MEMBERconnection
She feels for felines
IS YOUR FELINE feeling a
little too feisty? Could your
furry friend be leery of the
litter box? Before throwing
in the towel—certainly before
heading to the shelter—
consider talking to Marilyn
Krieger, a Costco member
and certified cat behavior
consultant.
Krieger (
www.catcoach.
com) has loved cats as far
back as she can remember.
After being laid off from a
high-tech position in 2005,
this Bay Area “cat whisperer” turned her passion for
helping colleagues with their
kitties into full-time work. In
fact, she is certified by the
International Association of
Animal Behavior Consultants.
This human with four
cats (she avoids the word
“owner”) says that most of
the problems she sees involve
the litter box or aggression.
The solution often requires a
slight change in the human’s
behavior to see improvements in the cat. Because
each case is different, the
time it takes to resolve a
problem depends on how
long it’s been going on, the
cat and the human. “A lot of
what I do is cat and people
training,” says Krieger.
Krieger encourages every-
DAVID ME YER
Marilyn Krieger and friend
one to get their cats thoroughly
checked out by a vet before
coming to her. Once a medical
cause is ruled out, she works
with clients in person or over
the phone to determine the
root of the problem and how to
resolve it. She has helped people and cats as far away as
Canada, Europe and Tokyo.
She also shares her passion
for felines by donating time and
services to her local shelter. Her
goal is to educate people so
that behavioral problems are
stopped before a cat is left at a
shelter or euthanized.
“I just love the cats. It’s so
fun to meet them,” she says.
“It’s rewarding when I get
feedback that a cat has been
spared the shelter.”
—Stephanie E. Ponder
A doggone
good
painter
FOR NEARLY 10 years
Costco member Pat
Saunders-White (
www.pat
saunderswhite.com) of
Loveland, Colorado, has
made a living painting
pictures of pets and other
animals. No typical reproductions, her paintings use
bright and bold colors to
capture the true spirit of
each animal. Saunders-White also teaches children’s
workshops and volunteers
her time and experiences as
an artist.—SEP
We want to
hear from you
Ducks on ice
IT’S ALWAYS FOWL weather for Costco member Scott Holingue, who knows when
a bird is in trouble. The 64-year-old retired news artist, who began as a wildlife artist,
has been rescuing stranded or injured birds for 30 years. Holingue now shares credit
with Costco. “I purchased Costco’s SeaHawk II inflatable boat to aid me in rescuing
birds and animals that become injured and even frozen into the ice on North Pond in
Chicago’s Lincoln Park near my house,” he says. “This [the rescue pictured above] is the
second such rescue done in just a week this December with this great boat. Couldn’t
have done it without it.”—Steve Fisher
PHOTO BY CASAMIR
IF YOU HAVE a note,
photo or story to share (it
should be about Costco or
Costco members in some
way), you can send it to
“The Member Connection,”
The Costco Connection,
P.O. Box 34088, Seattle,
WA 98124-1088, or e-mail
to connection@costco.
com with “The Member
Connection” in the subject line. Submissions
cannot be acknowledged
or returned.
