Our Graduates

We have Graduates worldwide.
In the USA, Canada, England, Australia, Africa and more.

Many of our graduates are working for zoos or facilities where they have a non disclosure agreement and thus they are not listed here.
This is just a sample of the 120+ that we still have contact with.

Hey All my favorite people/graduates. I'm updating the school site and realized some of this information is out of date. I'll be in touch :-) Cat One

Liza Carlson

Owner of Salty Dog Hound Lounge

"After graduating in 98, and sticking around as a senior keeper for a while, Chaz and I headed to Vegas, where he worked for S&R and i worked for Lion Photo Studios. I became pregnant, and jaded with Vegas. Moved back to my beloved NW and returned to the land of higher education at Marylhurst University; there I studied photography, zoology, and writing- with the hopes of specifically documenting human/animal interaction (still a major passion). I worked & traveled as a photographer for the majority of my 20's. Currently, my husband and I are living in Lincoln City, Oregon, where we are the owners of Salty Dog Hound Lounge. So, dogs instead kitties, but we live on site, have 3 employees, 15 kennels, a large area for daycare dogs to romp & play, a groomer and self-serve dog wash. I miss the cats, and get nostalgic every once in a while, but am so grateful for the experience I garnered at Cat Tales- I give that experience full credit for today's success."

Crystal Sheldon

Animal Control with Westminster Police

"After graduating, I went to Predators in Action for a couple years and got to work with some amazing cats and bears. I helped raise 2 lions, a puma name Kona and a lioness named Gypsy.
"I volunteered for Orange County Zoo in Irvine, ca, trying to get a job there and worked at vets. Then the opportunity came up to be Animal Control. Not as glamorous sometimes as working with the big cats, but just as dirty and just as fun. I do get to catch some exotic animals in the city on occasion! I still work with a sanctuary, Forever Wild, where Gypsy and a couple of other animals from Randy retired to, and I need to visit Kona, but Cat Tales taught me a lot :) I'm so glad for all the people I met there and the things I learned there."

Hey All my favorite people/graduates. I'm updating the school site and realized some of this information is out of date. I'll be in touch :-) Cat One

Elena Bauske Khalar

Zoo Keeper for Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

"I graduated in 2003. Cat Tales was such an amazing experience. The program provided training that I still use today. I was offered a Bird Trainer position a few months after graduating. I worked at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for about five years. From there, I worked at Tracy Aviary in another Bird Trainer position. In my current position, I work at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo as a Zoo Keeper. I feel so honored and lucky to have worked with such beautiful and amazing animals. I thank Cat Tales for allowing me to have such a wonderful career!! Thank you Cat One and Sun Bear!"

Lisa Johnson

2006 Cat Tales Graduate

"I graduated from Cat Tales in 2006, and stayed at Cat Tales an extra year and managed the zoo. Left in 2007 and a month later got a job at greater Vancouver zoo. I was carnivore keeper there until I had my daughter in 2014. I got to work with bears, wolves, foxes, big cats and more. While at times working with animals is tough, I wouldn't change a second of my experience. Not only did I have the privilege of working with some amazing animals, I got to make life long friends, and for that I say thank you Cat Tales."

Kristi Sipe

"After graduating from Cat Tales in 2006 I was hired on with Yellowstone Bear World and worked my way up to Assistant Director of Animal Care. I chose to continue my education through other avenues shortly thereafter, taking on an exotic bird project in the meantime, and have since taken a break in order to raise my own "Cubs" for awhile. The experience and knowledge I gained at Cat Tales prepared me for working with exotics better than any other course or program I've gone through. It was both the hardest and greatest time of my life and I'm looking forward to returning to the field again in the future."

Krista Hagan

"I graduated from Cat Tales in 2014 and currently work at a small facility in north Georgia where I work with a large variety of amazing animals! I absolutely love the animals I work with but hope to get back to working with big cats soon!"

