bond of sisterhood, our creativity and our talent were evident, especially at the award ceremony.

Pictured below is Deb Barnes, she is the author of  The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey book and blog. Deb was nominated for a Nose-to-Nose award for best writer. She is a true professional, a talented writer with a genuine heart and I am honored that she has joined the board of directors of our nonprofit.

Deb Barnes and Christine Michaels

 Love these ladies--talented, down-to-earth and so much fun! Tamar's witty and fabulous blog I Have Cat and Angie's humorous blog CatLadyLand are wildly popular.  (Hey where's my tan? Yes we were under special lighting--I suppose so we glow).

Glam Cat Ladies: Tamar Arslanian, Christine Michaels, Angie Holland Bailey

Another highlight was the award ceremony. Many of my friends (cat bloggers) were nominated.  I was tickled to sit at their table and cheer them on like a borderline rock star groupie. The modern cat writer is here and we're making a difference!

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of the Nose-to-Nose awards!

Nominees of the Nose-to-Nose Blog Awards
[click on photo to view in actual larger size]

To view more photos, 
(and catch up on a little scandal at BlogPaws) 
visit our big brother site, Pawsitively Humane, Inc.

It's the camaraderie with pet owners, the sisterhood with cat bloggers, the inspiration from award-winning writers and social media mavens and the sight of so many cute pets that make BlogPaws paws and shoulders above any other conference. 

See you all at next year's conference in Vegas!