Maya is an Internet celebricat known for her odd eyes and diffurent-is-beautiful message. With her new nonpurrofit AllWorthy, she hopes to teach the world the impurrtance of disability acceptance and inclusion. 

KATNISS: Maya, I’m so excited about your nonpurrofit, AllWorthy! 

MAYA: Thanks! I am, too! We started AllWorthy to furmalize everything we’re already doing, but also to expand its impact. We want to help teach the world the impurrtance of disability acceptance and inclusion. Teaching this to children from a young age can change the world.

KATNISS: Have you been bullied fur your differences?

MAYA: Yeah. I was dumped behind a Chinese food restaurant then spent 3 months in a shelter. No one wanted me because I looked and acted diffurent. I was almost euthanized. These days I may get the infurrequent mean Instagram comment, but then my wonderful followers pounce to my defense and stick up for me. They’re pawesome.

KATNISS: I’m glad the Internet cat world doesn’t just simply accept diffurences, but celebrates them!

MAYA: Yes! Because all of us are worthy. Of love, of respect, of snuggles and chin scritches and lap cuddles.

KATNISS: Your picture book is all about acceptance and inclusion, which is obviously very purrsonal to you. 

MAYA: Meet Maya Cat tells people that while I may look and act diffurent – and I might need extra help sometimes – I’m really just like everyone else. My Meowmy wrote it and my Cat Dad illustrated it. We have another couple books coming out later this year. 100% of the purrofits from Meet Maya Cat are donated to The Odd Cat Sanctuary and to Special Olympics MA, and so far it has raised over $11,000.

KATNISS: Very impurressive! Tell me about the volunteer work your Humom does with the Special Olympics. 

MAYA: Meom’s been coaching a Special Olympics gymnastics team since she was 12 years old. She grew up coaching the team and now runs the entire local purrogram! Working with these incredible athletes has taught her that people with disabilities aren’t that diffurent at all, and that inclusion is impurrtant. Our diffurences make our world stronger, so we need to embrace them.

KATNISS: I couldn’t agree meowr.

MAYA: Also, apurrt from creating a children’s book and (eventually) educational materials, we are also selling purroducts with our purrtner Outshine Labels. When people order one of our purroducts, they get to choose which nonpurrofit from our list gets 75% of the purrofits (the other 25% goes to our nonpurrofit so we can afford to keep it going). This way, we’re able to help nonpurrofits get visibility, as well as donations.

KATNISS: There’s been a trend of people wanting to adopt diffurent-looking cats because they might become “Insta-famous.” What do you have to say to those purrtential pet adoptees?

MAYA: It’s impurrtant to understand the reality of adopting a special cat. Fur instance, I have vision issues, strong instincts – which means I’m not su-purr furiendly and don’t like to be touched – and flat face which means a lot of sneezing/nasal issues and a lot of icky goop to clean up. I have no sense of fear, which means I have to be kept safe. I also have some urinary issues – I’m not a typical cat and have special needs that need to be met. Things aren’t always purrfect.

KATNISS: Your fur-sister, Dragon, is also special needs, right?

MAYA: Yes, she has paralysis in her back legs which means she can’t walk normally. She has bladder leaks (especially in her sleep) and tiny poop nuggets get dragged around and left around the house a lot. TMI, I know, but it’s impurrtant that people know that there can be some extra work with special needs cats. She also has very bad anxiety and needs us all to not make sudden movements or she gets scared.

KATNISS: But mew are both worth it! And I applaud the work you are doing! Well, I would if I had hands. But you know what I mean.

MAYA: >PURR<

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Follow Maya on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Allworthy on Instagram and Facebook and visit their website, too!