Hi, I’m Emily, and my first word was “kitty.”
That’s right – my love for cats began at a young age! It’s no wonder that my husband and I now live with 7 cats (and a dog and 2 sugar gliders). Let’s just say there’s never a dull moment in our house!
All of our cats are rescues – a mix of adoptions and rescued strays. For the most part, everyone gets along really well too (though we have had our fair share of intercat aggression issues to work through along the way).
My cat training journey
…began with Kylo Ren.
When we adopted Kylo, our cat Sophie was already a harness and leashed outdoor adventuring pro. (She is one of those rare exceptions that didn’t really require any training.) I wanted Kylo to be able to enjoy the great outdoors too, so I started harness and leash training him.
He took to it fairly quickly and soon became my best travel and adventure buddy. He has since visited several states, hiked many miles, camped out in tents, and canoed down the Ocmulgee River.
Getting into cat adventuring eventually led me through the door of clicker training, which I now do with all 7 of our cats. I have seen first-hand the benefits that come from it – most notably with our cat Gryphon.
Gryphon is a high energy guy who is always on the move, always into something, always looking for action. He also suffers from anxiety and is easily stressed. Training with him has made all the difference. It helps to increase his confidence, gives him a positive activity to engage with, calms his anxiety, and builds up our relationship.
Qualifications & Experience
- Certified Cat Trainer from the Animal Behavior College
- Surrender Prevention Specialist Certification
- Pet CPR Certified
- Cat training volunteer at Kitty City Cat Rescue
- Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
Becoming a certified cat trainer
…seemed like a good next step.
After experiencing the benefits and joys of training my own cats while also seeing how frequently cats in general are underestimated and misunderstood, I decided that I wanted to try to change things.
My desire is to help people with their cats and educate them on how to give their cats the best life possible.
I want to see the shelter surrender rate go down because instead of giving up on their cats due to a behavioral issue, people are addressing the issue and working with and for their cat.
I want to see more cats on a harness and leash, safely exploring the great outdoors alongside their humans.
I want to see a shift in the public perception of cats as people realize how smart and amazing these creatures are and how deserving they are of a fulfilled and wonderful life.
