Loving cats doesn't have to stop when you leave for work. There are many ways to turn your passion for felines into a full-fledged career with one of these cat-centric jobs.
From caring for kitties to building specially-made structures, there are many ways to get into the cat industry.
Cat behaviorists help owners train their felines.
Are you able to understand cats better than people? Then you might consider being a cat behaviorist. Informally called a cat whisperer, a cat behaviorist is someone who has trained to better understand why cats act a certain way and give their parents advice on how to correct this behavior.
Programs like the Animal Behavior Institute offer courses that specialize in cats, so people can learn training and communication techniques unique for cats. According to Veterinary Medicine Careers, people in this field usually make between $40-60,000 a year.
If you're passionate about petting cats, you could turn it into a job.
The ultimate job for a cat-loving person has to be the professional cat cuddler for Dublin-based Just Cats Veterinary Clinic. This exclusive and unique role asks the cuddler to help calm down anxiety-ridden cats by speaking to them in soft tones, petting them, and reading their cat cues. Some abilities to cat whisper are necessary, so the cuddler knows how the kitty is feeling. If this is your dream job, keep your eyes peeled at similar cat-exclusive vets for similar roles.
Grooming cats provides lots of hands-on experience.
It's not just dogs who need haircuts. Specializing in cat grooming gives you one-on-one time with fluffy cats in need of a wash and trim. While this is a challenging field since many animals don't enjoy being groomed, it can be quite lucrative if there aren't other people solely specializing in grooming cats in your area.
Therapy cats offer unparalleled benefits to their patients.
Pet ownership is associated with lowering your stress levels and have been used to help with anxiety, depression, and more. It makes sense that easygoing animals are trained to provide therapy to people in hospitals and schools.
While much of this work relies on volunteers to donate their time, you can still turn your therapy cat into a career. After getting your cat certified, develop relationships with local universities or schools to see if they have a need for a therapy cat.
Combine two wonderful things by working at a cat cafe.
If some of your favorite things involve whipping up lattes and caring for cats, working at a cat cafe might be your dream job. Cat cafes are like typical coffee shops with crafted caffeinated beverages, but they're run by a local animal shelter and filled with adoptable kitties.
The first cat cafe popped up in Taiwan in 1998 with the kitten and coffee craze spreading to the United States in 2014. Today, there are over 90 cat cafes spread across the US and even more around the world, so there are plenty of opportunities to work at one.
Veterinarians not only help felines in need, but they're surrounded by other cat lovers.
Becoming a veterinarian seems to be the obvious career path for animal lovers to pursue. But aspiring vets can specialize in cat health and even create spaces that promote the comfort of the kitties in a normally stressful situation.
According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners, there are over 1,100 designated cat-friendly vets in the United States, which each receive high satisfaction rates and retention rates. Being a veterinarian specialized in cat care allows you to help your favorite animals in their time of need while spending lots of time with other cat lovers.
Veterinarians make a median pay of about $90,000 per year, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Your cat could be the next social media star.
Do you think you have the prettiest kitty on all of Instagram? If you've got a few marketing skills, you could turn your cat into a social media influencer. Forbes Top Pet Influencer of 2017 and the cutest frowning kitty, Grumpy Cat has raked in millions of dollars from appearances, merchandise, and even a Christmas special.
While the stars might have to align for your cat to become a full-blown social media influencer, with a little time and effort, you might be able to land some sweet free cat products.
Help cats get some fresh air by building catios.
If you've got a knack for woodworking and a passion for cats, catio building might be the job for you. Cats need some fresh air, too, but you're probably not going to take them out on a leash.
Catios, a portmanteau of cat and patio, are custom built screened-in porches with ledges and ramps for cats to explore the great outdoors from a safe, enclosed space. Since each catio is created to fit the backyard space, there's certainly a niche market for woodworkers specialized in catio-building.
Cat photographers use their creativity to capture beautiful images of pets.
With the rise of social media, people are posting more photos than ever. Use your photography skills to help cat parents get those perfect shots of their pets as a professional cat photographer. It takes a special person to have the patience to capture great images of animals, but if you have a good eye combined with a bit of cat whispering, pet photography might be for you.
Cat sitters spent time with lots of kitties in the comfort of their homes.
Cats can be particular about their environments, so when their parents go out of town, it's often easiest to hire a sitter to care for them in their home. Cat sitting doesn't always mean that a neighbor stops by each day to fill up their food bowl.
It's become a business for some, where sitters will spend quality time with the cats while ensuring their well-being. If you're a trustworthy person who enjoys a flexible schedule and hanging out with cats, this could your new dream job.
Cat sitters can make a fairly large range from $20 to $75 a night, according to Angie's List.
Animal shelter workers help kitties find forever homes.
Animals shelters are in constant need of people to aid for their cats. From the workers who keep the animals clean and well fed to the folks in the front office who welcome prospective pet parents, there are roles for all levels of animal lovers in a shelter. You'll spend lots of times with cats who need a little extra love and watch them get adopted into their forever homes.
Shelter workers are often volunteers, but they do employ some full-time. The median salary range is about $35,000, according to PayScale.com.
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