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Hi everyone!

It's that time again! PetHobbyist's Seventh Annual Chat Week is just around the corner! Our chats begin on Sunday, February 27 and conclude on Saturday, March 5. This year, our focus on PetHobbyist is on rescue. >From our opening night panel discussion of "Rescue: Why We Do It, How We Cope," to our Thursday evening with Maddie's Fund president Richard Avanzino discussing the creation of a no-kill nation, rescue themes are the highlight of this year's Chat Week. We hope that you'll join us, and also that you'll help spread the word to the online rescue community.

Our lineup also includes a number of health chats that should be of great interest to cat owners. We're welcoming Christina Chambreau, DVM, a founder of the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy, discussing how homeopathy can improve your cat's health, as well as Deb Eldredge, DVM, and Maggie Bonham discussing their forthcoming book Cancer And Your Pet: The Complete Guide to the Latest Research, Treatments, and Options.

On Friday night, we'll be joined by Marta Williams, author of Learning Their Language, discussing "Developing Intuitive Communication with Animals and Nature." Animal communication is one of the most popular topics in our special chats, and Marta is one of the best! We're especially excited to announce a first-time guest visit with feline genetics expert Lorraine Shelton, and a return visit from one of our most popular guests, cat photographer Helmi Flick. There is truly something for every cat lover at CatHobbyist's Seventh Annual Chat Week!

You'll find the complete CatHobbyist schedule below, with links to the chat rooms and also a place to sign up for free email reminders for some of the chats. Those with pets other than cats can find the full PetHobbyist Chat Week Schedule here.

We look forward to seeing you at our special Chat Week events!

Moira O'Connor
PHAbymom
CatHobbyist.com Site Coordinator

CatHobbyist.com Chat Week
February 27-March 5, 2005

Sunday February 27

Rescue: Why We Do It, How We Cope
Dottie Zammetti, A Home At Last Rescue Network
Norma Stevlingson, Animal Rescue Federation of Superior, Wisconsin
Terri Bass, Dane County Humane Society
Carol Backers, National Borzoi Rescue Foundation
Darla Duffey, Jacksonville Sheltie Rescue
Nanette Thurber, Fox Valley Ferret Rescue
Sunday, February 27, at 8 PM Eastern in the Haven
A co-presentation with RescueNetwork.org
All of us who do rescue face the question sooner or later: Why do we keep doing this? What do we do with our pain? How can we keep helping animals in the face of burn-out, stress, caregiver fatigue, financial burdens, family conflicts, and all the other emotional downsides of doing rescue? Join this panel of dedicated rescue and shelter workers as we look at "Why We Do It, How We Cope." Sign up for our free email reminder of our Rescue Panel Discussion here!

Christina Chambreau, DVM
Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs
Sunday, February 27, at 9 PM Eastern in the Auditorium
Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and lecturer. Dr. Chambreau is a founder of the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and is on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School. As vice president of the Veterinary Advice Line, she provides a referral service so people can find the best care for their animal’s specific problem. Sign up for our free email reminder of our chat with Dr. Chambreau here!

Monday February 28

Lorraine Shelton
Author, The Guide to Owning a Tonkinese Cat
Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians
Monday, February 28, at 9 PM Eastern in Cat Care Central
Lorraine Shelton is an acknowledged expert in feline genetics, both as related to color and health. There are few members of the feline fancy with her background, and her dedication to helping newcomers and those seeking to improve their understanding of feline genetics is legendary. CatHobbyist.com is delighted to welcome her to Chat Week! You can learn more about Lorraine and feline genetics on the website of Featherland Cattery, where she showcases a very small Persian breeding program specializing in chocolate and lilac varieties, and a blossoming Turkish Angora program, as well as her articles on feline genetics.

Tuesday March 1

Helmi Flick
Digital Feline Photography
Tuesday, March 1, at 9 PM Eastern in Cat Care Central
In what she describes as a "young career," Helmi Flick has quickly become considered one of the very top cat photographers in this country, widely sought after for cat shows, personal portraits, and a number of feline-related projects such as books, CDs, and other forms of media. We are honored and privileged to have her be a guest with us again this year. In her words, "The best part of this job is getting to meet your kitties and making them look as good as they can by creating portraits – with my camera and computer – that you and I both can be proud of. Thank you for allowing me to photograph your cats, and get better at it . . . one cat at a time." Find out more about Helmi and feline photography, and please join us for this special chat event!

Wednesday March 2

Cancer and Your Pets
Debra Eldredge, DVM, and Magaret H. Bonham, authors of Cancer And Your Pet: The Complete Guide to the Latest Research, Treatments, and Options
Wednesday, March 2, at 10 PM Eastern in the Dog Den
A growing number of pet owners are learning the sad news that their beloved pet is suffering from some form of cancer. But most don’t realize that it has become a highly treatable disease. Dr. Eldredge and Maggie Bonham, whose book is coming out in July, offer us here a glimplse of what they've discovered about the latest advances in the field of cancer research, common cancers, and treatment options, including traditional and holistic care. Sign up for our free email reminder of our chat on pets and cancer here!

Thursday March 3

Rich Avanzino of Maddies Fund
Building a No-Kill Nation
Thursday, March 3, at 9 PM Eastern, in the Auditorium
A co-presentation with the RescueNetwork.org and DogHobbyist.com!
Widely recognized as a visionary and "outside the box" thinker, Rich Avanzino has had a major influence on the nation's animal welfare movement. As President of The San Francisco SPCA from 1976-1999, Avanzino led San Francisco to become the first City and and County in the nation to offer an adoption guarantee for every healthy shelter cat and dog (1994). This unprecedented guarantee prompted statewide legislation (California's Hayden Law) and sparked other cities, counties and states to follow his example. The vast majority of the City's sick and injured shelter animals were saved as well. During his twenty-two year tenure as President of The SF/SPCA, Avanzino brought euthanasia rates down to the lowest of any urban center in the nation. He also created adoption, animal behavior, feral cat, and spay/neuter programs that have become models for the nation. Avanzino's demonstrated leadership prompted Maddie's Fund founders, Dave and Cheryl Duffield, to hire him as the foundations first President in 1999. The family foundation is helping to fund the creation of a no-kill nation. The first goal is to help fund a nationwide adoption guarantee for all healthy shelter cats and dogs. The next step will be to save the sick and injured pets in animal shelters nationwide.

As one of the no-kill movement's most articulate spokespeople, Avanzino has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, People Magazine, Parade Magazine, ABC's 20/20 and Person of the Week on the ABC Nightly News. For more information and to sign up for a free email reminder, click here!

Friday March 4

Marta Williams, author of Learning Their Language
Animal Communication
Friday, March 4, at 10 PM Eastern in the Auditorium
A co-presentation with DogHobbyist.com!
"Despite what you may have been taught, it is actually possible to communicate intuitively with animals and nature. I was skeptical about it at first too, especially since my background is in science. I now know that it works, and I believe it is an inherited ability that anyone can learn to develop." Come find out how to intuitively communicate with the animals in your life with animal communicator Marta Williams, author of Learning Their Language. Sign up for our free email reminder of our chat with Marta Williams here!

How to Attend

These events will be held in chat rooms listed in the schedule. To access the chats: