About Dusty Rainbolt
Dusty Rainbolt studies the mysterious and the misunderstood—whether it has fur, fangs, or wings that shouldn’t exist.
As an award-winning author, humorist, and feline health and behavior expert, she’s spent decades helping humans understand their cats (and vice versa). Known for blending science with humor, Dusty believes knowledge should entertain as much as it enlightens.
Her science-based books—Cat Scene Investigator: Solve Your Cat’s Litter Box Mystery, Kittens for Dummies, Finding Your Lost Cat, and others—combine solid research with sardonic wit to turn everyday cat chaos into harmony (or at least détente).
A past president of the Cat Writers’ Association, Dusty has earned more than 60 Muse Medallions and Special Awards for excellence in writing, broadcasting, and feline education. For a decade and a half, she served as the cat product reviewer for the Tufts University publication, Catnip, and as a consultant, helping companies develop products that are safe, effective, and appealing to cats.
When she isn’t decoding feline logic, she explores stranger worlds. In her science fiction, fantasy, and slightly twisted horror, she applies the same curiosity that drives her real-world work: What if a veterinarian treated dragons? What if ghost cats refused to move on? And what happens when the universe runs out of common sense?
Whether she’s writing about litter boxes or lava-breathing lizards, her goal is the same—to make the unbelievable feel real, and the real a little less unbelievable.
A lifelong adventurer, Dusty has logged more than 100 solo freefall skydives (old-school—she pulled her own ripcord), worked as a commercial scuba diver in the murky waters of Lewisville Lake, and once snorkeled between the North American and Eurasian continents in 38°F Icelandic water—proving she’ll dive into anything for a good story.
She’s fostered and rehomed more than 2,500 cats, proving her heart (and lint roller) know no limits.






Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are you a veterinarian?
A: Nope. I’m a feline health and behavior expert—not a vet. Think of me as a translator. I take complex veterinary information and turn it into practical, easy-to-understand language. I do the same with cat behavior—while I’m not a cat, I help you understand the “why” behind feline behaviors and how to solve problems compassionately. I attend many of the same veterinary and behavior conferences as your vet, and my goal is to help you work with your veterinarian, not against them.
Q: If you’re not a vet, what kind of training and sources do you rely on?
A: In addition to attending veterinary and behavior conferences, I participate in professional webinars and continuing education to stay current on the latest feline research and techniques. I’m a certified feline behavior consultant and a Fear Free Certified Professional, dedicated to reducing feline stress in handling, home life, and veterinary care. My work is grounded in peer-reviewed research, professional white papers, and decades of hands-on rescue and behavior experience. I have a network of experts in various disciplines and interview people who’ve both succeeded and failed—because each can teach valuable lessons.
Along the way, I’ve been honored as a three-time Friskies Writer of the Year and a two-time recipient of the Jim Richards Cornell Feline Health Center Cutting Edge Medicine Award for excellence in feline health and behavior writing. My goal is to translate solid science and real-world experience into practical, compassionate advice you can use at home.
Q: Can you help me with my cat’s behavior problem?
A: Yes, I do behavior consultations—but the same information is often available in my books for a lot less money. Cat Scene Investigator: Solve Your Cat’s Litter Box Mystery and Finding Your Lost Cat: The Practical Cat-Specific Guide to Your Happy Reunion cover the most common feline behavior challenges. The latter combines lost cat behavior with smart advertising strategies to create a science-based formula for getting your cat home again. Whether you read or consult, you’ll learn how to understand your cat’s motivations and work toward peaceful coexistence.
Q: Do you accept product samples or reviews?
A: Yes, I do—but understand that what you’ll get from me is an honest review, not an automatic endorsement. When I assess a product, my priorities are simple:
Is it safe for the cat?
Is it helpful to the cat?
Does the cat like it?
And finally, is it easy and effective for the human to use?
I’ve worked with numerous companies to refine product safety, design, and palatability. If you’re interested in product development or would like me to review your item, please use the contact form below.
Q: Where can I buy your books?
A: The easiest (and usually cheapest) place to find my books—both nonfiction and fiction—is Amazon. You can also check the Books page on this website for direct links to each title.
Personal & Just for Fun
Q: Is Dusty your real name?
A: Yep—middle name. My first name is boring.
Q: How did you get into writing about cats?
A: I took in a very pregnant cat who’d been abandoned in an apartment parking lot during a rare Dallas snowstorm. None of her six kittens looked alike—or resembled her—so she was clearly quite the wild child. I found loving homes for Mom and all but two of the kittens. (The other two stayed with me until they passed away at 16 and 20.)
That experience opened my eyes to the plight of homeless cats. Already a reporter, I began writing about feline welfare for my newspaper, then for national magazines. I joined the Cat Writers’ Association, started attending veterinary conferences, and from there it became a cascade of articles and books—all dedicated to helping cats and the people who love them.
Q: Is it true you were a skydiver and scuba diver?
A: Guilty. I’ve jumped out of airplanes, dived in black water, and snorkeled between continents. I spent years ghost hunting (retired now) and these days I hunt for fossils instead—because the only dead things that come home with you are rocks. Oh—and I’ve kissed John Wayne and Glen Campbell—not at the same time.
Q: Do your cats help you write?
A: Help is a strong word. The challenges of living with cats give me endless inspiration—and endless cleanup. My feline “assistants” excel at adding typos, deleting perfectly crafted passages that took days to write, and vomiting on my keyboard. It’s all part of their creative process.
Technical / Contact
Q: How can I book you for interviews or speaking engagements?
A: Please use the contact form to get in touch. I love talking about cat behavior, feline body language, raising bottle babies, writing and the wonderfully weird world of science fiction and fandom. I’ve presented at conferences, conventions, and writing retreats—both in person and online—and even taught internationally, including a custom workshop on low-stress handling of cats in clinics for licensed veterinarians and vet techs in China.
Q: Are you available for workshops or conferences?
A: Absolutely! I regularly present to audiences ranging from cat enthusiasts to veterinary professionals and writers. One of my most popular sessions is “Becoming a Cat Scene Investigator,” a certification workshop (available as a three-hour or full-day session) that teaches participants how to solve inappropriate elimination problems through observation, behavioral science, veterinary care, and a touch of litter box forensics.
Whether your event focuses on cats, writing, or humor (bonus points if it’s all three), I can tailor a presentation that’s informative, funny, and grounded in real-world application.
Get in Touch
Reach out for inquiries about feline health or storytelling.