Chirrups and Chatter

Chirrups and Chatter . She grew up with cats, dogs, turtles, rabbits and more. She began volunteering with animal rescues in high school. She is one of only 30 in the world currently!

For as long as she can remember, Tabitha has had a strong connection with animals and knew that she wanted to work with them in her professional and personal life. Once she graduated high school, she wanted to continue to help animals and she went to school to become a veterinary technician. She graduated from Stautzenberger College and passed her board exam, becoming a Registered Veterinary Te

chnician in 2010. As a veterinary technician, Tabitha worked with animal rescue organizations and in general practice. Her work in these fields shed light on repeated occurrences of animal euthanasia and re-homing due to behavior issues, misreading of animal body language, and the suffering that animals and humans endured due to them being misunderstood. This is what first inspired her to become more interested and knowledgeable about animal behavior and training. She quickly became dedicated to learning about the root causes and permanent solutions to feline and canine behavior concerns. She began to teach herself about behavior through continuing education, workshops, speaking to experts, completing her Low Stress Handling and Elite Fear Free Certifications, obtaining her KPA-CTP through the Karen Pryor Academy , and became a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant through the IAABC . She has also received her Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior Designation . Keeping animals in their loving homes is her utmost goal – this reduces euthanasia as well as displacement of animals from their homes, where they often end up in stressful shelter environments. Helping people better understand and relate to their pets leads to a stronger bond and a more gratifying relationship between animal and human. Tabitha enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge and experience to help clients resolve, manage, and prevent many types of dog and cat behavior issues, such as house soiling, attention seeking behaviors, destructive behaviors, aggression, fear-based behaviors, tension between pets, introducing new pets, leash pulling, and fear and stress associated with handling and grooming. Tabitha also offers educational lectures and workshops to the general public, veterinary professionals, training, and shelter professionals. Tabitha revels in educating others through writing, behavior consulting, and lecturing on all things related to cats and dogs. This includes reducing the fear, anxiety, and stress animals and their owners often experience with veterinary visits, handling, travel, and medical procedures, socialization, preventing behavior issues, fear free handling, shelter enrichment and behavior programs, and more.

Join me and Veterinary Team Training for this FREE webinar Scratch That: A Pawsitive Approach to Prevent Destructive Scr...
12/30/2025

Join me and Veterinary Team Training for this FREE webinar

Scratch That: A Pawsitive Approach to Prevent Destructive Scratching

Register here https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4859790169573678421

Monday, January 5🕗 8–9pm EST | 5–6pm PST
🎓 RACE Approved 1.0 CEU for Vet Techs & Veterinarians

Destructive scratching is one of the most common challenges caregivers face but it’s also completely natural behavior. As animal professionals, we have the opportunity and responsibility to support caregivers and offer practical solutions.

This webinar will help you feel confident and empowered to advocate for cats’ welfare while supporting and equipping caregivers with the tools they need.

As we step into 2026, it’s a great time to reflect on how we care for animals, support caregivers, and work as a team an...
12/29/2025

As we step into 2026, it’s a great time to reflect on how we care for animals, support caregivers, and work as a team and where we can do even better. We call it practicing veterinary medicine for a reason: there’s always room to learn, grow, and improve. This year, let’s focus on approaches that put safety, welfare, and trust at the heart of every interaction. 🐾

Pain Recognition: Out with waiting for obvious signs or dismissing subtle cues. In with observing posture, facial expressions, and behavioral changes, and acting proactively to prevent or reduce discomfort. Pain symptoms often are not subtle, once you know what to look for, pain signals are hard to miss. Behavior is communication and recognizing it early improves outcomes for all.

Handling: Out with “we’ve always done it this way,” force, and one-size-fits-all restraint. In with flexible, critical thinking approaches that adapt to the individual animal, respect thresholds, and reduce fear and pain. Reading body language, adjusting technique, and prioritizing emotional safety isn’t extra work, it’s safer and less stressful for all as well as more efficient.

Training & Behavior Support: Out with using fear and pain, labeling animals as “difficult,” or treating management as failure. In with building confidence in achievable steps, using management, and addressing physical, social, and mental needs.

Spotting Pain Through BehaviorPets are always communicating even when they’re in pain. A dog may pause before jumping in...
12/16/2025

Spotting Pain Through Behavior

Pets are always communicating even when they’re in pain. A dog may pause before jumping into the car, a cat might just watch a favorite toy instead of playing, or they may stop asking for pets or become picky about their food.

