Who Are the Cat Writers’ Association: Rachel Geller, Ed.D

by Mollie Hunt

Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? is a series of interviews with CWA members, but not your usual who, what, and where discussion. I like to ask a different set of questions and am always amazed by the answers. I hope you are, too.

Our guest today on Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? is Rachel Geller, Ed.D. Rachel is the Founder and President of All Cats All the Time, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preventing the surrender and abandonment of cats by helping shelters – and cat owners who cannot otherwise afford to do so – access cat behavior counseling free of charge for the cats in their care.

Rachel is certified as a Cat Behavior and Retention Specialist, Surrender Prevention Specialist, Humane Education Specialist, Pet Chaplain®, Fear Free Shelter Specialist, American Association of Feline Practitioners Cat Friendly Veterinary Advocate, DEI in Animal Welfare Advancement, and RedRover Empathy Reader. She is currently a cat behaviorist for shelters all over the world, including working with adopters, training shelter volunteers and instituting surrender prevention programs. She also provides individual cat behavior help to cat parents. She has presented for numerous animal welfare groups.

Rachel is the author of the Surrender Prevention Specialist certification course, which is approved by the National Animal Control Association for CE credits and Maddie’s Fund for scholarships.

Rachel is the author of the webinar “Activities for Inclusion” presented by the Association of Professional Humane Educators. This webinar presents instruction and techniques for animal shelters on including the diabled population as volunteers. She was a contributing author to “The Ark Project – Jewish Initiative for Animals” which focuses on the humane treatment of animals.

Rachel is a panelist for the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab through Brandeis University as a Pet Chaplain.

Rachel’s book, Saving the World, One Cat at a Time was written to help with resolving cats’ behavioral and emotional problems with the goal of creating harmonious relationships between cats and their owners. Rachel donates 100% of the proceeds to her nonprofit.

Part 1:

About My Craft:

In 2019, a year after The Boston Globe ran a feature story about my work, I published my first book, Saving the World, One Cat at a Time. The book was primarily a memoir, describing my experience with pets dating all the way back to childhood and how it had become my calling to help foster stronger and more empathetic bonds between cat owners and their cats. In my book I also tried to offer useful information about cat behavior and how to solve some basic problems. 

The memoir received a lot of positive feedback from people who shared my passion for cats, but as I took part in many author events and met my readers, I began to see what the limitations of that book were. People enjoyed learning about me and my history with cats. They found it useful for understanding some of the basics of cat behavior, and they were able to take away a few helpful problem-solving tools. 

But for people who really needed help with their cats, it didn’t go deep enough. They wanted something heavier on the practical details of cat behavior. 

This has led me to begin working on my second book, which will better reflect the in-depth way I work with clients. My first book was sort of a bullet point guide covering the fundamentals, whereas this book will be a full-scale owner’s manual. I am on the second draft now and am very excited!

How Cats Inspire My Creativity:

Cats have always been my passion. This is why, after spending many years raising my own cats and helping other people to better understand theirs, I completed a training program to become a certified cat behaviorist and began to write instructional materials. Having cats and being a behaviorist inspired me to want to teach people that it is indeed possible to change your cat’s behavior, but first you have to understand the root causes of these behaviors. 

I have been inspired to tell people who come to me with cat behavior problems to not only think about your cat differently, but to think like your cat. I have been inspired to provide my audience with a toolkit for problem-solving so that people do not surrender their cats due to behavior problems. We share our homes with our cats because we love them. We want them to be safe, happy and healthy. My audience does not always know what their cats need, but if I can help them to better work in sync with their cats when issues arise, maybe their relationships with their cats will be stronger as a result. 

My love of cats has inspired me to play a role in creating harmonious cat-human relationships through writing courses, lectures, a book and instructional videos.

What I Enjoy About Belonging to CWA:

CWA offers a way to connect with other like-minded cat lovers and writers. I enjoy the Wednesday Zoom Chats and hope to participate in more of those. I always thought of myself as a cat behaviorist and not so much a writer, although I do a lot of writing! Being a member of CWA has broadened my outlook and has inspired me to keep writing and sharing my love of all things cat-related. 

