About Boobahs, LLC
Your Educational Blueprint for an Empowered Human-Animal Bond
The cats behind the name
Boobahs began as my affectionate name for my cats. Over time, it became the name for the work they inspired: helping people understand cats more deeply through education, behavior science, humane husbandry, and practical technology.
Where the name came from
The original Boobahs were Rocky and Phantom. They were the beginning of a name that eventually came to represent every cat who enters my life.
Each Boobah has a different personality, history, set of needs, and way of communicating - all shaped by the underlying science of feline behavior. Together, they shape how I think about feline behavior, caregiving, enrichment, illness, aging, grief, resilience, and the human–animal bond.
Today, Boobahs is more than a nickname. It is a tribute to the cats who teach me, challenge me, trust me, and inspire a platform devoted to empowering people through feline education.
Meet the Boobahs, LLC
Every Boobah taught me something different. Some taught patience. Some taught resilience. Some taught advocacy, caregiving, behavior, medicine, humor, or grief. Together, they became the emotional and educational foundation of Boobahs, LLC, leading me to study the science of animal behavior and feline biology. After gaining an education in the science, I understand why cats act the way they do and have specific needs.
Spooky was a female black cat, who grew up with me during my childhood (note her photo is a polaroid photo!). She was the ultimate Boobah - before Boobahs was coined. Spooky was my best friend and my heart. I have one cat tattoo, and it is of her so I carry her with me everywhere, everyday
Spooky taught me what unconditional love is.
Rocky (Rockymon) is one of the two original Boobahs. Rocky was the kindest, most gentle cat you would ever meet - so imagine our surprise when he is our one and only cat who bit a tech at the ER when under treatment for heart failure (we rushed him to the ER approximately nine times for hypertropic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and he just had enough)! Rocky's favorite toy was a black cat stuffed animal that he would carry around the house. He was named after the song "Rocky Raccoon" - so that stands as his memorial song (every Bigrigg cat has one!). He was extremely bonded to his brother, Phantom.
Cats can demand a specific cat food brand and will starve rather than eat another non-desirable brand. During an unexpected snow storm, we ran out of Rocky's desired food, and I had to walk in two feet of snow to get him his particular brand! There are scientific studies that suggest that introducing kittens to a variety of protein sources can groom them to be more accepting of food varieties in adulthood.
Phantom (Rocky's littermate) was adopted from a veterinarian who rescued the litter of three kittens from a fire in an apartment building. I just moved into my first apartment and craved feline companionship. By the time I got to the vet's office, their sister had already been adopted, so I became a mom to the two boys. Phantom had a special nickname - Boobahlina - and he was my first soul cat. We spoke a secret language, and when I would upset him, he would turn his back to me, but always sneak backward glances at me to make sure I knew how upset he was! Phantom's memorial song is "I Will" by the Beatles.
Phantom was born with a cancerous lump on the top of his head, and he had several surgeries throughout his lifetime to remove a variety of lumps. Note his missing ear tip - that's from the removal of a cancerous lump, not the result of neuter ear tipping. I learned that even kittens can be born sick with very serious conditions, but with consistent, responsible medical treatment, they can live long and happy lives. Cancer does not have to be a death sentence.
Rory (Princess Aurora) and Chip were found in an abandoned trailer together as young kittens. It appeared that Rory might have been a few months older than Chip - but we will never know for sure. Who knows - she might have been Chip's mom, because kittens can become pregnant during their first heat cycle - as young as four or five months old! Rory was the first girl Boobah, and she was my cat mom! Princess Aurora was incredibly loyal and would defend me to the end, which can be a common trait of calico felines. Although unhealthy for cats, Rory always tried to eat my marshmallows! This confused me, since cat cannot appreciate sweet tastes. Rory also enjoyed playing fetch. Cats can learn to play fetch through positive reinforcement (though I did not know that was what I was doing at the time). Rory's song is "Once Upon a Dream," as my husband and I are big Disney fans!
Rory taught me about grief processing and that medicine is not omnipotent (they cannot diagnose everything). She suddenly became very sick. The hospital fitted her with a feeding tube, but she kept getting more and more sick. When waiting in the internal medicine department for a checkup, Rory crawled into my lap, had a seizure, and passed away. I had to learn to process a sudden, unexpected, monumental loss.
