Upstaged by my cat again!

I have just been upstaged by my cat AGAIN…

I have a room at home (that I call my Zoom room) which is permanently set up like a TV studio, so it’s perfect for remote speaking and training.  However, one thing that most TV studios don’t have is a large and unpredictable black cat called Zebedee who is keen on stealing the limelight from those who dare to step in front of the camera.  I used to shut him out of the room whenever I did any remote speaking or training, but then he used to sharpen his claws on the carpet and make lots of noise scratching the door, so I felt it was a quieter option to keep the door open.  I also found that participants of my sessions like it when Zebedee puts in an appearance, even if I find it off-putting.  He has been known to jump up onto the back of the sofa that I am sitting on and start eating or licking my hair while I try to deliver my training or talk as professionally as I can under the circumstances.

Anyway, yesterday I delivered a virtual trans awareness session to some lovely staff at Three.  All went well for the first half of my session, until my four-legged friend decided to get in on the action too.  The problem is that when Zebedee enters a room, he doesn’t just slip in unnoticed.  Oh no.  He likes to announce his arrival and yesterday was no exception as he walked in and let out a very loud and purposeful “MIAOWWWWW!”  Although he wasn’t on-camera, I knew my overhead microphone would have picked him up, so I had to make reference to the elephant-cat in the room.  I quickly tried to settle him down as I usually find that once he is lying down on the sofa next to me he just falls asleep, but unfortunately, he took a lot more settling than usual and he was yowling all the way.  All this was happening was I was still battling on and telling my transition story with all the emotion that goes with it.  After much stroking, he eventually settled down, but I was focused so much on delivering my session that I failed to noticed the warning tail twitches that indicate that I had fussed Zeb just a little too much.  Oh yes, he’s one of those cats…  As my hand went down for the next stroke from his head to tail, he lunged forwards to bite me!  That got my attention.  Talk about life on the edge!

Thankfully, the participants thought Zebedee’s antics were highly entertaining and it didn’t spoil the session for them.  Here are some of the messages that I was humbled to receive in the chat…

• “Thanks so much Katie – so brave and informative, for me the clear articulation of sexuality and gender being different was a light bulb moment”
• “Thank you so much for sharing your story Katie. So emotional to hear you share your journey. Your bravery in acknowledging your truth and the happiness this has brought you is so inspiring. Thank you for educating me to be a better ally too.”
• “Thank you so much Katie. It was amazing to hear your story. So grateful to you for sharing it.”
• “Thanks Katie ….lovely to meet such a brave lady…thank you for sharing your story.”
• “Thanks Katie, great to hear your story and educating us on how to be better allies.”
• “Thank you so much Katie. Your story was emotional and inspiring thank you for sharing”
• “Thank you Katie for sharing and being so open to all questions.”
• “Really inspiring and educational, you are an amazing lady  thank you for educating us”
• “Thank you Katie for being so open about your story! Really appreciate it”
• “Incredible session – thanks so much”
• “Thank you so much Katie for sharing your journey- its been so inspiring and educational”

Trans Awareness Week is fast approaching, as it runs from the 13th to 19th November.  While I already have many bookings, I still have some availability, so if you are interested in a trans awareness session or if you just want me to tell the story of My Long Walk to Womanhood during that week, please contact me ASAP to avoid disappointment.  Don’t worry if I can’t fit you in during that week though, as trans inclusion is for all year round, not just for one week.  I can’t guarantee that Zebedee will make an appearance during your session though, as he is a law unto himself!