Carrie Ann Inaba on healthy relationships, getting in dance shape, and (yup) her five cats

The Internet is a great place to be, especially when you end up in the same corner as Carrie Ann Inaba for seven minutes. We tune in to see her weekly at the judges' table on "Dancing With the Stars," but she's also made many red carpet walks and appearances across the television dial. Recently, Carrie Ann had a visit from a kitty whisperer Dr. Katrina Warren on Animal Planet's "Housecat Housecall presented by Purina Cat Chow" to help her and her boyfriend work out some issues with their combined five cats.

I will be honest -- never in a million years did I think I would use the term "blended cat family," particularly in a celebrity interview. Before you shake your head and call her a crazy cat lady, know that Carrie Ann has some pretty solid advice about how having pets can lead to a healthier relationship. She says she judged boyfriend Jesse Sloan on his compassion and sense of responsibility dealing with his own cats, and that seeing him interact with her pets was a good gauge for his character.

Carrie Ann also has some empowering words for women who are in a male-dominated field or simply sit desk-to-desk as she does with opinionated men. In the way that you hope your girlfriends will inspire and remind you of how fabulous you really are, she offers bluntly, "All women are powerful." We need more women to say that out, don't we?

For those of us who spend as much time lounging as many cats do, Carrie Ann has some solid, simple advice about how to get off the couch and cha-cha our way into "DWTS" shape. Listen in to what Carrie Ann says is the first step to pulling a Marie Osmond transformation of confidence and fitness, whether it's on the dance floor or in your own kitchen.




What do you think of Carrie Ann Inaba's advice on kitties, men, work, and shaking your thing?