Chip was found with Princess Aurora, and when we rescued him we did not think he would survive. Chip was the size of my palm and was very sick. One of the medications that was used for Giardia treatment was known to potentially result in long-term neurological symptoms, and Chip later exhibited head shaking when attempting to focus on a moving object that approached him. However, Chip was the most chill cat ever and nothing really bothered him. He was regal and loving - so, his memorial song is "Royals." Both Rory and Chip were engagement presents my husband and I exchanged right before getting married.
We rescued Chip and Rory as kittens with Giardia and had to keep them confined to the bathroom. The bathroom would have been declared a horrible crime scene if poop was blood! This was a hands-on internal parasite learning lesson! We had to practice good biosecurity methods to protect our other cats. Additionally, Chip was so relaxed that I could practice cat grooming skills on his Maine Coon fur.
Max was originally adopted by my husband's coworker. The coworker worked long hours and Max moved in with my husband around a year old. Max was a very vocal cat-- while he would cuddle on the couch with my husband, he would hiss to announce that he didn't want to cuddle anymore before he jumped down. He did not exhibit any other behavior other than just being vocal. When Jay (tiny thing that he was) joined the family, Max would just sit back and watch Jay just like the other humans did. He was the most human-like of cats ever.
Around twelve years old, he developed a squamous cell carcinoma under his tongue which required him to have a feeding tube. The idea of a feeding tube was quite daunting but Max was the easiest cat to handle and we all learned how to manipulate a feeding tube together. He developed cancer before there was a specialized vet hospital nearby so he was not able to get extensive treatment.
Jay was a beautiful brown tabby who adopted my husband before my husband adopted me. Jay could walk amongst chaos without disturbing anything. I remember sorting stacks of CDs, and Jay used them as an obstacle course and disturbed nothing.
Even though cats in the wild are solitary predators, domestic cats can enjoy being part of a family. As a welcoming present to the home, Jay (who would occasionally sneak outside onto our elevated deck), captured a meal and gifted it to me! At first I was shocked, but then I realized how important that gesture was. Additionally, Jay was the first cat for whom I had to treat megacolon.
Taz was adopted by my husband's parents from a store at the mall long before anyone understood the implications. Taz spent his whole life with his buddy, Flash. Taz was very protective but also anxious, so he was very wary of any visitors in the home. Most of his life was spent in the country but moved to an apartment in the city later on when my mother-in-law needed more help, Taz very much enjoyed the apartment life.
Taz spent a large portion of his adult life living as an indoor / outdoor feline. When in enclosed spaces, Taz would exhibit "aggressive" behavior toward pacing humans. Taz taught me that cats may act "aggressive" due to defensive anxiety issues. Being both predator and prey, cats can act out to scare off being attacked by others. Little did I know at the time, Taz was trying to warn me.
Flash was brought into the Bigrigg family for my husband's mother from a shelter in Central PA. Flash was the shy cat off in a corner, but when my husband picked him up, Flash grabbed hold and would not let go. The rest was history. Flash spent most of his life in the country and would spend his days off in the fields running around and enjoying nature. He would come home around dusk and spend his evenings around the fireplace. Flash was brought into our home at the age of 20 when Michael's mother passed away and lived several years with us. Michael's mother loved the singer for this song, so we felt that Flash's song should be "The Gambler."
With Flash, I learned about the different ailments that impact elderly felines. Flash was deaf, and he had vision limitations. Additionally, Flash exhbited osteoarthritis and mild feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS). We had to make environmental changes to help Flash live a safe and happy life in our home. We also learned that other cats will help family members. When Flash became confused, he would loadly moan, and Callie would come running to help him! Flash enjoyed a "May-December" friendship with Callie.
Callie (Calliebunga!) was the ultimate daddy‘s girl. She appeared in our yard in the summer of 2014. Her original owner from the middle of the country drove out to Pennsylvania and dumped her in our neighborhood because his new girlfriend did not like her. Starving and confused, Callie was searching for help. Little did we realize that Callie would fill our hearts with happiness! Callie was named for the Paul McCartney song, "Calico Skies," because it was written that we would love her.
