Hannah Shaw- A Neonatal Kitten Rescuer, Educator, And Advocate

If you’re a fan of watching heartfelt animal videos on Facebook, there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with Hannah Shaw. Shaw, aka the Kitten Lady, is a neonatal kitten rescuer, educator, and advocate making a monumental impact on social media. We caught up with the viral animal activist to learn why she’s dedicated her life’s work to saving tiny but mighty felines.

- Devon Preston

When did you start getting tattooed?

My first tattoo was a big piece on my back that says vegan. I was so committed to animal rights at that point in my life and still am obviously. And after that, all the pieces I’ve gotten are fairly large, I don’t really have any small tattoos.

How does your brand as a heavily tattooed person combat the crazy cat lady stereotype?

People have this stereotype of cat ladies being these old, lonely ladies. They literally make costumes, board games, and action figures of cat ladies, and it’s always the same thing. For me, that’s absolutely not the case. I think that what I do is very strategic and deeply goal-oriented. It takes a lot of strategy, passion, and a deliberate effort that is not even remotely crazy. I think the crazy cat lady stereotype harms cats, as well as people. People are scared to get involved with cats because they don’t want to be accused of being a crazy cat lady. A lot of men don’t feel comfortable getting into involved with cats because they think it’s something only for women. It’s important to totally break down those stereotypes because it’s 2018, and that’s just not the case. People who work in feline welfare are many different genders, races, ages—it’s a very diverse community.

When did you become the Kitten Lady?