Shane Huntington is a successful broadcaster, business owner, academic and strategist. As host of 3RRR program ‘Einstein a Go Go’ since 1993, he has interviewed thousands of researchers, including Jane Goodall and Apollo astronaut Captain Gene Cernan.
Shane is also a recently converted cat lover!
After believing for decades that he was allergic to cats, Shane got tested and found out he was actually allergic to dust mites. His partner and sons had been pleading for a cat, and while he felt ‘a bit cornered’ at first, he finally relented once he knew a cat wouldn’t set off his allergies. The family adopted a little ginger kitten from The Lost Dogs’ Home, who they named Tilly. Shane says she has been ‘transformative’ for their lives.
“My partner Kate has a chronic illness so having a cat has been great for her. And my boys are now obsessed with the cat,” Shane says.
“She’s been ridiculously good. I don’t think we could imagine not having her now. She’s been incredibly affectionate. Both Kate and I have had many animals over the years, and we have never had an animal even close to how affectionate Tilly is. And we’ve had some pretty affectionate animals!”
But one wasn’t enough! The experience with Tilly was so fantastic that Shane and his family adopted another kitten from The Lost Dogs’ Home. Little Dax went home with Shane and Kate after their visit to the North Melbourne shelter and is adding even more pet joy to their lives.
Shane may be a recent cat convert but has always been committed to pet adoption.
His first childhood dog was a Labrador that had failed guide dog school, and he even adopted a German Shepherd from The Lost Dogs’ Home during his teenage years.
Shane believes we all owe a duty to animals to care for them properly, and says he grew up with the idea that you helped animals in need.
After adopting Tilly and Dax at the height of kitten season Shane soon realised the sheer magnitude of the numbers of cats and kittens needing homes and the vital importance responsible pet ownership played in tackling this animal welfare issue.
“We’ve created this problem as a society. We’ve allowed cats to breed in a fairly uncontrolled way. A lot of cats haven’t been desexed, so we have a responsibility to take care of them and their offspring now, and there’s a lot that need taking care of,” he says.