My focus is on cats. I have been a cat owner since the mid 1980s and have always had two cats during this time. I am a native born Manhattanite, a Cornell University graduate with a BA in English, and have used Gramercy Park Animal Hospital as my vet throughout. Currently writing my first novel after 3 decades in sales, marketing, publicity and editorial content for major music companies. I've been volunteering with Kitty Kind inside PetCo Union Square at 17th and Broadway since August, 2018 and am well known among most of the veteran Kitty Kind staff. I assist with the adoption process, interacting with the general public who visit our shelter cages looking for kittens and adult cats, explaining our adoption procedures and assisting them with applications and questions. I help them to make good choices, matching them with cats that are best suited for their household and lifestyles and also, keeping in mind what is best for each individual cat. I also help our feeding and cleaning team care for each animal's individual needs. I can usually be found at Kitty Kind most Friday evenings 6-8:30 pm and invite any prospective customers to drop by and meet me in person. In over three decades of caring for my cats and more recently caring for a wide variety of kittens and adults at Kitty Kind, I've learned a lot about cat behavior and treatment. Many of the cats at Kitty Kind come in from street colonies, while others are owner surrenders. Obviously, I deal with a lot of scared, confused and anxious animals who are wondering what is coming next. I've learned to treat each cat as an individual, trying to reassure them that everything is going to be ok now and in the future. Over the decades, I've developed a number of skills necessary to care for my cats. I learned how to give my diabetic cat Woody daily insulin shots for over two happy and pain free years, allowing him to live a full life to age 15. And one of my personal greatest achievements was managing my cat Mickey's cancer from 15 until his death at 17 1/2. I had to learn the art of "pilling" a cat as he required the daily administration of prednisone and leukeran pills. In addition, I've also learned how to administer IV fluids to cats when his kidneys started failing at the end. I can provide these additional services if needed. In short, my cats get treated like regular members of the family, with respect and understanding for who they are as unique, sentient beings. Whenever possible, I try to view the world through their eyes, not as a human, in an attempt to better understand their needs.