Swipe through to see a simple framework, real-life examples, and tips for noticing these subtle signs early.

Want to learn more? Visit my website for handouts, articles, podcasts, and upcoming events where I’ll be presenting.

Chirrupsandchatter.com

VMX is almost here, and I’m feeling really grateful to be speaking again. I’ll be lecturing on chronic pain in cats. My ...
12/16/2025

VMX is almost here, and I’m feeling really grateful to be speaking again.

I’ll be lecturing on chronic pain in cats. My Perfecting Medication Masterclass is sold out, but there are still a few spots available in No More Cat Wrangling: Techniques for Feline-Friendly Handling Workshop.

If you’ll be attending, I’d love to connect, stop and and say hi.

Excited to see everyone!

12/09/2025

It’s deeply troubling and frankly infuriating to see the AVMA president endorsing inhumane training methods. This directly contradicts our commitment to do no harm and undermines the ethical responsibilities at the core of our veterinary and veterinary technician oath.

Supporting Animals and the Humans Who Love Them When I first started working with Rigby, he was stressed, anxious, and s...
12/02/2025

Supporting Animals and the Humans Who Love Them 

When I first started working with Rigby, he was stressed, anxious, and struggling with housesoiling . His brother, Mordecai, was feeling stressed too, and it was clear they were both affecting each other’s well-being.

Together with his family, we worked to catify their home, adding routines, enrichment, and small daily changes that helped reduce stress and keep both cats mentally and physically engaged. Along the way, we uncovered underlying medical concerns, collaborated closely with their veterinary team, and developed strategies that gave the caregivers the tools and confidence to support Rigby and advocate for his care.

Now, Rigby is a different cat, confident, relaxed, and thriving. His pain and medical issues are managed, housesoiling is no longer a problem, and peace has returned to the home. 💛

Helping cats like Rigby and Mordecai feel safe, confident, and loved and empowering their amazing caregivers is exactly why I do what I do.

If you want to help the cats and dogs in your practice thrive too, Join my referral network and let’s support them together!

🌟 Support Small Businesses on and Every Day! Running a small business is a lot. It’s messy, meaningful, exhausting, an...
11/29/2025

🌟 Support Small Businesses on and Every Day!

Running a small business is a lot. It’s messy, meaningful, exhausting, and incredibly rewarding all at once. And even on the tough days, I’m reminded how lucky I am to do this work. Every referral, share, client, and kind word means alot

To everyone who’s supported me and
Chirrups and Chatter in any way, thank you. From trusting me with your animals to showing up for my lectures and using my resources, I appreciate all of it. Helping people better understand and care for their animals is my favorite part of this work, and I’m grateful every day that this is what I get to do.

If my work has supported you in any way, I’d be so grateful for a quick review. It helps others find me and supports what I do.

🌟 https://g.page/r/Cdyt2a9cmrHIEBM/review

Learn more and advocate for the animals in your care with these free resources. Say NO to Inhalant Chambers and MasksS...
11/21/2025

Learn more and advocate for the animals in your care with these free resources.

Say NO to Inhalant Chambers and Masks
See post and resources the post to learn about the dangers of inhalant induction—for both animals and people and what to do instead.

Why Inhalant Induction Isn’t Safe
🛑 For cats and dogs:
• Poor monitoring and no analgesia
• No protected airway = increased risk
• Higher inhalant doses → risk of overdose
• Stress, fear, and cardiovascular strain

🛑 For People:
• Exposure to waste anesthetic gases
• Increased risk of headaches, irritability, reproductive issues, and more
• Higher risk of bites/scratches when animals are distressed

There’s a Better Way
👉 Reduce stress from the start with thoughtful transport and minimizing stress in the environment
👉 One size does not fit all, approach handling critically and have a handling plan
👉 Create individualized anesthesia and analgesia plans
👉 Treat and manage anxiety and pain medically including sedation and pre-visit pharaceuticals when needed to keep everyone safe

✨ Download my free Ban the Box handout and listen to the Tails From a Vet Tech “Ban the Box” episode to learn more:
�https://chirrupsandchatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/BantheBox.pdf
🔗 tailsfromrvt.buzzsprout.com/1887137/11014949

My dog Ness had her annual wellness appointment today 🩷Last year, we thought we were going to lose her due to unmanageab...
11/19/2025

My dog Ness had her annual wellness appointment today 🩷Last year, we thought we were going to lose her due to unmanageable pain and complications secondary to arthritis throughout her whole body.