Callie was my first introduction to a signficant feline behavioral challenge because of the abuse that she suffered from her previous owner (and his new girlfriend). I needed to learn how to obtain Callie's permission to interact with her. Additionally, with Callie's GI lymphoma diagnosis, we learned that chemotherapy for cats is given in tiny amounts to prolong life, not cure the condition. Fortunately, Callie went into remission twice!
Tara was our first rare, long hair orange tabby cat (males are more common). Tara and Tabby were siblings whose original mommy passed away. At 10 years old, Tara came to us with breast cancer in both mammary chains. Tara underwent treatment, as she was a fierce girl who could accomplish anything. She was our tiny terror with a huge heart. She thrived through so much, that her song is "I Feel Fine."
When a cat is not spayed or neutered, they are more prone to develop reproductive cancers. Tara received a double mastectomy and follow up chemotherapy treatments, which allowed her to live a few years with us! She was the first kitty I have encountered with a form of cancer that could have been (probably) prevented. Additionally, she was our first kitty to have major operations, and we had to learn how to care for this kind of feline patient.
Tabby is Tara's soft spoken brother, who came to us at two years old. Tabby is a huge cat with an even bigger heart. After Tara passed away, Tabby and Rory became best friends. We nicknamed them "Frick" and "Frack" because they were always together, playing and cuddling. When Rory passed away, Tabby had a difficult time and started to display obsessive tendencies, including overgrooming, overeating, and over-sleeping (lethargy). Fortunately, Tabby was soon to find a new best friend (when we migrated CocoPanther inside). Goofball Tabby's song is, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer!"
Tabby introduced me to the concept of feline depression and the resulting anxiety-derived, obsessive behaviors. We had to learn how to help Tabby redirect his behaviors to healthier outlets. Additionally, he is the first cat for which I authored a detailed nutritional plan (with his goal being weight loss).
CocoPanther is my second soul cat. He is our first jointly-owned all black cat, who showed up on our porch in the summer of 2016 (soon after Callie passed away). From best guessed estimates, Coco appeared as a feral cat at eight years old. When I first laid eyes on Coco, I knew that he was my soul cat. We socialized him, but because Coco was caught in a neighbor's raccoon trap, we could not place him into a carrier to get him checked out for admittance into our home with other felines. So, Coco lived on our front porch with a heated hut and heated water bowl for four years. Fortunately we found a mobile vet, and after being medically cleared, Coco came inside in January 2020 after Rory departed the month previous. Coco loves to talk, so his song is, "Hello Goodbye."
The first lesson learned with CocoPanther is that some cats like living outside. As an adult, Coco liked being an outdoor feline. He would sleep every night in a huge tree outside our home. Another lesson learned is that cats can suffer trauma and have behavioral issues from it; there is no possible way to contain him safely in a traditional carrier. We also learned that cats can be generally aged from their teeth status. Coco, who is now 18 years old, has several health elements, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), megacolon, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a chronic facial absess from a fight with another feral cat (common to occur), and asthma. With my veterinary tech training, I am able to administer a variety of medications to Coco. I also authored a detailed nutritional plan from him to try to provide Coco holistic care. It is a fine balance to maintain his heart and kidney fluid health, but he is well cared for in our home and living an incredibly happy life.
In December 2020, two days after my birthday, I lost my cat mom (Rory). Our hearts were broken - when going to pick up her ashes, something drew us to the local shelter. We would not ordinarily consider rescuing any additional fur babies so soon after a huge loss, but, we listened to our guts and went. We walked out of the local shelter with three unwanted cats. Molly is one of the cats who started our journey of rescuing the elderly or sickly. Molly exhibited severe behavioral issues, and it took five different staff members to try to put her into the carrier so we could bring her home. She was a gorgeous long hair brown-grey tabby with piercing greenish eyes. Little did we know that Molly had a severe respiratory condition, but we were able to provide her a few months of respite before she passed away. At one point, while working to gain her trust, she did grant me the most special belly rub I have ever given. Molly really enjoyed listening to "Mull of Kintyre."
