In honor of International Women’s Day, Basepaws would like to (re)introduce you to a few women who are dedicated to making the world a place where cats can thrive, and where cat pawrents have all of the resources to give their cats the best 9 lives possible! In no particular order, here are 13 amazing women, improving the world for felines.

As many cat parents have told us this month, we know tooth brushing can be a very challenging exercise to do regularly with your cats. Some cats simply do not like their face being handled, let alone having a toothbrush with toothpaste put inside their mouth. If you’re lucky, your cat may be curious enough and let you brush some of their canines, but it is nearly impossible to get access to those molars at the back of their mouth for enough time to make a difference and remove the plaque buildup.

Did you know that dental disease is the #1 condition affecting cats? 70% of cats have developed some form of dental disease by the time they are 3 years old. I don’t want to scare you, but periodontal disease affects up to 80% of ALL adult cats. Gum disease affects 70% of all cats. Tooth resorption affects up to 60% of all cats, and over 70% of cats over the age of five. These statistics are appalling, made even worse by the fact that our cats can’t talk, and thus suffer until it’s too late.