AC: My journey came from a completely different career background. I'd always loved cats. I used to foster them at charities and was really interested in cat welfare. I spent a lot of time rehabilitating semi-feral cats—ones that couldn't go straight into a home. My interest was always in rehabilitation. I knew cats could be trained, but I didn't have the knowledge, so I started studying.

You can do distance learning or go to university—there are lots of different routes. In the UK, "clinical behaviorist" is still an unprotected title, which means anyone could read a book and call themselves one. Hopefully, that will change. Once I got my credentials and qualifications after years of study, I started volunteering pro bono with various cat charities. That gave me a chance to trial my skills and build a solid foundation of experience.

I'm a member of two professional organizations that test your knowledge every year. You need at least 30 hours of CPD, and your depth and breadth of knowledge have to be excellent. It's an ever-evolving field—you can't just stop learning once you're qualified. Luckily, I love learning. That was a big part of the appeal for me.

If you enjoy the process, you can commit to distance learning with an online tutor and complete it quickly. If you're doing it full-time, it's roughly the same length—or a bit shorter—than a university degree, which usually takes about three to four years.

But the key is experience. You might have all the theory, but can you apply it? Have you developed your people skills? Do you know how to extract the right information from clients? Because cat parents won't always volunteer everything you need to know.

You also need to be a good communicator—give clients hope, explain your methods clearly, and build trust. It's a two-way relationship. You need to fit your advice around their lifestyle. If they work full-time, they won't always have the time you'd ideally want them to spend. You have to create space for them to share their limitations without feeling judged.

AC: The lightbulb moment came during my studies. That's when the secret world of cats opened up. Everything started to make sense—cats don't do anything by accident. I realized I could begin to understand why they behave the way they do. I could be the interpreter between cats and their humans.

My studies are all science-based, so my treatment plans are too. I can decode signals—a tail carriage or quiver might mean different things, and I help cat parents understand what their cat is trying to say. For example, if a cat is spraying in the house, it's not being "bad." It's trying to communicate something. Is there a neighborhood cat causing stress? Has something in the routine changed? Has the cat been spayed?

I ask those questions from a welfare-first perspective. I'm the cat's advocate.

AC: It's how often people project their own emotions onto their cats. If a household is under a lot of stress, those emotions can be picked up by the cat. Cats are incredibly sensitive to hormone changes and emotional cues. If their mum or dad is stressed, the cat may think, I need to be stressed too. That can have a major impact on their wellbeing.

AC: A lot of people take on cats thinking they're easier than dogs—smaller, less work, less interaction. That's a big mistake.

Another is failing to research a specific breed. If you adopt a cat from a rescue center, have you thought about whether you have the time and energy for that cat? Even a moggy needs engagement, stimulation, and care.

AC: Do your research. Learn. Watch Kittysitty on TikTok—or other creators who share good, experience-based advice. And read a book! There are so many great ones out there.

Cat care isn't just pouring litter into a box. Is the litter deep enough? Is it the right type? Even something that simple has nuance. Don't adopt a cat thinking it's the easy option. It's not.

AC: There's no such thing as a naughty cat.

If your cat is soiling outside the litter box, maybe the litter setup isn't right. If it's scratching the furniture, maybe it doesn't have proper places to scratch. Scratching is an innate behavior—it feels good, and it's necessary. Cats need vertical and horizontal scratching surfaces.

If your cat seems to be misbehaving, it might just be bored or attention-seeking. They might be knocking things over or waking you up at 4 a.m. because they've trained you. They've learned that behavior gets your attention.

AC: There's no such thing as a naughty cat.

I've got seven cats at home, so here's my top tip: routine and consistency.

If you play with them at 4 a.m. (hideous time, I know), you need to commit to that. Cats thrive on routine.

Don't just leave food in a bowl in the corner. Try scatter feeding. Let them forage. You can use a cardboard box filled with tissue paper—sprinkle food in there and let them hunt for it. You don't have to buy fancy toys. Just tap into their natural instincts.

Play is essential. So are high places to perch. Let them climb, jump, and observe their world.

AC: If your cat wants to spend time with you—sleep near you, sit on your lap or head—that's a good sign. But not all cats are the same. Some show love from a distance.

Head bunting, slow blinking, kneading ("making biscuits")—those are all ways cats show affection and self-soothe. Tail language is another. A tail held high like a question mark or puffed up like a little Christmas tree? That means they're happy to see you.

Cats form very strong bonds with their humans. I don't think people realize just how attached a cat can be to their primary caregiver.

AC: Absolutely. Cats can be trained just as well as dogs.

They don't have the same "people-pleasing" instinct as dogs, though. A dog will do something to make you happy. A cat will do something if it wants to. You have to use rewards and work with their motivations.

I've got those talking buttons—one of my cats uses one to ask for treats. He learned it through reward-based training.

And to be honest, cats are also experts at training us. They knock things off shelves or wake us up at 4 a.m., and we respond. They're clever. Sometimes, I think the cats are training us more than we're training them.

AC: Every case is worthwhile, but one that stands out is when a cat has been so aggressive that the cat parents have ended up in the ER—not just once, but multiple times. You work with them, you're on the phone when things go wrong, talking them through it, building a strategy. It's incredibly emotional, especially when you're asking questions like: Will the cat be euthanized? Will they be rehomed?

There's so much sorrow mixed into situations like that. But then you start to see a breakthrough. The cat becomes happier, calmer—maybe from one part of the plan, or maybe it's the whole process coming together. You never really know which moment made the difference. But then you get that photo: the cat parents holding and loving their cat. And you remember that just six months ago, they were ready to surrender them or worse.

That's what makes it all worth it. I always tell people before a consultation: yes, the cat parents are the ones hiring me—but my duty of care is with the cats. If I have to say something that's hard to hear, I'll say it, because I'm speaking for them.

And sometimes, the journey is extra special—like a beautiful Ragdoll who was overgrooming to the point of being bald. We put a plan in place, and not only did he recover, he went on to become a show champion. That's just so lovely.

” I never work a day. Because how can this be work? It's a pleasure. It's an enjoyment. And to be able to share my cats on screen as well, I think is so lovely, because they won't be with me all the time, will they? One day, they'll have to unfortunately cross over the rainbow bridge, but I'll have all that fabulous content of them, getting up to mischief and hanging out with me on the screen.