Molly was new territory for us. She was not socialized at all, so medical staff could not correctly identify the severe respiratory condition from which she suffered. Staff also aged her as a middle-aged cat, but she was likely elderly. Molly was a complex case and the first cat we adopted who had severe behavioral issues. In retrospect, through my studies, Molly was probably defensively aggressive due to her underlying respiratory condition.
Bailey was from the same home as Molly. Like Molly, Bailey was not socialized in a loving home, and she exhibited significant aggression issues. She would become overstimulated very easily and attack her human friend. Moreover, Bailey and Molly had a complicated relationship. Because of both ladies' behavioral issues, the shelter incorrectly identified them as bonded. In actuality, Molly was very possessive of Bailey, but Bailey hated Molly and displayed aggression to her often. Additionally, both cats were on substantial doses of gabapentin while in shelter. In the end, Bailey became one of my best friends! Bailey was extremely loyal, trusting, and intelligent. I feel fortunate to have made such a close relationship with her before she succumbed to complications from G.I. lymphoma. I miss her every day. Bailey shifted from, "Sympathy for the Devil" to "Blackbird."
Bailey taught me a few important lessons. First, G.I. lymphoma commonly spreads to the cranial area (nasal passages, etc.) and can impact neurologic behavior. At one point when trying to give her medication, she uncharacteristically attacked my hand (to the point that I was admitted to the hospital for treatment). Another lesson Bailey taught me is the importance of behavioral training. Bailey would get bored easily, as she was very intelligent. A primary tool I used to socialize her was positive reinforcement coupled with desensitization, which turned her troubles around. Lastly, we learned what a saddle thrombus is - the hard way.
Tiger was the third cat that we adopted on that special January day in 2020. We had lost several fur babies in a short span of time, and we typically have five fur babies living in our house at one time. It was empty, and we were very glad we had room for Tiger! Tiger lived at the shelter for over a year after his first mommy died when he was 12 years old. Nobody wanted to consider adopting this orange, gentle giant. Perhaps it was because he was a senior, or because he was depressed living in the shelter. Tiger's world lit up when he got to his new home - "Here Comes the Sun." Tiger was meant for us! He was slow-moving and gentle, which reminded me of a commanding dinosaur. Tiger was very loving, and he really enjoyed his after-vacuum treats! Interestingly, Tiger and Chip were the exact same age, and the two old men became best friends, spending numerous years sitting at the top of our staircase, looking down at the world! Their relaxed attitudes as they visited together reminded us of the two old men movie critics from the Muppets shows!
Unfortunately, when helping Tiger groom with my clippers (he had osteoarthritis and got tangles), I discovered a sensitive lump on his rear hip. This was the first feline we had who passed away due to a vaccination sarcoma. Prior to Tiger, I had never heard of this complication.
CanCan and Eggplant were adopted by us prior to me beginning my veterinary technician externship at a local shelter. CanCan was 17 years old ("She Was Just 17....and You Know What I Mean!") when her original mommy passed away. We nicknamed her Schmoopy, and she was the sweet old lady! CanCan would occasionally leave the bedroom to observe the feline activity in the rest of the house, but she was rather content observing the world from our bedroom window and cuddling in bed at night. Interestingly, Schmoopy had no tail, but we were unsure as to why.
Interestingly, similar to Tiger, CanCan also passed away from a vaccination sarcoma on her rear hip. I was completing my veterinary tech medical externship when CanCan passed away, which taught me that it is a best practice to administer injections lower on the cat's leg, so if a sarcoma complication develops later in life, the kitty's leg can be amputated - rather than having the condition be fatal.
Eggy is one of our newest Boobahs! She is an almost entirely white calico with a very spirited personality. She is another behavioral rescue adoption for us. Egglet came to us at 10 years old from an abusive household. She was discarded in a garage when her old family decided to adopt a shiny new kitten. Eggy was neglected in very bad conditions - she became very sick and almost lost her vision because of the abuse. Egglet reminds me of Bailey in that she has become my new best friend. Eggy is incredibly loyal, trusting, and smart, but I have to be wary of her tendancy to become overstimulated. Unfortunately, Eggy also has G.I. lymphoma, but it is a mild condition that is responding to treatment well! She picked her own song - "I am the Walrus" - when I play that song, she dances to it!
