I want to make sure that if you’re choosing to set up a consultation, you know what you’re getting into. I’ve set up the following list of the most commonly asked questions I get to help you make an informed decision. Use the buttons below to quickly jump to a section.
Services And Getting Started
What kinds of cat behavior problems can Class Act Cats help with?
As a cat behavior specialist, Joey can help with a lot of cat behaviors. Some common examples of what he helps folks with include:
- Biting
- Aggression toward humans or other animals
- Fighting cats
- Introducing a new cat to your current cats
- Cat reintroductions
- Cat and dog problems
- Cat training
- Litter box problems such as your cat not using the litter box or spraying
- Preparing for a new cat when you adopt a cat
- Excessive meowing
- Over grooming/Excessive grooming
- Scratching furniture
- Chewing on plants, objects, etc.
- Cats waking you up at night
- Territoriality or territorial behavior
- Cats seeming depressed or unhappy
- Attention seeking behaviors
Even if your concern isn’t listed there but it’s close, Class Act Cats can help. We see a lot of behavior problems, from quick and easy to severe and complex.
Which service is right for me?
You probably want a behavior consultation. If you are looking for help with a specific behavior problem you want a behavior consultation.
If you have fighting cats/aggression between cats/territoriality, our reintroduction program is specifically designed for these situations.
If you want to teach your cat fun tricks, cat training is the way to go. Cat training is for when your cat doesn’t already have an existing behavior concern.
Zoomies sessions are short behavior consultations for single behavior concerns that aren’t complex (read: not anything involving aggression, urine or poop ending up somewhere it shouldn’t, fights between cats, or where behavioral euthanasia is being considered) or for going over basic care techniques for your cat.
Do you offer grief counseling or support?
While I have a blog series on grief, it was a project I did to help people out who are struggling. I can’t offer one on one counseling related to grief. My suggestion is finding an individual counselor or therapist who is able to provide this service or joining a pet loss support group.
If your cat is struggling with grief after a cat friend passes, I can help your cat. I can’t act as a counselor for you, however, so please keep in mind the focus needs to be on your cat.
What is a behavior consultation?
A behavior consultation is a meeting with a trained feline professional to figure how how to address unwanted behaviors in your cat. Consultations involve a thorough assessment of your cat’s behavior, their environment, and their history to figure out what may be going on. We then come up with an individualized plan together that fits your lifestyle, budget, and any other factors to give you the best chance of success. We meet again for follow up sessions to continue the plan and make adjustments as needed.
Is Joey available to speak to my group about cat behavior?
Depending on scheduling and what you’d like him to talk about, Joey does do speaking engagements. He has spoken at many conferences and to different sized groups about cats. Please use our contact form with information about what you’re looking for and we’ll get back to you with information on prices, availability, and more.
If you are a local veterinary clinic, Joey will come speak to your clinic once free of charge so get in touch if you’re interested! (He might even bring snacks)
Do you work with dogs?
The name of our business says what species we work with.
All cheekiness aside, we do work with dogs in situations involving both cats and dogs where the cat is the focus of the work. We can help with very minor things with dogs such as going over basic clicker training. If there are situations where the dog requires help beyond what we can do, we may recommend a dog behavior consultant or dog trainer get involved.
How quickly should I get started?
For litter box or spraying cases, you should set up a veterinarian appointment before scheduling with us. We recommend this for all behavior problems, but it is especially important for litter box cases.
If you’re both moving and want help with aggression between cats, scheduling your first session before the move is best.
For everyone else, you should schedule when:
- You have read over our website and know what you’re getting into
- You want help from Joey (not just the first person available)
- Are able to commit time to putting in the work with your cat(s) immediately following your session. Unless you plan to keep your cat in a state of suspended animation for a few weeks after our session, everything that happens to your cat affects their behavior. Your e-mail follow up can’t be delayed so book when you’re ready to get going.
Will I be able to fix my cat's unwanted behavior in just one session?
It is always a good idea to assume that you will need multiple sessions as cat behavior is complex. Some problems may require more or some cats who have particularly complex situations may need some more help.
If you are looking for help with fighting cats, these often require months and WILL require multiple sessions. We do not allow single sessions for aggression between cats.
How do I know if I need professional help with my cat?
