Class Act Cats is a feline behavior consultation service run by Certified Cat Behavior Consultant Joey Lusvardi (he/him) based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our goal is simple: help cat parents solve behavior issues with their beloved cats and help people understand cats better. We specialize in virtual behavior consultations, though we offer in home sessions for folks living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in some circumstances.
Cat Behavior Problems We Can Help With
Having a cat that’s not acting their classiest is tough! We provide cat behavior help to reduce the stress and uncertainty of not knowing how to address your cat’s behavior. We can help with a variety of behavior problems including:
- Aggression between cats (we have a special program for this)
- Biting
- Litter box problems and litter box training
- Excessive meowing
- Aggression toward humans or other cats
- Compulsive grooming and other compulsive behaviors
- Destructive scratching
- Behavior problems in kittens/kitten training
- Problems between cats and dogs
- Separation anxiety in cats
- Reducing fear in shy or fearful cats
- Attention seeking behavior
- Trouble medicating your cat
- Getting your cat into a carrier, nail trims, or other basic cat care
- … and so much more!
We take into account your cat’s and your family’s needs. We’ll come up with a plan together that meets your needs and lifestyle. After our session, we’ll be here to support you as you implement the plan and see your cat’s behavior improve day by day.
If your cat is experiencing behavior issues caused by a medical problem, we can work with your veterinarian to support their treatment plan. From helping your cat take pills to getting your cat into their carrier easily, we can teach you how to work with your cat to make your life (and your vet’s!) much easier.
Want to hear more about how Joey got started working with cats? Check out our origin story!
What sets Class Act Cats apart?
Education
Joey is a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and has an extensive background in behavioral sciences and biology. He really understands how cats learn and why they do what they do! He completed education from the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Pet Professional Guild, Animal Humane Society, Karen Pryor Academy, and more. He earned a certificate specifically in feline inappropriate elimination problems and completed an Advanced Animal Training course taught by Karolina Westlund.
Understanding Humans
Understanding cats is important, but so is understanding the human component because your behavior affects your cat’s behavior. Joey works in mental health and knows how to work with people, too. Happy cats mean happy humans! Your needs will ALWAYS be taken into account and the plan will be as low stress for you as possible.
Science Based Approach
Positive reinforcement and methods that don’t involve fear, stress, or pain for your cats are scientifically the most effective way to resolve behavior concerns. Joey understands these methods inside and out!
Value
Hiring a behavior consultant is a worthwhile investment. You save yourself the time, stress, and money of failed attempts at managing unwanted behaviors. You’ll have an expert supporting you at every step! Plus, Joey will help you figure out which cat products are worthwhile to solve the behavior problem you’re looking for help with so you kind of get a personalized shopper for your cat, too.
Options
We offer a variety of services to address behavior problems, help you bond with your cat, or just have fun. Regardless of what you need, we have an option that fits your needs and budget.
Ready to Go?
Meet Our Cat Behavior Expert Joey Lusvardi
Joey Lusvardi CCBC is a cat behaviorist who owns and operates Class Act Cats. He has always been an animal lover, but his passion for cats really took off when he adopted his first cat. To say his life was changed would be an understatement! After going through some of his own behavior challenges with his cat, Joey became interested in feline behavior. He decided in 2020 that he wanted to do something to help cats and their humans lead more harmonious lives. That’s when the idea for Class Act Cats was born!
Joey is a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant through International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), a member of the Pet Professional Guild, and a professional member of the Cat Writers’ Association. He is certified in Pet CPR and First Aid through the Pet Emergency Academy, is a Cat Friendly Veterinary Professional, is Low Stress Handling® Certified- Silver Level, and is an Elite Fear Free Certified Professional.
Joey holds a bachelor of science degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Concordia University Wisconsin. Prior to starting Class Act Cats in 2021, Joey completed the IAABC Foundation’s Principles and Practice course, a comprehensive overview of behavior consulting and behavior change. He is a recipient of a certificate in Feline Inappropriate Elimination Management and completed Illis ABC’s Advanced Animal Training Course.
Outside of his work as a feline behavior consultant, Joey works as a psychiatric physician assistant. Joey enjoys making pottery, knitting, running, and growing (cat safe!) houseplants.
Trusted Expertise
Joey has been featured in CNN, Insider, Reader’s Digest, Rover, Newsweek, and more! Check out some of his media mentions on our media page.
About Our Chief Whisker Officer
An important part of cat behavior training is making sure all interventions are feline-approved. That’s where our Chief Whisker Officer, Prozac, comes in. ‘Zac ensures that your cats’ needs are taken into account, too.
Prozac enjoys playing, having the world’s cutest meow, and treats. He’s also been known to drool when he’s happy.
About Our Chief Catnip Officer
Poutine is Class Act Cats’ Chief Catnip Officer and is in charge of making sure you and your cats have fun while we’re working together. He is in charge of testing new cat products and, as his title suggests, quality control for all catnip that is used during interventions.
When not enjoying the ‘nip, you can probably find Poutine snuggling with Joey or talking. He is a Siamese cat, after all! Both him and Joey talk a lot.
Our Inspiration And Chief Purr Officer, Zoloft
Zoloft is the lynx point Siamese cat featured in many of the photos on our website and mentioned throughout our blog posts. He was the reason Joey became interested in cat behavior and the best companion for many years.
Unfortunately, Zoloft passed away in August 2023. Joey wrote a tribute to Zoloft when he passed to share some of the ways Zoloft changed his life. Z enjoyed chicken, getting chin scratches, and stealing the office chair from Joey. He had a thunderous purr that Joey would look forward to every night during bedtime pets. To say he is sorely missed does not even do it justice.
While he is no longer with us physically, Zoloft had a huge impact on Class Act Cats and Joey. His legacy lives on in all the lessons he taught Joey about cats and he continues to help make the world brighter for cats and their humans. You’ll probably hear stories about him during a consultation!
Thank you, Zoloft. I love you forever, my sweet guy.
Mission Meow Business Partnership
Class Act Cats wants to give back to cats in need and to those who help cats. We’re a proud business partner of Mission Meow. Mission Meow provides grants for small, cat centric non-profits to complete projects that would otherwise be unable to and make the world a better place for cats. Each quarter, we, along with the other business partners, make a donation to help fund these grants.
Statement on Declawing
We are against declawing as a way to manage behavior problems in cats. We see too many declawed cats with behavior concerns caused by declawing. We do not recommend declawing your cat as a way to prevent scratching furniture, solve cat conflict, or stop aggression toward humans. If your cat is displaying these behaviors, we can help you find solutions that don’t have the same risks.
As both a cat behavior and a human medical professional, Joey would never recommend a patient declaw their cat to prevent illness or injury in line with the CDC’s position on declawing.
We fully support legislation to ban elective declawing of cats.
Are You Registered To Vote?
Class Act Cats cares about our community and the world we live in. After all, if humans aren’t happy, cats aren’t going to be either. We want to encourage every eligible adult to vote in the upcoming elections and make their voices heard. We encourage you to check your voter registration status and register to vote if you aren’t already.