Today, she’s bright, comfortable, and happy. I’m grateful for every single day with her. At 14, her cognitive health is incredible (starting a brain-health diet at 6 and keeping her world full of enrichment definitely helped). She’s definitely a lumpy lady now, but every mass is benign and not causing her any trouble, and her pain is well controlled 🥹.

Her care plan is a big team effort: weekly acupuncture, environmental modifications (nonslip surfaces, raised water bowls, easy access to favorite spots), hydrotherapy, PT exercises, NSAIDs, ElleVet h**p cbd oil mobility , glucosamine, fish oils, amantadine, and gabapentin. I am aware and have discussed with her vets additional pain management strategies that can add in if needed in the future too

Thankfully, she also loves the rehab vet and her GP, we have worked together to make vet visits and procedures, travel, and administering medications collaborative and as low stress as possible.

Caring for our aging animals can feel overwhelming, but it’s also filled with so much love and hope. Thoughtful, individualized care and truly multimodal pain management can transform their comfort and quality of life. Small changes, supportive environments, and a compassionate veterinary team make an enormous difference.

My heart is so full. Thank you to everyone who joined me for Feline Focus Virtual Conference! Your curiosity, thoughtful...
11/17/2025

My heart is so full. Thank you to everyone who joined me for Feline Focus Virtual Conference! Your curiosity, thoughtful questions, and passion for feline care made the weekend incredibly special. I’m deeply grateful for the wonderful feedback you’ve been sharing.

A huge shoutout to the amazing speakers, Sterling Davis of TrapKing Humane Cat, Beverely McKee of Toronto Humane, Olivia Warburton of RI Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Licensed professional counselor, Dr. Meghan Breedlove who joined me for the panels. Your expertise, insight, and generosity truly elevated the conversations, and I’m so honored to have shared that space with you.

If you weren’t able to attend live, you can still purchase the full recordings and catch up anytime.

✨ Full schedule of panels and lectures is listed in the comments.

11/13/2025
11/13/2025

📢 Attention donors: mark your calendars!

It's time for the holiday edition of our Stuff the Pod fundraiser! December 4-6, we'll be collecting donations of dry pet food behind our Resource Center at our storage pod. Your donations will help stock our pet food pantry in time for the holidays.

Can't make it in person? You can always shop our wishlists.
Chewy: https://bit.ly/47OKP2y
Amazon: https://amzn.to/41FsaEf

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Our Story

For as long as she can remember, Tabitha has had a strong connection with animals and knew that she wanted to work with them in her professional and personal life. She grew up with cats, dogs, turtles, rabbits and more. She began volunteering with animal rescues in high school. Once she graduated high school, she wanted to continue to help animals and she went to school to become a veterinary technician. She graduated from Stautzenberger College and passed her board exam, becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician in 2010. As a veterinary technician, Tabitha worked with animal rescue organizations and in general practice. Her work in these fields shed light on repeated occurrences of animal euthanasia and re-homing due to behavior issues, misreading of animal body language, and the suffering that animals and humans endured due to them being misunderstood. This is what first inspired her to become more interested and knowledgeable about animal behavior and training. She quickly became dedicated to learning about the root causes and permanent solutions to feline and canine behavior concerns. She began to teach herself about behavior through continuing education, workshops, speaking to experts, completing her Low Stress Handling and Elite Fear Free Certifications, obtaining her KPA-CTP through the Karen Pryor Academy, and became a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant through the IAABC. I continue to learn from the animals and clients I work with as well as by attending behavior workshops and conferences. Tabitha is also currently working towards her veterinary technician specialty in behavior.

Keeping animals in their loving homes is her utmost goal – this reduces euthanasia as well as displacement of animals from their homes, where they often end up in stressful shelter environments. Helping people better understand and relate to their pets leads to a stronger bond and a more gratifying relationship between animal and human.

Tabitha enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge and experience to help clients resolve, manage, and prevent many types of dog and cat behavior issues, such as house soiling, attention seeking behaviors, destructive behaviors, aggression, fear-based behaviors, tension between pets, introducing new pets, leash pulling, and fear and stress associated with handling and grooming.

Tabitha also offers educational lectures and workshops to the general public, veterinary professionals, training, and shelter professionals. Tabitha revels in educating others through writing, behavior consulting, and lecturing on all things related to cats and dogs. This includes reducing the fear, anxiety, and stress animals and their owners often experience with veterinary visits, handling, travel, and medical procedures, socialization, preventing behavior issues, fear free handling, shelter enrichment and behavior programs, and more.