Personalised cat behaviour support

I can provide support for a wide range of behavioural issues. Get in touch to discuss your cat’s needs and I’ll let you know whether I can help. If necessary, I can refer you on to another trusted colleague.

Cats are sentient beings with individual personalities and complex emotions, and problem behaviours are often multifactorial, requiring time, understanding and dedication to manage. While there are no magical fixes and I cannot guarantee specific results, my behaviour modification programmes are designed to achieve positive, lasting change. My role is to help you understand the underlying motivation(s) for your cat's behaviour and to provide you with the appropriate management and behaviour modification techniques to address these stressors. I can’t wait to give you the support and guidance you need to help you and your cat succeed.

Please be aware that behaviour change is affected by variables other than the ones that we manipulate or have any choice about, and changing a well-established behaviour takes time and commitment. I will provide you with my professional help and advice, but the success of the programme is dependent on you following my recommendations and, to a certain extent, upon how deep-rooted the behaviour problem is. The suggestion of a package does not, therefore, imply or guarantee a specific outcome during that time period. There are no quick fixes and in most cases, you should expect to see improvement in weeks to months rather than days.  Depending on progress and any obstacles to implementation or changes in circumstances, it may be necessary to adjust the behaviour modification plan to ensure it meets your needs.  Making the recommended changes can sometimes be difficult for caregivers, and following the plan requires patience and commitment from everyone in the household. Changing well-established behaviour takes time, and unfortunately, on occasion, problem behaviours will persist, but we can work to manage and reduce the severity and impact of these.  In rare cases, I may feel that improvement is unlikely given the circumstances, and alternatives such as rehoming, may need to be considered.  A risk assessment will form part of the report that you receive.

Cat welfare is my priority. I use environmental management, enrichment and positive reinforcement training techniques, focusing on rewarding desired behaviours rather than punishing unwanted ones and giving your cat choice and control, to help them feel safer, more secure, relaxed and confident. This approach ensures a safe and enjoyable learning environment for your cat and promotes long-term behavioural changes.

Multi-cat households with interrelated behaviour or training concerns count as one case. Multi-cat households with non-interrelated behaviour or training concerns will be treated as separate cases, requiring individual consultations and treatment plans, and package/consultation fees will be charged per cat.

Many pet insurance companies will reimburse the fees for behaviour consultations if you have the right level of cover. Before booking, please check your policy and contact your insurance company to advise them that you have been referred to a behaviourist who is an Associate Clinical Animal Behaviourist Member of the APBC and they will let you know what is covered.

Yes, in accordance with the Veterinary Surgeons Act and the APBC/ABTC Code of Conduct, which requires that all members work solely on veterinary referral, you will need to arrange a vet referral prior to your initial consultation with me. Behaviour and health are intrinsically linked and in a large proportion of behaviour cases pain/an underlying medical condition is found to be a contributing factor, so the first step in addressing any behavioural problem is to ensure that your cat undergoes a full health check by a Veterinary Surgeon to rule out any underlying medical condition. Any change in your cats normal behaviour needs to be discussed with your vet, even if it doesn't seen directly relevant to the problem behaviour. Veterinary referral also allows me to consider your cat's medical history and how pain or medical conditions may be influencing their behaviour.

Your initial consultation will be approximately two hours long. The first half will be an in-depth discussion about your cat, their background, behaviour and an exploration of the challenges you've been experiencing. I'll assess your cat's emotional state and motivation for the problem behaviour, identifying what initiated it and how it is being maintained. Understanding your cat is important for you to be able to embark on your behaviour modification journey as a team. We'll work out a way forward, taking into consideration your individual circumstance and I'll give you first aid advice to action immediately, then within 7 working days I'll email you a comprehensive report and bespoke behaviour modification plan tailored to meet your and your cat's specific needs. The plan typically involves a combination of environmental changes, management and enrichment to increase your cat's sense of safety, security and confidence, along with changes to their lifestyle to increase their sense of predictability, consistency, choice and control. Dependent on the problem, the plan may also include a desensitisation and counter-condition programme and/or training.

Absolutely, 12 weeks of client-led follow-up email support is included, so you have guidance should you have any questions or concerns, and we can monitor progress and make any necessary adjustments to the treatment plan. If necessary, follow-up consultations are available at additional cost.

I know what you’re thinking; in person must be better, right? In fact, for most clients and circumstances, remote consultations are preferable to in-person consultations. There are several key advantages, including:

• Your cat’s behaviour may be different if a behaviourist visits your home. Cats often hide or act more cautiously than usual if there’s an unfamiliar person in their territory. I will likely observe a more accurate representation of your cat’s behaviour if I’m not physically in your home, allowing for a more comprehensive assessment.

• The presence of an unfamiliar person in your cat’s home environment may cause them to experience fear, anxiety and stress, negatively impacting their behaviour and emotional well-being.

• A house/garden layout plan and video tour will allow me to evaluate your cat's home environment and identify any stressors which may not be evident during an in-person consultation.

• I can demonstrate interventions and training techniques with my cats and then watch you implement the training/behaviour modification plan with your cat(s).

• I can demonstrate cat toys and puzzle feeders, and show you optimum litter box and scratching post setups.

• I can work with you wherever you live.

• Online consultations do not incur mileage and travel time costs.