Lynsi DeWaard

"I graduated Cat Tales in 2005. After graduating I work at Roosevelt Park zoo in Minot, ND. I was there for about 6 years. Then I went to work at Triple D Game Farm and worked there for nearly 2 years. Those who have attended know what I mean when I say going to Cat Tales was the best and worst year of my life. I learned so much about real life, working, the animals and most of all myself. I wouldn't trade my time there for anything. The animals and the people become your family and it is an amazing experience."

Natalie and Nick Benson

"My first job was with Predators in Action, after that I spent 8 years at Out of Africa and now I'm the supervisor at the Albuquerque city shelter. My husband Nick graduated and the only difference is he's at the Albuquerque Rio Grand Zoo."

Lacie Hearst Zimmerman

(Hired by Siegfried and Roy in Las Vegas. Now married, with her own cub at home.)

Heather Keepers

"We are all the luckiest people in the world to have shared maybe even just a glimpse of our lives with these amazing animals. Forever grateful."

Chandelle Skye Cotter

"I am currently the Behavior and Training Manager at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Before that I spent 8 years at Discovery Kingdom. 3 as a trainer and 5 as the Supervisor of Wildlife."

Eve Dougherty

"After graduation I stayed to work for a short while before I moved back to the Midwest and was hired at Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, IN. Attending Cat Tales was one of the most memorable times of my life, met some of the best people ever!"

Alexis Adams

"I have worked as an exotics and wild life tech for 10 years now at Washington State University. I use what I leaned from Cat Tales on a daily basis."

Rachel Bursch

"In Spokane still, not working with zoo animals but man's best friend!!! I love my job and use my training daily!"

Miri Moser Ruthford

"I worked part time for 6 years at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in the Asia section, and I interned and volunteered at Seattle Aquarium for two years. It was absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately, PDZA did a lot of restructuring of job duties with the addition of new positions in other areas of the zoo. I made the decision to leave and go full time at the small animal clinic that was my other part time job, and pursue a veterinary technology license. I have about a year left of my online program before I can take the national test to become licensed. I miss my "big kitties" all the time, but I love what being in the zoo taught me and I really enjoy the vet medicine side of things as well."

Kym Jenke

"Life since Cat Tales has been an amazing crazy ride! I returned to Vancouver Canada to apply for jobs all over the world, only to be hired at the Greater Vancouver Zoo. I worked there as a carnivore keeper until I moved to Oregon to join the cheetah team at Wildlife Safari. In 2007 I moved again to California for a keeper position at the San Diego Wild Animal Park (now the Safari Park). After 7 years there I moved to the San Diego zoo and my current position as the lead keeper in animal connections Children's Zoo. I work with a variety of program animals and get to educate people daily both at the zoo and in the community.
None of this would have been possible without the training and experiences I received at Cat Tales! Unfortunately I am not allowed to share photos of me in uniform for anything other than personal use..."

Matt Plitcha

"It's been a crazy couple of years since graduating Cat Tales. I worked for Predators in Action and got to train for TV shows and movies, then went to work for Wolf People in Idaho (not too far from Spokane), and then down to Colorado to work at Serenity Springs Wildlife Center.
Last year I started the WildHeart Foundation. It's crazy how much it's grown. The first year I struggled to get enough donations just to finish a wolf den, this year we've raised over $30k, next year will hopefully be even bigger.
I came SO CLOSE to buying a tiger sanctuary. The bank was ready to loan me the full amount and I had all the paperwork ready to go. I even convinced the Attorney General of Colorado to create a special permit to make it happen. It fell through, but it gave me connections and ways to keep the foundation going. Who knows, maybe in the future I'll get the chance again.
I'm really happy for everything Cat Tales did for me, even if it was one of the toughest things I've done (since then I've been in crazier situations though)."

Arica Whiteman

"In 2004, I worked at Social Gardens Zoo in Maggie Valley, NC. After that, I pursued and earned my Master's degree in Health Psychology. While I plan to eventually move south to perform dolphin-assisted therapy, I am loving my 6 feline kiddos, now.
Tigger, Hope, Hinata, Misty, and Faith."

Willow Shirrill

"This was one of my favorite classes."

We have Graduates worldwide. In the USA, Canada, England, Australia, Africa and more.