The Cat Writers’ Association (CWA) held its 31st Annual Conference, on October 24–25, 2025 in Indianapolis, IN, at the Wyndham Indianapolis Airport Hotel. CWA is an international association of professional communicators who responsibly promote the best for cats, large and small, in written, visual, and audio media. “Live in 2025,” a hybrid event featuring live presentations and events on Friday and Saturday, and virtual speakers on Saturday, was their first in-person conference since 2019. Friday presentations were recorded. Both in-person and virtual attendees had access to the recordings for 30 days through Accelevents.
The activities kicked off Thursday evening with a gift bag stuffing party. The key word is “stuffing.” Sponsors were generous with donated items. Leftover items were donated to Cats Haven, Indianapolis’s oldest no-kill shelter specializing in senior and special needs cats.
Friday started early. As I walked down the quiet hotel corridor, I found myself walking small. Wait a minute, walk tall, own the space, you know, be more cat. It was a premonition. The morning sessions began with opening remarks by CWA President Lynn Maria Thompson. The first of nine 45-minute presentations was accelerated by speaker KJ McGlinn’s presentation, “Presence Over Perfection: Finding the Confidence to Use Your Own Voice on Camera, In Person and In Life.”
KJ is a gifted storyteller and media personality known as The Kitty Correspondent on Pet Pals TV. She focused on tips to quiet self-doubt, stop chasing perfection, and show authenticity rather than perform. As a recovering perfectionist and wee bit of an introvert, I felt like she was speaking directly to me. Three of my takeaways were: 1. When you walk into a new situation—be your cat, calm and confident; 2. Presence over performance; and 3. Progress over perfection. Wow, it’s as if she had heard my self-talk in the corridor. I have incorporated these points into my daily life. “Progress over perfection” is my new mantra.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Randy Aronson, who uses an integrative approach in his veterinary practice, combining Western (allopathic) medicine with holistic modalities in Tucson, Arizona. His session “Purrfect Health: An Integrative Path to Cat Wellness, Longevity, and Vitality” was sponsored by Feline Natural. He talked about how we can better care for our feline companions through improved diet, supplements, and treatments. He talked about how we can better care for our felines through improved diet, supplements and treatments. What we’ll be hearing more about is the cat’s digestive microbiome and GI health. Again, timely information for me to help with my kitty’s ongoing health issues.
Midafternoon was an editor’s panel discussion via Zoom with Nicole Cosgrove of Pangolin, Claudia Guthrie of Chewy/PetMD, Andrea Gapsch of Purdue University Press, and Jay Hartman of Misti Media. They discussed what they’re looking for in terms of content and how writers can better pitch story ideas and find paying work.
I thought I’d take a break later in the afternoon but I stayed for every session. I’m glad because even the topics I didn’t think pertained to me had takeaway nuggets of information—how to be a better speaker, the business of writing, and using authoritative sources.
The evening treat was Friday Night at the Movies with CatVideoFest featuring, you guessed it, cat videos curated by Will Braden for CWA.
Saturday was a full day at the Indy Cat Club CFA Cat Show, plus a CWA author signing. The cat show was lively with vendors, gorgeous cats, and fun events for observers. The book signings were successful, with such a large gate in attendance. Virtual attendees had numerous speaker presentations with such topics as marketing, self-publishing, how to find paying freelance markets, and writing to save cats. Back at home, I watched the recorded presentations, and each had useful information for authors and the writing craft. Kris Bock’s presentation “Fast Starts: How to Hook Your Reader” demonstrated ways to improve your opening to grab readers right from the beginning.
Saturday night was the highlight of the conference, the Awards Banquet with emcee Clayton Payne, host of the Pet Business Disruptors podcast. Clayton launched his podcast in 2024. He says it’s quickly become one of the world’s most downloadable pet industry podcasts, in 10 counties including USA, UK, Australia and Canada.
Earlier in the year, CWA held its annual communication contest and Special Awards. Each category is judged by three judges. The entries with a score of 90 or higher receive a Certificate of Excellence. Those entries then are up for the prestigious Muse Medallion, announced at the awards banquet. The Special Awards come with a cash prize and memento.
Plans are already under way for the 2026 conference. An in-person conference is a fabulous way to connect and network with like-minded people. Check CWA’s website (catwriters.com) for more information about membership, the contest, and the conference, as well as the CWA Purr-fect Creativity Retreat March 6–8, 2026, at Castle Farms in Kibler, Arkansas.
Ramona D. Marek, MS Ed. is an award-winning writer who writes about pet care, health and welfare, behavior, and cats in the arts.
Her work has been honored with prestigious awards, including the Shojai Mentor Award, Fear Free Pets Award, Good News for Pets Human-Animal Bond Award, and the Purina One Health Award. She is the recipient of numerous Cat Writers’ Association MUSE Medallions, including one for her book Cats for the GENIUS.
Ramona is a professional member of the Cat Writers’ Association and a volunteer for O’Malley Alley Cat Rescue in Tyler, Texas. She finds inspiration from her sun puddle sovereign, Bebe King of the Blues, who has her wrapped around his paw.