We have a blog post outlining when to seek cat behavior help and encourage you to read it as it outlines some things to take into account when deciding if you would benefit from calling in a cat behaviorist like Joey.
What is the difference between a behavior consultation and training?
Training is teaching a cat to do specific behaviors. Examples of training would be teaching your cat to sit on cue or go into the carrier with a gesture. For how we organize our services, training is considered to be something done for fun or to increase your bond with your cat. We also lump any training related to therapy animals into this category for simplicity.
Behavior consultations go deeper and are to solve unwanted behaviors. They may include training, but also include things such as modifying the environment or how you interact with your cat. For things like cats fighting, spraying, house soiling, or aggression, a behavior consultation is the way to go.
Will I be judged if I did things wrong or because I tried something you don't recommend?
Absolutely not! We don’t expect everyone to intuitively understand cats. We understand that people make choices when they’re desperate that may not be what they normally do and there’s a lot of really awful advice out there about cat behavior. You’re coming to us for help so we take that as a sign of dedication to your cat. We will be honest about things if you are doing something we advise against, but it’s always with the intent to help. Our goal is to help you address your cat’s behavior, not make you feel like a bad person.
Joey can be a bit snarky, but it’s never, ever meant in way to degrade you or make you feel bad. It’s a personality flaw.
Do you guarantee results?
It’s against the code of ethics of some of Joey’s professional organizations to guarantee that any intervention will work. It’s also not possible because cats are individual, unique living creatures.
What we can guarantee is that if we are working together, we will work with you to adjust the behavior plan until we find a solution that works, or, if we don’t see a way forward, we will be upfront about that and make recommendations about the next steps. You will also leave knowing more about cats and your cat (or cats) in general.
Yes, this means that sometimes you may put in a lot of really hard work, do things very well, and not get the outcome you want. This is an unavoidable risk.
If you aren’t okay with that, we don’t recommend scheduling a session. We, nor anyone else, can provide you a guarantee.
Pricing and Booking Appointments
What are your prices for behavior consultations or cat training?
All prices for initial sessions are available on our behavior consultation and cat training pages. Keep in mind that prices are per session so you will want to budget for more sessions, especially if you multiple behavior concerns.
Follow up sessions are shorter so they cost less than the initial session. We offer a discount if you purchase multiple follow up sessions ahead of time. You can book follow up sessions and see prices for individual sessions and package on our follow up page.
How much will this cost total?
Our prices are per session so your cost is proportionate to how complex your behavior problem is, how much help you want, and how much work we do for you. Because each situation is different, it’s hard for us to say exactly how much help you’ll need and how much it will cost.
For less complicated behavior concerns, you may spend somewhere between $200 and $800. For more complicated behavior concerns, such as cat fighting, you can expect to spend $600 to $1500. If you have a particularly complex case, it may be more than this.
Can I do an in home session?
All first sessions, without exception, are virtual because virtual is better. Joey gets a better, more accurate picture of your cat’s behavior because a stranger showing up can alter cats’ behavior. We also spend most of our first session talking so you ultimately get better results, pay less, and get exactly what you would with an in home session by going virtual.
Still not convinced? Check out this video Joey made about virtual behavior consultations.
In some circumstances, if he sees a clear benefit, Joey very rarely recommends an in home session for follow up. These are almost exclusively for human directed aggression cases involving fear of strangers.
There is an extra cost for in home sessions and we do not drive more than 20 minutes for in home sessions. There is also a minimum of an hour for in home sessions. If Joey recommends one, he will discuss costs before booking.
What is your availability for appointments?
You can see this when you book. Generally, though, Joey is available:
- Friday through Monday during the day
- Wednesday and Thursday early evening
If you are outside central standard time, your availability may be different. We generally can get people in within 1-2 weeks, though if you have a restrictive schedule, it may be longer.
I have something coming up or don't want to use my e-mail follow up immediately following our session. Can I delay using it for a few weeks?
No. E-mail follow up is meant to be used right away. From our perspective, it helps us ensure Joey has time to respond to e-mails while still being able to sleep. From your perspective, it helps hold you accountable to get started on the interventions right away. You set yourself up for success by getting started right away.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept credit cards, though bank transfers and Venmo may be an option for follow up sessions. We do not accept personal checks. Payment is due up front in full.
Do you accept pet insurance?/Will pet insurance pay for your services?
