Hannah Shaw (known as the Kitten Lady) is an animal welfare advocate and internet celebrity, known for being an educator on kittens.^[1][2][3]

Career

After leaving a consulting job to create training materials for animal shelters,^[1] Shaw began a career as an animal fosterer who specializes in caring for kittens. She earned the moniker “Kitten Lady” from her efforts to educate the public in kitten rescue and foster care.

Shaw works as a foster parent for orphaned kittens, who would, otherwise, often be euthanized by animal shelters, due to a lack of resources and space to dedicate to neonatals.^[4] She informs others on how to foster kittens, reduce stray cat populations, and contribute to animal welfare through her videos on social media, in-person workshops, personal interviews, and public speaking events.^[5][6] She has also published several books on kitten rescue, or based on her fostering stories.

Shaw frequently posts on YouTube and Instagram, her channel and account detailing her rescue work, and featuring instructional videos and posts on kitten fostering. Once the kittens featured in her videos are old enough, they are adopted out, with Shaw saying "Goodbye is the goal".^[7]

She runs her work through her nonprofit, the Orphan Kitten Club.^[8]

Personal life

Shaw lives in San Diego with her husband, Andrew Marttila, a professional cat photographer.^[4] They met in 2016, moved in together the following year after a long-distance relationship, and were married at an animal sanctuary in 2023.^[3] The couple traveled the world interviewing other feline advocates and photographing cats in their respective communities for a collaborative book to be published in 2024.^[9]

Shaw is the daughter of Tommy Shaw, the co-frontman and guitarist for the rock band Styx.^[7]

Publications

• Shaw, Hannah René (August 6, 2019). Tiny But Mighty: Kitten Lady's Guide to Saving the Most Vulnerable Felines. New York: Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-1-5247-4406-9. OCLC 1057730974.
• Shaw, Hannah René (October 8, 2019). Kitten Lady's Big Book of Little Kittens (First Aladdin hardcover ed.). New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 978-1-5344-3894-1. OCLC 1088642928.
• Shaw, Hannah René (June 7, 2022). Adventures in Fosterland: Emmet and Jez. Johnson, Bev (illustrator). New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 978-1-6659-0118-5. OCLC 1340702269.
• Shaw, Hannah René (June 7, 2022). Adventures in Fosterland: Super Spinach. Johnson, Bev (illustrator). New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 978-1-6659-0125-3. OCLC 1340702548.
• Shaw, Hannah René (November 1, 2022). Kitten Lady's Cativity Book. Kott, Megan Lynn (illustrator). Boston: Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-3587-2453-7. OCLC 1350354142.
• Shaw, Hannah René (January 10, 2023). Adventures in Fosterland: Baby Badger. Johnson, Bev (illustrator). New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 978-1-6659-2555-6. OCLC 1330895662.
• Shaw, Hannah René (July 18, 2023). Adventures in Fosterland: Snowpea the Puppy Queen. Johnson, Bev (illustrator). New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 978-1-6659-2560-0. OCLC 1347428102.
• Shaw, Hannah René; Marttila, Andrew Jared (2024). Cats of the World. New York: Plume. ISBN 978-0-5931-8311-3.