IAABC Foundation

Caroline is a cat behavior consultant based in Montreal, Canada, offering online consults to local and not so local clients. She is a passionate cat trainer, an enthusiastic cat leash walker and an eternally curious learner of all things behavior.

Dr. Calder has lived and practiced veterinary medicine in both New Jersey and Maine for many years. In addition to general practice, she spent time as part of the behavior service at San Francisco SPCA and in Community Practice as part of several veterinary school teaching hospitals. As a general practitioner, Dr. Calder always had an interest in animal behavior and in 2016, she finished a residency with the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists becoming a Diplomate with the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (DACVB) in 2017. In addition to her own behavior referral practice, Dr. Calder is the Chief Behavior Officer for an online educational platform and a Vet at VIN Consultant. She has a special interest in education and the preparation for veterinary students to help them be "Day One” ready for practice.

Dilara Göksel Parry, CCBC, was raised in Istanbul, Turkey, and holds degrees in Psychology and Comparative Literature from Oberlin College. She has dedicated most of her professional career to the animal welfare field, including 12 years as Cat Behavior Coordinator at the San Francisco SPCA. In 2008, she co-founded Feline Minds with Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado, providing private consultations to help cat guardians live more harmoniously with their cats, while also advising animal welfare organizations on improving sheltering practices.

Dilara is currently the Program Director at Cat Town Oakland, an innovative, cage-free rescue that reimagines how shelters can serve cats often deemed unadoptable in traditional settings. A Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, she is passionate about writing educational resources that “translate” cats for humans. Her work and expertise have been featured by MSNBC, Animal Sheltering, The Dodo, PetMD, and Chewy, and she has contributed articles to the Bay Woof Foundation and Maddie’s Fund.

She lives in Richmond, California, with her family of humans, cats, dogs, and chickens.

Jacklyn Ellis is board certified by the Animal Behavior Society as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, is Certified in Shelter Behavior – Cat by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and is the Director of Behaviour at Toronto Humane Society. She earned her PhD in Animal Welfare at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, where she conducted research on methods for reducing stress in shelter cats. Her work has been published widely in peer reviewed journals and she has presented at many national and international conferences, particularly on feline stress and elimination behaviour. She has recently authored two chapters for a new edition of the leading textbook on the behaviour and welfare of shelter animals.

Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison is a certified dog and cat trainer and consultant with expertise in resolving behavioral issues and equipping humans to be highly effective pet parents. Having deep knowledge of both dog and cat behavior makes her particularly adept at teaching members of multi-species households how to help their cats and dogs live harmoniously.

Jo is committed to expanding the use of scientifically valid and compassionate behavior modification and training methods. An avid reader and learner, she is passionate about sharing her ever-growing understanding of animal behavior and interventions with others.

Jo’s path to becoming an animal behavior expert began a decade ago, when she volunteered in animal shelters in Malaysia. She founded High Five Animal Training in 2020 and has since worked not only with cats and dogs but also horses, chickens, and even goldfish.

Her certifications and trainings include:
• CCBC (IAABC)
• KPA-CT
• Certified Control Unleashed Instructor
• Fear Free Certified Professional

She lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and their Malaysian-born street dog, Fuji.

Dr. Kristyn Vitale is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and an internationally recognized expert in cat behavior. Vitale received a Master of Environmental Science from Miami University (USA), where she studied free-ranging cat social behavior, and a Ph.D. in Animal Science from Oregon State University (USA), where she researched cat social cognition and cat welfare. She also served as a Visiting Research Fellow at Kyoto University (Japan) where she studied cross-cultural differences in the human-cat relationship. Vitale’s main area of expertise is focused on cat social behavior, human-cat interactions, and the impact of life experiences, such as cat training and socialization classes, on cat cognition. Her research has been internationally featured in media outlets such as Science and National Geographic, and in documentaries such as How the Cat Conquered the World (ARTE France) and Inside the Mind of a Cat (Netflix). She is the founder of Maueyes Cat Science and Education, an organization dedicated to enhancing cat welfare and strengthening the cat-human relationship through education, behavior consulting, and science outreach.

Laura Cassiday is a certified cat behavior consultant living in Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career with Maryland SPCA, where she served as the cat behavior coordinator, implementing enrichment programs and initiatives to improve the welfare of shelter cats. In 2021, Laura founded Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior and Training, focusing on addressing behavior issues in private homes to prevent cats from entering shelters. Through remote and local sessions, she resolves aggression, destructive behavior, and litter box concerns while empowering caregivers with a deeper understanding of their feline companions. Laura is also actively involved in advocacy efforts, such as supporting the Maryland Anti-Declaw Bill, is a published author of The Complete Guide to Adopting a Cat, and is currently working on a graduate degree in pursuit of the Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist designation.

Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviourist (CAAB), and a Certified Cat Behaviour Consultant (CCBC). She has been working professionally
with cats for 25 years, offering guidance to individuals, rescues, and pet-related corporations to help caretakers better understand their cats.

Mikel received her PhD in Psychology/Animal Behavior from UC Berkeley and was a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis. She worked at the San Francisco SPCA as a Cat Behavior Specialist for several years. Her research includes the play behavior of cats, the health and development of orphaned neonatal kittens, and cat welfare. She is also a member of iCatCare's Feline Wellbeing Panel and the Fear Free Advisory Board.

Mikel is author of the 2024 book “Play With Your Cat!,” and co-author with Jackson Galaxy of the 2017 book “Total Cat Mojo.” She has published her research in several academic journals, including the Journal of Comparative Psychology, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, and Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

Dr. Moran graduated from Central Michigan University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Chemistry minor. She then went on to earn a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2009 while simultaneously earning a Master's degree in Veterinary Public Health through the University of Minnesota. Dr. Moran is an ABVP boarded feline practice specialist and has received specialized training through Colorado State University for feline endoscopy. She is an active member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, International Society of Feline Medicine, the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, and is an active participant with the
Paw Project serving as a Texas State Director. She has a special interest in gastroenterology, endoscopy, pain management, and endocrinology.

Dr. Moran has had research publications in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and continues to participate in clinical research to advance the field of feline medicine.

Dr. Zazie Todd, PhD is an animal behavior expert and the award-winning author of Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, and Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. She is the creator of Companion Animal Psychology blog, has a column at Psychology Today, and is an adjunct professor at Canisius University. She has a PhD in Psychology, an Advanced Certificate of Feline Behaviour (with Distinction) from International Cat Care, and is an honours graduate of the Academy for Dog Trainers. She is an affiliate member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Originally from Leeds, UK, she now lives near Vancouver, Canada, with her husband, a dog, and a cat.