Ask your pet insurance company as coverage is up to them. The credentials you are looking for them to cover are the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) or a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant (CCBC). Our prices are available on our website if they have any questions about cost. Our services have been covered by a few pet insurance companies, but we cannot guarantee coverage. Hint: You may require a veterinarian referral to get coverage which should be completed before you pay for your session.
If you know you are going to submit a claim to pet insurance, please send us an e-mail to let us know you want to book a session using pet insurance. We will have you book a different way using an invoice that has all the information you need. This will save you a lot of time later.
If I purchase a package or need to reschedule my initial session, how long do I have to use my session?
This varies based on the package and service you purchase. The goal of packages is to have you use them to work on the problem and keep the momentum going. If not otherwise specified, you have 90 days (3 months) from the date of purchase to use the coupon code.
If I'm not sure, can I book a consultation and then cancel it?
No, but you can reschedule if you give us at least 24 hours notice. If you aren’t sure if you need a behavior consultation, we are happy to answer any questions before you get going (though please remember that our prices are available directly on our website).
Booking a consultation blocks off a lot of time so other clients can’t get in. Joey begins preparing for your consultation right away! (Unless you book in the middle of the night in which case he’s likely asleep) Your consultation starts before we even meet so we begin providing the service you paid for right away.
Because of that, all sales are final and are non-refundable. Consider this before booking your appointment and book when you are ready rather than booking and canceling. Please also see our cancelation, refund, and rescheduling policy.
What if I don't need all the time for my session? Can I get refunded for the remaining time?
Per our refund policy, all sales are final and we do not offer refunds for unused time during a session. The time is blocked off and we won’t be able to get anyone else in during that time. It’s your time to ask other questions about cat behavior if you’d like. Otherwise, you’re free to end the session early.
Can I just ask you a few quick questions about my cat without booking a consultation?
No. We cannot and will not give out behavior advice until you are a paid client. Cat behavior is complicated so even straightforward seeming problems need to have a lot taken into account before we can give out individualized advice. For a quick question or an easier to solve problems, a Zoomies session is a short option.
Joey has spent a lot of time creating free resources on our blog or on our YouTube channel if you’d like some advice without booking a session.
Working With Class Act Cats
What happens during a behavior consultation?
Here is a quick outline of the process:
- You purchase your first session or a package of sessions. You get e-mailed instructions on how to book the initial session if you purchase a package.
- When you are booking, there are a few specific tasks involved and an intake form to get initial information about your situation that Joey reviews ahead of time. Joey usually has you do a video tour of your home ahead of time so he has an idea of the layout and what your cat’s environment is like.
- We meet via Zoom to discuss more details about your situation and come up with an initial plan to intervene. Joey will explain how to do any interventions.
- Joey will send you any relevant resources, handouts, or links. Reasonable e-mail follow up is included with many of our services for a defined period of time after your session. You can ask questions directly related to what we talked about in our session via e-mail until that time period expires.
- We will meet again for additional follow up sessions to adjust the plan based on how your cat(s) respond until your situation reaches a satisfactory conclusion. If we do not hear from you again, we assume you are done using our services and the situation is resolved.
What is included for follow up after our session?
Depending on the service you book, we include reasonable e-mail or text follow up for a limited period of time (depending on which service you need). We expect follow up and updates between sessions. After that time, we need another session to talk things out if you aren’t fully where you want to be. E-mail becomes ineffective and for more complex situations. People have worse results if they don’t follow up with us.
What is considered "reasonable" follow up?
Reasonable means that Joey shouldn’t have to write you a fifty page novel to respond to your e-mail. Follow up is limited to things related to your session and even then some things may be outside of what can be done via e-mail. There are some things that are more challenging to discuss via e-mail.
We include video review as part of follow up, but ask that you be mindful of the length and number of videos you send as they are more work to review. We will ask if we need to see video of something. Please send them via Google Drive, Dropbox, or a similar service rather than e-mailing or texting them.
For fighting cats: we do not do these situations entirely via e-mail. There are things we can tweak, but you will need to follow up on a regular basis.
How long will it take to see results?
We have solutions for cat behavior problems, but we can’t guarantee difficulty or how long they’ll take. Our priority is giving you accurate, ethical, and effective advice.
