What’s Really Behind the Acronym?
In many professions, acronyms placed behind a person’s name are meant to represent education, training, and achievement. Unfortunately, in practice, they often come to signify something else entirely—status. Within the animal industry especially, I have frequently observed an unspoken hierarchy emerge, where credentials are mistaken for superiority rather than context.
Let me be clear: individuals who work hard to earn certifications, titles, or degrees absolutely deserve recognition. I am one of those individuals. My credentials reflect years of dedication, study, and hands-on experience as a cat trainer. They demonstrate my qualifications and my ability to perform specific professional duties—and that matters.
What they do not represent is the full measure of who I am.
At Totally Feline™, we believe that knowledge is not owned by acronyms, nor is wisdom confined to formal titles. I use my credentials when they are relevant—when qualifications are required, when clarity is necessary, or when professional standards must be established. Outside of those moments, I choose not to lead with acronyms, because they do not define my character, my values, or my capacity to continue learning and evolving.
Over many years working in the animal industry, I have encountered countless individuals with extraordinary knowledge and experience who hold no formal acronyms at all. These professionals have contributed immensely to animal welfare, behavior support, enrichment practices, and education. I have learned invaluable lessons from them—insights no certificate alone could have provided.
This raises an important question:
Do acronyms behind a name create unnecessary divisions between professionals?Do they suggest intellectual superiority—or worse, limit our openness to learning from others who may not share the same credentials?
At Totally Feline™, we firmly reject the idea that learning only flows between equally titled individuals. Some of the most skilled and intuitive cat trainers and behavior consultants in this field are self-taught or non-traditionally educated. A well-known example is Jackson Galaxy—widely respected as one of the most influential voices in feline behavior—whose expertise stems from lived experience, observation, and unwavering dedication rather than formal academic degrees.
That said, this perspective is not meant to diminish the value of education. There are professions where formal degrees and advanced training are absolutely essential. Medicine, education, veterinary care, and other regulated fields rightly demand rigorous academic standards.
But within animal behavior, training, and advocacy, knowledge is layered, lived, shared, and continually evolving.
Credentials may tell part of a story—but they never tell the whole story. True expertise is not measured by what follows a name, but by how knowledge is applied, how animals are respected, and how willing we remain to learn from one another—regardless of titles.
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Closing Brand Statement
Totally Feline™ is built on humility, inclusivity, and lifelong learning. We honor education and experience in all its forms and believe that progress in animal care happens when knowledge is shared—not ranked—and when curiosity is valued as highly as credentials.
Gentle Disclaimer
This blog reflects personal and professional perspectives shaped by experience within the animal industry. It is shared to encourage thoughtful conversation and mutual respect, not to diminish the achievements, education, or contributions of others.
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