Cat Related Jobs

Hello! I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how I could find a job in a cat related industry apart from breeding and vet work. I am currently not working but I do have a college degree in Education. I sell on eBay but I want to work with cats in "real life" and hopefully earn a little money from it. I am rather creative and have tried a few cat related crafts that I occasionally sell on eBay. I even attended a cat show in order to get some ideas of the types of products that are sold there. I would also like to work at a shelter caring for cats but most of the jobs are voluntary (which I am considering since I am not working). If anyone has any suggestion I would love to hear them. I hope I put this post in the right place.

Ginger

The best way to can get leads is to start by volunteering. This way, you will be surrounded by animal lovers and greatly extend your network base.

To me, this is the quickest way to get contacts in the community around you. You could also talk to various vet and animal clinics in your area to see if they have ideas.

Good Luck!

Pet sitter, photographer, provide transportation to the vet for elderly or disabled, go to schools and give talks about spay and neuter and general care, Thats all I can think of on spur of the moment. I f I think of any more I'll add to it!

Some of the things I have seen people do for sale at cat shows are the curtains and bases for the cages, little sleeping bags for the cats, other craft things that have cat themes. You could do picture frames, covered keepsake boxes, sew kitties as toys, make catnip toys etc.... Type in Cat craft ideas in your search engine (I found google to be the best) and see what comes up!

Here are a couple I found

http://www.harrythefabulouscat.com/C...med-Gifts.html

www.catfabrics.com has dozens of cat-themed fabric designs for all tastes and decors.

Look into natural therapies for animals and see what courses are available! This would be like Bach flower remedies etc!

Grow cat friendly seedlings, grasses, catnip etc to seel in nice pots!

Anyhoo just a few ideas mate!

Originally posted by Bundylee
Look into natural therapies for animals and see what courses are available! This would be like Bach flower remedies etc.....

Click to expand...

Big market in Toronto for animal natural therapy. If you can get some good education that would be a future job opportunity.

Good one Bundy!

Thanks Mate! I think it will be big too!!! Oh by the way! You've got mail!

Have a look at this site to give you an idea!

http://www.stottsonline.com/website/course/0968.asp

Great ideas! I think I will start out volunteering at the local shelter to get contacts as suggested. The shelter is the sponsor of the annual cat show here in Ft. Lauderdale. Maybe I can get some contacts that way to help me come up with the ideas for crafts. I will take a look at the website links that you all sent and get some ideas from them too.
Thanks for all of your help. It has given me inspiration to start pursuing cat related fields! I'll keep you posted on my volunteering. I am sure that I will have ALOT of questions and stories.

Thanks again,
Ginger

P.S. Has anyone ever done pet sitting before? Do people get their cats babysat? I am afraid of dogs, so dog sitting is out, but if the house only has cats that would be fine. There is a community newspaper where I live and I did see a section for pet sitting in there. What's it like?

Ginger

Here in Toronto the more popular company is called Housesitters. When your on vacation they will do multiple things like feed your cat, water your houseplants, take in your newspaper etc.

But I'm sure there are just 'cat' sitters as well. I've usually seen ads like that if you are in an apartment building/condo.

Why don't you become a steward at cat shows and then study to become a cat judge??? If you are good enough you can travel the world!

Mike and I have decided that since we don't have the money to donate to shelters, nor the time to really volunteer, we're donating a little time and effort. We're going to go around and take pictures of the animals waiting to be adopted, and make up portfolios of them.

What does a Steward do?

House sitting sounds like a terrific idea...I love cats, grow lots of plants, and like to see how others decorate their houses

Marcy that is soo sweet of you to take pictures of the adoptable kitties. Too bad there is no money in it. That may be something I could do as a part of being a volunteer.

Volunteer, or be a pet sitter!

I don't know if you live in a busy area for this. But pet sitting is a great job, and you can take on clients as you have time for it. So you wont be stuck to a set full time or part time schedual if your in school, or random changes in life plan.

I am not in school. I am 31 years old and fortunatly my boyfriend makes enough to pay the bills. But, that said, I am stir crazy not working. I have had jobs in the teaching profession and after 2 years decided to get into administrative work. Admin. work is just to boring for me, I like to stay active and not stuck in an office all day. Soo...pet sitting and volunteer work sound like a great experience for me and I get to work with animals and possibly make contacts in the neighborhood. I live on the outskirts of Ft. Lauderdale, FL so there are plenty of residential neighborhoods around to try my hand at pet/house sitting. I am going to look in the classifieds now for pet-sitting ads.
Thanks again for the great advice.

Ginger

If you really want to get serious you could volunteer at a local zoo and get some serious work done. Granted depending on their need and your experience they might start you off with frogs or something.

But it's a good foot in for something that could be really exciting!

That is a good idea however, I am scared of any animal that is bigger than a cat, especially dogs and horses so I don't know if tigers and giraffe's would be the greatest animal for me to work with, lol. Thanks for the advice though. My boyfriend's sister actually worked at a zoo for many years in Richmond, VA. She took us into the arangotangue(sp?) cage one day and I about had a heart attack

Ginger

LOL. Well it's my main goal to own a refuge for big cat species some day (namely jaguars). Or at least work at one.

I tried to volunteer at the local zoo in DC, when we lived closer, and they wanted you to work for like 40 hours a week. I have a cruddy car, and driving/parking in DC is just insane, I have a heart attack every time I've had to do it.
And I couldn't have had much of a PAYING job if I was volunteering 40 hours a week. Maybe later in my life, if a zoo is in a more convient location, it would be great to do.

They always have you start off with something small, DC's zoo's policy is that volunteers don't work with the bigger carnivors (and with good reason.)

Do you have any experience in the cat grooming side. There are many persian owners who have trouble with bathing, drying, grooming those long coats. I am not sure of the situstion there, but many owners here use the parlours to do that for them. Maybe you would be interested in that?

Cat grooming is a good idea as well. i don't have any experience in that field however, unless brushing my long haired cats counts, lol.
Maybe I could incluse cat grooming in my pet sitting services package as anoption.

Just wanted to ask this again in case someone who knows might have missed the question...What does a Steward do at cat shows? and Has anyone ever done pet sitting?

Ginger

I've done pet sitting for 3 different companys last year, and it's GREAT. But find a company to work for, where you agree with their policy's.
I also have looked after friends or associates pets for years now.

The first pet sitting place I had an interview for, certainly had LOTS of busines, but they didn't have the pet sitter go and meat the client or the clients animals prior to taking care of an animal.
That's not a good idea.
Walking into a house with a dog who has never met you, might see you as in intruder... and well things can happen.