In other words, we can’t really give you an answer. In some cases, you may results in a few days, but often it may take weeks or months. For cases involving tension or fighting between cats, expect it to take a few months to resolve.
What methods do you use to modify my cat's behavior? What I don't want to hurt my cat?
Your cat’s wellbeing is our top priority in this process. Why? It’s the ethical thing to do and it also gets you better results.
We focus on encouraging acceptable behaviors, environmental modification, and addressing the root causes of behaviors. This is scientifically the best way of addressing unwanted behaviors. It builds, not tears down, your relationship with your cat, and is less work in the end. In other words, the methods we use will be both effective and kind to your cat.
We don’t advise you use methods such as squirt bottles, remote punishers, or shock mats. There aren’t good behavior modification tools so you get better results listening to us rather than some rando on Nextdoor!
What if I don't like or agree with what you suggest?
We aren’t going to force you to do anything. We’re here to give you the best advice possible that will give you the greatest chance of success. Unfortunately, you may not always like what we have to say, but we’re going to be honest with you no matter what. You are free to disagree with Joey’s suggestions. That said, if there comes a point where if our advice isn’t being listened to, we may refer you to a colleague who is a better fit.
Reintroduction Program
What is the difference between your reintroduction program and a regular behavior consultation?
Our reintroduction program involves more frequent shorter meetings and requires a slightly longer (1 hour 45 minutes) initial consultation. It’s a bit more structured than our normal behavior consultations.
Who is your reintroduction program for?
Our reintroduction program is for cats that aren’t getting along. We meet with people much more frequently for shorter meetings so we can deliver the behavior plan in smaller chunks that we alter as we go so they are completely customized to your cats.
While we call it our reintroduction program, it’s applicable to initial introductions and any kind of cat on cat aggressive behavior.
Do we have to meet with you every two weeks?
Joey’s approach is high involvement meaning frequent meetings. E-mail is okay for quick things or clarification, but is not the bulk of our approach.
We eventually space out appointments further, but you should expect to be meeting frequently. If you’re not interested in this approach, we’re not a good fit.
Does this really take a few months?
Yes. We focus on getting you successful results, the wellbeing of your cats, and safety. It takes as long as your cats need and we only increase the speed if it seems unlikely to create a setback.
Why don't you do single sessions for aggression between cats?
These situations are extremely complicated and we can’t possibly give you a good behavior plan in a single session. We don’t want to waste your time or have you have unrealistic expectations!
You should go into this expecting to need more than just these two sessions, however.
Is there a maximum number of cats you'll help reintroduce?
We don’t have a set upper limit, but every cat (even if they aren’t directly involved in the conflict) adds a layer of complexity. If you have more than 6 cats, you may want to check with us before booking.
What if we just want you to write us a behavior plan?
We don’t do this. We’ve found that when we just send a behavior plan to clients for how to do this, it’s both overwhelming for them and we usually need to modify things to individual the plan. This is normal and an expected part of behavior modification. Our approach works better because we don’t have you do more work than is necessary while adding in parts as your cats let us know what they do need.
For example, if your cats just can’t seem to stop staring at each other, we’ll have you do some extra exercises to address that. If that’s not an issue, we don’t make you do extra work. We add it in as needed and often build on what you’ve already done!
We work best with clients who want us to walk them through the process.
Veterinary Information
Are you a veterinarian? What if I have a question about a medical problem?
No, Class Act Cats is not a veterinary service. We cannot discuss medical concerns, make medical recommendations, prescribe medications, or make any medical diagnoses. Direct medical questions to your veterinarian.
If you are in need of a veterinarian, we recommend looking for a Fear Free Certified veterinarian or Cat Friendly Practitioner for your cat. You can also look for clinics that are certified as a Cat Friendly Practice or are Fear Free Certified.
Can you prescribe medications for behavioral issues?
No, a licensed veterinarian must determine if a medication is safe and appropriate. Joey might encourage you to talk to your veterinarian about medication, but it’s up to your veterinarian which medication and if they think it may be helpful.
This also includes recommending supplements like CBD. We recommend calling your vet if you’d like to discuss behavioral supplements.
Do you provide advice on nutrition or what diet I should feed my otherwise healthy cat?
