Feline Interpreter

Cat Behaviorist Pam Johnson-Bennett shares her toughest cases.

By Timory Wilson

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Pam Johnson-Bennett Certified Feline Behaviorist

"Cats are such creatures of habit," says Johnson-Bennett, certified animal behavior consultant. "If you are patient, you can figure out what the problem is."

Johnson-Bennett has been an animal behavior consultant for more than 22 years and became interested in studying cat behavior in the late 1970s, after raising her first two kittens, Lucy and Ethel, who became poorly behaved and unhappy, she says.

"I did everything wrong," she says. "I kept their food by the litterbox, and I changed the brand of litter based on what was on sale."

Learning how to fix Lucy and Ethel's bad behavior sparked a new passion in Johnson-Bennett, since then she has been helping other cat owners with their cats' problems.

Because no formal schooling for animal behavior existed when Johnson-Bennett started her career, she became a certified veterinary technician to gain medical perspective when working with cats. She also became a certified member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants when it formed in 2004 and currently serves on the board of directors.

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Feline Interpreter

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Linda    Mandeville, LA 9/23/2008 10:06:28 PM Good article. janet    bethlehem, PA 5/31/2008 6:42:07 AM very interesting thanks for the information Rachel    Bay View, WI 6/17/2007 3:57:55 PM I hate to differ with a cat behaviorist, but I have not found that most cats are creatures of habit. They are VERY adaptable. I have only had one cat that was not adaptable and I don't think she was as smart as the others. Most of them have no problem adapting to new routines, new people, new houses. Of course, routine is comforting to anyone, but they are very intelligent animals and most can adapt easily.