Be on a Panel:  Want to Help Shape the Future of Cat Advocacy?

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Join us at our upcoming February 7th and 8th virtual summit to share your passion and insights in our engaging roundtable discussions. 

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The 2026 Cat & Advocate Wellbeing Summit is built on conversation, not lectures or keynotes. Each session is a moderated panel rooted in shared experience, curiosity, and care. I'm inviting people from across the cat and animal welfare/wellbeing community to help explore the future of feline care, advocacy, and wellbeing.
 

You don’t need a title or degree to apply. I welcome fosters, shelter staff, vet pros, behavior professionals, community cat carers, independent rescuers, volunteers, and anyone with lived experience or a perspective to share. This isn’t about being an expert. If you’ve ever felt left out of the mainstream animal welfare conversation, this space is for you. I'm looking for about 4 to 6 panelists per session.

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Deadline to Apply: December 19th.

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Notification of Selection: on or before January 1st.

Apply Here! ​

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You can be on and apply for multiple panels if you’d like! Apply above or below for the panel(s) that resonates most with your experience and interests:

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Panels You Can Join: 

Each panel is community-centered, guided by a myself, and designed to spark meaningful, real-world dialogue. I will be moderating and participating in the conversation as well — not as an expert, but as a fellow advocate invested in shared learning and collaborative insight. Below are short summaries to help you decide where you’d like to contribute.

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Panel 1: Proactive Cat Wellbeing & Behavior Care
This panel explores why cat behavior and emotional wellbeing should be part of the foundation of animal welfare — not an afterthought once problems arise. We’ll talk about the frustrations of seeing behavior support excluded from core services, and how animal welfare systems can better integrate this care from the start. Together, we’ll explore how centering wellbeing early helps adopters feel more prepared, keeps more cats in homes, and strengthens the human-animal bond.

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Panel 2: Barriers to Care, Not to Love
This panel unpacks the bigger picture — how systemic challenges like housing insecurity, financial hardship, immigration status, and lack of access to veterinary care shape who can care for cats, and how. We’ll explore how cat advocacy intersects with social justice, and why naming these barriers is essential to building more inclusive, compassionate support for both people and cats.

Panel 3: Shame Doesn't Save Cats

How we talk about cat care shapes whether people feel they can turn to us for support or whether they feel alienated and judged. Messaging that shames or oversimplifies care can create fear, guilt, and silence. This panel explores how public-facing messaging impacts dignity, trust, and access, and how reframing narratives around behavior, relinquishment, and everyday care can reduce shame and expand belonging.

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Panel 4: The Culture Is the Crisis

This panel centers the people behind the work and why so many are exhausted, overwhelmed, or quietly stepping away. We’ll talk about where things are breaking: unrealistic expectations, toxic team dynamics, lack of psychological safety, and the pressure to care without support. Together, we’ll explore why caring for cats must include building systems that make advocates feel safe, valued, and able to stay.

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Apply Here! ​

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What to Expect:

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Panels will take place live over Zoom on: Saturday, February 7 & Sunday, February 8, 2026

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• Panel 1:  Sat. 10:00 – 11:15 AM ET

• Panel 2:  Sat. 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM ET

• Panel 3: Sun. 10:00 – 11:15 AM ET

• Panel 4: Sun. 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM ET

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You’re welcome to apply for as many panels as you’d like, but you’ll need to be available during the times of any panel(s) you’re selected for. We’ll also host a short panelist prep meeting in January to go over format and flow. That’s it, no homework, just an honest conversation with thoughtful people who care about cats, caregivers, and culture.

 

How to Apply:
Use the form linked here to apply and share: 

• Your name and pronouns

• Your current role (if any) in cat or animal welfare/wellbeing

• Which panels you’re most interested in

• A short note on your experience, perspective, or passion you’d bring to the conversation
   

Please Note: This is an unpaid opportunity and free event– all panelists, including myself (The Fulfilled Feline), are volunteering their time. I appreciate your invaluable contribution to the conversation. Thank you!

 

Have any questions about the roundtable discussions? Send me an email at thefulfilledfeline@gmail.com