Eggy is the first fur baby with whom I felt confident enough to administer chemotherapy treatment at home. These small doses give her symptoms for about a day, but it has given her additional years with us! I am also able to further develop my feline desensitization and counterconditioning skills with Eggy - especially when we adopted two kittens.
Limey is our second female black cat, who also came to our home as a result of my veterinary externship at the shelter. Lime-in-the-Coconut was living in the medical suite after her original mommy passed away. Limey was 12 years old, and she had uncontrolled diabetes. Because of her tenuous condition, Limey needed constant medical care. Lime is an example of why I started down the feline care route - I wanted to be able to provide better care for special needs fur babies. We adopted Limey, and we discovered that she, too, had G.I. lymphoma. Fortunately, we were able to provide her a loving home for several months before she passed away. She was one of the most kind cats with whom we have ever been blessed. Limey's song is "I Want to Hold Your Hand," because when she cuddled, she oftentimes held our hand with her paw.
Limey was the first cat we ever adopted with diabetes. Diabetes is a very challenging condition to safely maintain in cats. Some cats can, though, go into remission with insulin treatment. With Limey, the veterinarians believed that her diabetes may have been uncontrolled due to the G.I. lymphoma condition.
After losing several Boobahs over the course of just two years, my husband and my hearts ached. We needed a little bit of lighthearted joy in our lives. That being said, we went back to a shelter and adopted two older, bonded kittens (of course we do not go for the cute, tiny, youngest kittens - rather we go for the bonded, ignored kittens!). Ringo is our orange love bug who is energetic, loves to play, and really enjoys clicker training. Ringo has yet to pick his song....
Ringo is the first feline we have adopted who exhibits play aggression. We have to be cautious, because he will attempt to rough house with Coco. I am learning the importance of feline training with Ringo, so he can engage in biologically naturally hunting behaviors.
Minnie is Ringo's bonded sibling, who was not the most social kitten. When Minnie first arrived in her new home, she constantly hid! With patience, Minnie now enjoys hanging out with all of the cats, and she really likes hunting her treats! Our "Brown Eyed Girl" has started to also engage in clicker training, and she's very good at 'sit!'
Kittens have a very short window for natural human socialization - between two and seven weeks of age is one scientific reference, Cats can be desensitized with humans after this window, but it takes a lot more work. Minnie was not socialized within this window, so she was very wary of us. Additionally, cats have two behavioral genes that greatly influence their personalities. Minnie tends to graviate toward the independent, shy end of the spectrum. I have had to work with desensitization and counterconditioning behavioral techniques to get her used to human interaction, which she now enjoys!
Why so many cats?
No two Boobahs needed exactly the same thing. Each cat brought a different history, temperament, communication style, medical journey, and relationship into my life.
Living with them reinforced one of the central ideas behind Boobahs: good care is not one-size-fits-all. It begins with observation, respect, education, and the willingness to understand the individual animal in front of us.
Founder
Karen Bigrigg is an educator whose work brings together instructional design, educational technology, computer science, data analytics, feline behavior, husbandry, and the human–animal bond.
She founded Boobahs, LLC to turn complex information into practical learning tools that help cat owners, adopters, caregivers, shelters, rescues, and community organizations better understand and support cats.
Karen’s approach is shaped by decades of university teaching experience, graduate education in instruction, continuing graduate study in animal behavior, veterinary technology coursework, shelter experience, and a lifetime of caring for cats with different behavioral, medical, and environmental needs.
Her work emphasizes humane, force-free, evidence-informed care and the belief that empowered caregivers are better prepared to make thoughtful decisions for the animals who depend on them.
Education and experience
Drexel University - Master of Science in Education
Unity University - Master of Science in Animal Behavior (Feline & Canine Concentration), - Ongoing
Penn Foster College - Veterinary Tech Coursework (Including Nursing, Pharmacology, Parasitology, & Surgery Penn Foster College - Shelter-Based Medical Externship
University of Pittsburgh - Bachelors of Science in Computer Science University of Pittsburgh - Bachelors of Arts in Political Science
Their stories continue through every educational resource, seminar, technology tool, written guide, and caregiver conversation developed through Boobahs, LLC.
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