I enjoy the CWA members-only Facebook group and like to see what others are up to. It’s a great way to be part of the community. Creativity is all about making new connections, and CWA helps me do that.

Part 2:

Mollie: Did you grow up with cats?

Rachel: My parents’ views on pets—cats or otherwise—could not have been more different. My father grew up in Dorchester, MA, in a small, crowded apartment that his immediate family shared with his extended family. The apartment did not allow pets—not that there was room—and they were poor, barely able to feed themselves. My mother grew up in a single-family home with lots of room, and pets were part of the family. 

Later in their marriage, my parents were forced to strike a compromise about pets in our home when their firstborn (me) seemed to have discovered an endless parade of cats in our rural Maine neighborhood who really needed me and who somehow ended up at our house.

I deeply loved these cats and mourned their losses when they died. I began to keep a journal of the names and pictures of all the cats who had lived, loved, and then died at our house. One day, I asked my dad, who was a rabbi, whether all those cats would meet me in heaven and whether they would recognize me. He assured me they would—that the cats would remember me, and I would remember them. Forever.

Thinking back, the lesson I learned wasn’t so much about each of the cats, but it was about my father’s assurances that relationships with our cats last. That our relationships with our companion animals have meaning. Our relationships with our cats are enduring. They are important. And, to me, this meant that I grew up believing they are worth saving.

Mollie: What is your earliest memory of being around cats?

Rachel: I am not sure this is my earliest memory, but it was my earliest lesson in responsibility. I can remember it so clearly, like it was yesterday. I was a little girl, probably 6 or 7, and I was eating breakfast at the kitchen table. My Dad was coming down the stairs,saw me eating breakfast, and asked me, “Rachel, have you fed all of your cats yet?” I told him I hadn’t, but assured him that as soon as I was done eating, they would all be fed. My Dad made me stop eating and said, “No, if you want to have these cats, then you need to make sure their needs are met before your own. You are their caregiver and they are dependent on you.” 

As I said, my father was a rabbi and he explained to me that in Judaism, there is a commandment in Hebrew called tza’ar ba’alei chayim that requires people to feed their animals before themselves. This commandment prohibits causing unnecessary suffering to animals. We are commanded to feed our animals first because it is forbidden to cause our animals any undue pain. By feeding our animals first, we show compassion. This lesson really stayed with me, and – to this day – the first thing I do when I wake up is feed my cats.

Mollie: Have you taken a cat first aid course?

Rachel: Yes.

Mollie: Where are you sitting right now? From where you are, how many cat-themed objects can you see? How many cats?

Rachel: In my home office, and in addition to two live cats, I have (this is embarrassing) 37 cat-themed objects.

Mollie: “Adopt, Foster, Volunteer, Donate, Educate” is a common slogan for animal rescue. What do you like to do?

Rachel: All of the above. All my cats have always been rescue cats, and I only take in the cats nobody else wants. I adopt cats with behavior problems (usually aggression) that make it hard for them to find a home. I have never adopted a cute and loving kitten! But I have consistently been richly rewarded, working with these cats to develop trust and a bond. They want to love; they just need to be shown how. 

I have volunteered in shelters, sat on boards, advisory boards and committees. I have rooms and walls in shelters named after me all over the Boston area. I give many webinars, seminars, lectures and certification courses. I am a presenter for the annual Online Behavior Day.

Please give us the names and short descriptions of your cats.

Sosil (Yiddish for sweet) is a cat I rescued from an abusive situation. She is predominantly Maine Coon.

Abraham was a stray who was found near death, abandoned and with a cone on (!!). He needed 2 eye surgeries and a dental, but he has healed up beautifully and is learning to trust. He is a black cat who was a late neuter so he has those tomcat jowls.

You can find Rachel Geller at DrRachelCatBehavior.com.

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