Compassionate, expert help for your cat’s behavior issues.
Kate has been working with animals for more than 40 years. She devoted her young adult years to training horses, teaching horseback riding lessons, and managing a riding stable. She worked as a veterinary assistant while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy at the University of Illinois, and returned to work as a riding instructor while earning a Master’s degree in English literature at The Pennsylvania State University.
Before pursuing formal training and getting certification as a cat behavior consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Kate spent almost 20 years teaching writing to college students. During that time, she fostered animals for various shelters and rescues. Kate has dedicated her life to animal rescue, and is especially focused on saving the most at-risk cats and kittens, those who come to shelters and rescues with health or behavioral issues that make it a challenge to get them adopted. As a certified cat behavior consultant and foster caretaker, she works with cats and kittens who are unsocialized, shy or fearful, aggressive to humans or other animals, and who have litter box issues. By using positive reinforcement methods, Kate helps these animals learn to trust and live happily with humans; by educating clients and adopters, she helps cat guardians provide an environment where these deserving animals can express natural behaviors and be well-adjusted, loving feline family members. Kate has volunteered with many shelters and rescues, including a six-month stint at the Tierschutverein Tirol Animal Shelter in Innsbruck, Austria. She is currently an adoption coordinator and foster for PetConnect Rescue and is on the board of Frederick Friends of Our County Animal Shelter.
Successfully resolving behavior problems requires trust between you and your cat. That is why Kate uses only positive reinforcement methods and environmental enrichment to help you change your cat’s behavior. This approach involves the use of rewards–such as treats, affection, and playtime–to teach and reinforce desired behaviors, and changes to your cat’s environment to allow for the appropriate expression of natural behaviors. You’ll find that these methods don’t only resolve problem behaviors, they also help strengthen the bond between you and your cat. Punishment is never a part of a Healthy Cattitude behavior modification plan, as it is ineffective and damages your relationship with your cat.
What Clients Say About Kate
Lola and Jojo, two litter mates who are now 15, were having litter box issues that I assumed were behavioral or a result of my being a bad cat mama. I reached out to Kate for help on any adjustments I could make and for help understanding why cats do what they do -- in sometimes very stinky ways. I had tried everything I had read in cat behavior blogs, vet visits -- it took Kate no time to consider their history and make suggestions that IMMEDIATELY worked! Turns out my kitties are just getting old and stiff and needed boxes that accommodated them better. A quick vet trip confirmed their health, I made the changes, and voila! No misplaced cat poop since we talked almost two weeks ago! Happy kitties! Happy cat mom! Thank you, Kate! PAWS UP!
After me, my cat’s next favorite person is Kate. She knows that my cat had been abandoned in an apartment when his previous owners moved, and she knows that he needs lots of love and gentle handling. In fact, she’s so good with him that he even lets her clean his ears and clip his nails.
Kate provided follow up and gave us simple tips that made huge differences in relations between our cat Jimmy and the men and dog in our house, who he used to behave aggressively towards. Now he rubs against my boyfriend Mike's legs and loves playing with him. He's taken longer to allow Mike to pet him but he's coming along, building trust every day. I'm so grateful for Kate Luse's insights and gentleness with both Jimmy and us humans.
Kate really helped us with our two cats’ habit of jumping up on the kitchen counter. She showed us how to train our cats to do other things, like go to a food puzzle, instead of counter surfing. She was patient and thorough in teaching us how to use only positive reinforcement methods to address our cats’ problem behavior.