Meet Jennifer Catpurr | Cat Behavior Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Catpurr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My lifelong love of cats spurred me to start Jennifer Catpurr. As someone who is deeply intrinsically motivated, it’s important to me to spend time doing work that I’m passionate about. Once I discovered the cat behavior consulting field, it felt like a dream job, and I was up for the challenge. Educating people on the needs of cats and giving both cats and their humans better lives because of it is incredibly meaningful to me. It’s been almost 11 years since I began my business, and I have had my share of challenging cases, but reflecting on past clients and happy cats makes everything worthwhile.

What should our readers know about your business?
I offer a wide range of cat behavior consultation packages, from a quick text consultation to video consultations to in-home consultation packages. My full consultation packages include six weeks of my availability for questions over text and email, because supporting the success of my clients is important to me.

Regarding what sets me apart, there are some wonderful cat behavior consultants who practice similar science-based, positive techniques, so I won’t assume my methods are better than theirs. But it’s imperative to me that I focus on being the type of cat behavior consultant I would want to hire, someone who teaches fear-free methods, truly cares about her clients, and follows up with them.

It took a while for me to build my brand recognition and reputation when I started my business, and building my confidence was an important factor in that as well. This all came with time and experience. In some ways, people skills are just as essential as cat behavior skills in this field. During a consultation, I need to bond with my clients quickly, go over a behavior plan, assure them I am there to support them, and assuage their fears. Emotions can run high with clients at times, as there are plenty of cases in which they are frustrated by their cats’ behavior and are at their wit’s end, afraid they may have to rehome their beloved cat.

I would like the world to know more about who cats genuinely are and what they need from us. They are multifaceted, emotional, intelligent beings who need empathy, environmental enrichment, and respect for their boundaries.

The most fun I have in the cat field is when I’m a speaker at cat conventions, and I’m excited to say that I will be delivering a Cat Training 101 Presentation on the main stage at Cat Fest in Colorado Springs on Saturday, July 20th.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For a day of amazing food and drinks, I would take them for a delicious brunch at Nolia. We would have afternoon tea at the Brown Palace, then swing over to Watercourse Foods for dinner, and wrap the evening with drinks at Guard and Grace, specifically for their delightfully unique and refreshing Garden Grace cocktail.

My favorite aspect of Colorado is the abundant ways to enjoy its natural beauty, so much of the trip would be focused on outdoor adventures. We would hike at Eldorado Canyon State Park for its gorgeous views and Continental Divide overlook. Another day would be spent hiking at Roxborough State Park for its majestic red rocks, followed by kayaking at Chatfield State Park near dusk to watch the beavers live their best lives.

For a day of immersive artistic and whimsical adventure, Meow Wolf can’t be beat. We would leave time to drive over to Westminster for another beautiful immersion, hanging out with butterflies at the Butterfly Pavilion.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to recognize my husband, Chris, who had the fantastic and fun idea of my last name being Catpurr. I also appreciate his unwavering support of my drive to help cats and their humans.

I can’t leave out my cat, Whiskey, who is in all of my cat training videos. I taught him tricks before becoming a cat behavior consultant was on my radar, and he taught me a lot about the emotional intelligence of cats. He turned 18 in March, and I’m excited he can vote and buy his own lottery tickets now.

Website: https://www.jennifercatpurr.com

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Youtube: jennifercatpurr.

Image Credits
Chris Kapper (all except the high five photo)
The high five photo of me and Whiskey is from one of my training videos on how to teach a cat to high five.
Regarding the photo blowing bubbles – those are catnip-infused bubbles, and several of my cat enrichment tools are around me.