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Global feline favourite "Kitten Lady" Hannah Shaw returning to Australia for 2026 Melbourne Cat Lovers Festival

Cat Lovers Festival

Key Facts:

• Hannah Shaw, known as Kitten Lady, will headline the 2026 Melbourne Cat Lovers Festival at Melbourne Showgrounds on 17–18 October, following her successful appearance at last year's Sydney Cat Lovers Festival.
• Shaw is a New York Times bestselling author, founder of the Orphan Kitten Club, and globally recognised authority on neonatal kitten care, with over four million social media followers worldwide.
• She will present two feature sessions across the weekend: *Tiny but Mighty: My Life as a Professional Kitten Rescuer* on Saturday, and *From Tiny to Mighty: A Kitten's First 8 Weeks* on Sunday.
• The Melbourne festival will introduce a new *Cat Chat* format, offering intimate sessions with experts covering cat health, behaviour, nutrition, enrichment, and responsible ownership, with greater opportunity for audience participation.
• Festival tickets also include entry to the co-located Dog Lovers Festival, with further announcements expected regarding meet-and-greet experiences and the full programme.

One of the world's most influential voices in kitten rescue and welfare, Hannah Shaw, better known to millions as Kitten Lady, will make her highly anticipated return to Australia as the headline guest at the 2026 Melbourne Cat Lovers Festival.

Following an overwhelmingly successful appearance at last year's Sydney Cat Lovers Festival, Shaw will travel back to Australia to join cat lovers from across the country at the Melbourne Showgrounds on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October.

Recognised globally for transforming the way vulnerable kittens are rescued, fostered and cared for, the US-based animal welfare advocate has built an extraordinary community with tens of millions of views on her YouTube clips and more than four million followers from around the world on social media through her educational platform, Kitten Lady.

A New York Times bestselling author, educator, rescuer and founder of the Orphan Kitten Club, Shaw has become one of the world's leading authorities on neonatal kitten care, helping shelters and rescue organisations along with everyday animal lovers, save countless feline lives.

Festival Director, Jason Humphris said securing Hannah's return to Australia was a major coup for the Melbourne event.

"The response to Hannah's visit to Sydney last year exceeded every expectation. Her sessions attracted huge crowds and the feedback from Festival visitors was overwhelmingly positive," he said.

"She's an incredibly engaging presenter who combines expert knowledge with genuine warmth and compassion. Whether you're an experienced cat owner, a foster carer or simply someone who loves cats, Hannah has an extraordinary ability to inspire people and make them feel they can make a real difference."

Across the weekend, Hannah will present two distinctly different feature sessions, one built around the extraordinary stories behind her life in rescue, and the other offering a fascinating, practical look at how kittens grow through their crucial first eight weeks.

During the Saturday session: Tiny but Mighty: My Life as a Professional Kitten Rescuer, Hannah will take audiences behind the scenes of a life dedicated to some of the world’s tiniest and most vulnerable animals. She will share some of her wildest, funniest and heartwarming stories from her nearly two decades of kitten rescue.

The Sunday session:  From Tiny to Mighty: A Kitten’s First 8 Weeks, will take audiences on the incredible journey through the first two months of a kitten’s life, as they learn to see, hear, eat, play, pounce and explore the world around them. The session will also offer practical tips for helping vulnerable kittens thrive, whether attendees are foster carers, rescue volunteers or simply kitten lovers eager to understand these tiny creatures a little better.

Shaw said she was thrilled to be returning to Australia.

"I'm so excited to come back, reconnect with everyone and celebrate our shared love of cats. There are so many wonderful conversations to have about kitten care, rescue, fostering and the incredible bond we share with our feline companions, and I can't wait to be part of another amazing Cat Lovers Festival."

Shaw's appearance forms part of the Melbourne Cat Lovers Festival's redefined offering, featuring Australia's leading veterinarians, behaviourists, breeders, rescue organisations and feline experts across two days of entertainment, education and shopping.

Plus, new for Melbourne, will be Cat Chat featuring intimate sessions and conversations designed to bring visitors closer to the experts. The innovative format will allow attendees to engage in discussions covering cat health, behaviour, nutrition, enrichment and responsible ownership, while creating greater opportunities for audience participation and questions.

Visitors can expect hundreds of beautiful cats representing dozens of breeds across the Breed Showcase & Adoption Zone, plus unique interactive experiences including the popular Pat-A-Cat feature, Australia's largest feline-focused Expo packed with exclusive Festival-only specials and featured products and the innovative Marketplace which showcases boutique start-ups and clever cat-loving brands you won’t find elsewhere!

Best of all, every Cat Lovers Festival ticket also includes entry to the co-located Dog Lovers Festival, giving visitors access to two world-class events across one unforgettable weekend.

More announcements about Hannah Shaw's appearances, including rare meet & greet experiences, and the full Festival program will be revealed in the coming months.

For tickets and further information visit the Melbourne Cat Lovers Festival website: https://catloversfestival.com.au/melbourne/

Contact details:

For media enquiries:

Vicky De George

0405 151 485

[email protected]