This area gets a little murky as food and feeding can greatly affect behavior. We do a very basic screening during the intake process to evaluate feeding behaviors as our focus is on feeding behavior. If we see signs that there is a food related problem, we may point that out. Anything we talk about is always with the caveat that you should follow up with your veterinarian. Your vet may disagree with us and that’s okay. We’re sending you to them for a reason!
We’ll go over how to feed your cat if relevant to the behavior concern and sometimes help you figure out the how, but we only do this in the context of a behavior concern. For example, if you are feeding your cats together we will likely recommend you feed them separately even if they get along.
If you want advice about what to feed your cat, start with your veterinarian. If you’d rather talk to someone who specializes in nutrition, the Feline Consultant does virtual nutrition consultations or you can find a veterinary nutritionist through the American Academy of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Nutrition is a subspecialty of internal medicine.
General Questions
How do I know that you know what you're talking about?
We don’t expect people to blindly trust us as anyone with a keyboard could set up a website and claim to be a cat expert.
Joey is a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. This certification is a big deal and takes a lot of work to achieve. He wrote over 60 pages on cat behavior for his application! He has significant training in the behavioral sciences including a degree in psychology, coursework through the IAABC, and experience working in behavioral health with humans (there’s a surprising amount of overlap despite being different species). For more information about his background, you can read more about Joey’s background. He also shared his own struggles with cat behavior problems that led him to get started working with cats professionally. I’ve gone through this myself.
Why is my cat doing __________?
The answer in many cases is “it depends.” It’s challenging to say 100% why a cat may be doing a particular behavior without doing a full assessment of their environment, your interactions with them, and their history. Many unwanted behaviors have complex causes so if you want to know why your cat does something, a consultation is your best option.
Should I rehome my cat?
We cannot advise you on this without fully understanding your situation. Set up a behavior consultation if you’d like personalized advice.
We have a blog post with some considerations regarding rehoming that we suggest reading to help you decide.
I want to surrender my cat. Will you take my cat from me?
No. Minneapolis has a lot of great local rescues such as Bitty Kitty Brigade, Feline Rescue, Twin Cities Pet Rescue, and many more that are able to help you. If you want to try to keep your cat in your home while you try to find them a new, loving home, Home2Home is a service offered through Pet Haven. Please contact one of these organizations if you’re looking to surrender your cat as we cannot take them. Check out our guide on rehoming thoughtfully if you want more suggestions.
If you are unsure if you want to surrender your cat or not, we can help with that! Set up a consultation and we can evaluate your situation. We can not make recommendations on rehoming without you being a client.
Do you accept guest posts on your blog?
No. We get dozens of e-mails about this every day and it takes away from time we can spend helping cats to reply to them. All e-mails about guest posts will be immediately deleted as will any cold e-mails about marketing, SEO work, etc.
How can I get in contact with you if I have other questions?
We are happy to answer any additional questions you have! (Except about what our prices are. Seriously, they’re on our website) Use our contact form to send us a message and we’ll get back to you via e-mail.
We are unable to do phone calls with prospective clients, no exceptions.
For Established Clients
How do I reschedule an appointment?
Go to the confirmation e-mail for that appointment and click one of the links that says, “Reschedule Appointment.” There is no way to do this from our website unless you registered for an account using the scheduling system we use.
We do not schedule or reschedule appointments via e-mail so your appointment is not considered canceled or rescheduled until it is done in our scheduling system.
Reminder that you must give 24 hours notice to reschedule an appointment.
I am outside my e-mail follow up period. Can I still ask you questions?
You can ask questions about things like scheduling, but you cannot ask additional behavior questions without a follow up session. This includes questions that you perceive as being just a quick question. A question may seem simple, but in many cases it isn’t as easy or quick as it seems to answer.
I have a new behavior concern I want to discuss that is unrelated to what we originally talked about. Can schedule a follow up or should I do a new consultation?
In most cases, you’ll need a new consultation as Joey may not have gotten all the information he needs related to the new problem during our first session. This is especially true if there’s been large changes such as you moving, a new cat added to your home, or anything similar.
Joey may occasionally make an exception to this, but only if he doesn’t think his ability to evaluate the problem in enough detail to give you a good behavior plan is compromised.
It has been over 3 months since we last met. How long of a follow up session do I need?
This is hard to answer as it entirely depends on what we’re working on and your individual circumstances. A lot can happen in a few months! Get in contact and we’ll let you know individually.
