They may use the name “crazy” in their title, but they are anything but. They are two savvy businesswomen who turned a household full of felines into a fast-growing niche business for cat people.

While Knoxville may be known for football, our beautiful mountains and lakes, it’s also the proud starting point for two of the pet industry’s most passionate entrepreneurs. Adrienne Lefebvre and Jae Kennedy, better known to their thousands of followers as Two Crazy Cat Ladies, are proving that a little orange blood and a lot of feline love can go a long way.

Every year at CatCon, held in Pasadena, California, you will hear shouts of “Go Vols” as my sister-in-law and I greet the two. While talking to them at their vendor’s booth in 2017, we somehow began talking about Tennessee football. Every year since, we greet each other loudly with the required “Go Vols!” and the conversation resumes.

Knoxville resident Melanie Staten (left) and Arizona cat lover Jane Venegoni (right) talk UT football and cats with the Two Crazy Cats Ladies at CatCon in Pasadena last month

It all began at UT

Both Lefebvre and Kennedy attended the University of Tennessee in 2001, where Jae studied business, while Adrienne pursued music performance. Between them, they already had four cats. That shared love of animals would become the foundation of a life — and a business — built around feline wellness. From UT lecture halls to the heart of the feline wellness movement, Adrienne and Jae have built something extraordinary — and it all started right here in Knoxville.

Jae worked in hospitality at a Knoxville hotel while Adrienne toiled in metal fabrication and welding at a company in Alcoa. In 2005, a family connection changed everything. Jae’s grandfather, living in Las Vegas, encouraged her to apply for a position at the soon-to-open Wynn Hotel. She landed the job and moved west. Adrienne followed a few months later, and by year’s end, Jae was working alongside her grandfather in pet nutrition—an unexpected but pivotal turn.

“By December,” Adrienne said, “Jae’s grandfather was impressed by her work ethic and proclivity for business.”

That was their crash course in the pet industry, especially in food and supplements, and in how dog-centric that world still was. The pet industry back then was all bark and no meow.

“We were shocked by how hard it was to find trustworthy, natural solutions specifically for common feline health issues,” they said. “So, we decided to branch off and become the resource we needed as cat parents.”

That’s when Two Crazy Cat Ladies brand was born, along with their companion supplement line, Feline Essential.

The Two Crazy Cat Ladies, well known in the feline health industry, answer questions at CatCon, held in Pasadena, California, last month

The cats are loyal UT fans!

They may live in Vegas, but they haven’t forgotten the Vols. Their cats are fans, too — at least on game day, when their humans actually sit still on the couch long enough to watch a kickoff.

“Couch time is rare,” said Jae.”

The Two Crazy Cat Ladies  are quite busy, traveling around the country to cat and pet conventions, lecturing, producing and starring in podcasts, and maintaining an active social media presence. They demonstrate their loyalty to UT by donning Vols T-shirts and displaying other UT paraphernalia at their booths and on their Facebook live and podcasts.

Next weekend, they are featured at wholePETcon in Kansas City.

The name is playful; the work is serious.

Their products — formulated in Oklahoma with what they describe as a holistic animal scientist — aim to support cats dealing with everything from stress and parasites to urinary issues and skin troubles.  The formulas are designed for common issues cat owners actually face, and they speak to customers in plain English, not lab coats.

They’ve carved out space by being approachable and available: answering late-night messages from worried cat moms, hopping on livestreams, pointing people to evidence and experience instead of fads. It’s the opposite of a big-box interaction, and that’s the point.

“We’re careful to position what we do as guidance and support for cat parents, and your veterinarian should always be part of that conversation,” said Jae.

The motivation is clear: give cat owners a place to turn when the pet aisle and search engines feel like a jungle.

If you’ve ever wondered why the cat shelves look like the dog aisle’s little cousin, Jae and Adrienne have wondered that, too.

“In the early 2000s, the industry was very dog-centered,” they told me. “We set out to change that.”

So, they did what modern entrepreneurs do: they educated, entertained and built community. They started answering questions, sharing stories and posting videos — equal parts practical and personal.

One of their most famous coworkers these days may be Zorro, a tuxedo cat with a movie star’s name and the kind of face that could sell out a cat convention. Zorro and his housemates also double as product testers, and on fall Saturdays, they are loyal fans (but probably not as enthusiastic as their humans) in a living-room sea of orange.

The Two Crazy Cat Ladies, well known in the feline health industry, answer questions at CatCon, held in Pasadena, California last month

Favorites at CatCon

Every year, crowds pack the Pasadena Convention Center when the Two Crazy Cat Ladies give their talk. This year, their talk was “Kibble to Carnivore: How to Transition Cats to a Healthier Diet!” They draw huge crowds because they are clearly knowledgeable and funny!

Knoxville roots run deep

Adrienne’s parents and three of her four brothers still live in Knoxville with one brother who is stationed in Missouri with the Air Force.

Jae grew up in West Tennessee.  Her parents followed them to Las Vegas, and her sisters are in Florida and Texas. One of them now works full-time with their company as executive director.

And while Las Vegas has been home for nearly 20 years, Knoxville still sneaks into the storyline. They credit UT for giving them community, a knack for business and the confidence to try. Even now, when they’re packing orders or filming how-to clips in their studio, you’ll spot a splash of orange off camera. Tradition travels well.

If the “Crazy Cat Ladies” handle makes you smile, that’s by design. It’s a wink at the stereotype and a reminder that passion and professionalism can share the same scratching post. They’ll happily embrace the “crazy” if one more cat gets out of pain or gives one cat parent the information they need.

Their Knoxville beginnings were humble and resourceful. From UT students to a hotel front desk and a welding shop to Las Vegas to a living room full of Volunteer cats, they’ve created a national audience.  These two loyal UT fans have demonstrated that hard work, taking care of your customers and followers,  and continuing to learn are the keys to success.

Questions? Contact the Two Crazy Cat Ladies

They are easy to talk to and very accessible. I have used their products, and they work. Their humor is contagious. They really could do stand-up comedy – but they take your questions seriously. Even if you don’t have a cat, you may want to tune into their Facebook podcast, “Back in the Closet,” where they intersperse valuable feline health information with a healthy dose of wine. They are entertaining, to say the least.

So, if you’re a cat parent with a litter box full of questions, you now know a couple of UT alums to ask. The two businesswomen are proving that crazy can be a very smart way to care.

Website: https://twocrazycatladies.com/

Melanie Staten is a public relations consultant with her husband, Vince.

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