About Allison Helps Cats

Here am I. Send me–Isaiah 6:8

I have loved animals since childhood and spent many of my early years reading about them and wanting to help them. Dogs were part of my early life, followed by several years with guinea pigs. Then in 2006, a cat showed up on my doorstep and changed my focus to cats. Since then, my work with cats has taken many forms, including trap-neuter-return, shelter work, clicker training with a group of veterinary cats, agility with my own cats, and therapy cat visits with one of my cats to seniors and young readers.

Private Consults

My work expanded into cat behavior consulting in 2019, and over time I handled a wide variety of cases, both in person and virtually. In 2022, after having to separate our own cats because of unresolved non-recognition aggression, I became interested in the issue. Around that same time, after volunteering in an open admissions shelter as part of my cat behavior certification, I also began narrowing my focus. I chose to center my work on local cat owners, our local humane society, and a few specific areas where I felt especially called and useful.

Shelter Work

At the shelter, I started out working with scared cats, the ones huddled in the back of a condo or room. This led to working with overstimulated cats, whose needs are often misunderstood or difficult to meet in a shelter setting, which can make them seem more aggressive than they are. Wanting to support these cats both in the shelter and after adoption, I helped develop programs in enrichment, behavior support, and post-adoption support. Today, my shelter work includes helping cats at risk receive more individualized support so they can be as safe, understood, and successful as possible. I also serve as team lead for volunteer teams involved in enrichment and post-adoption support.

Non-Recognition Aggression

Non-recognition aggression has become a special area of focus for me, both personally and professionally. Living through it in my own home changed the direction of my learning and gave me a deeper understanding of how distressing and isolating these cases can be. Since then, I have researched, written, and supported others around this issue with a particular concern for practical guidance, emotional support, and realistic expectations.

Christians in Animal Welfare

In 2025, I also began addressing a need I had felt in my own life and saw in others: the need for Christian connection within animal welfare. I now host a private Facebook group where members share prayer requests and encouragement, and where I post devotionals for those serving in this field.