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Chat & Chuckle with Dr. Sarah Brown About The Hidden Language of Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Dr. Sarah Brown about her book, The Hidden Language of Cats—How They Have Us at Meow! Sarah Brown gained her PhD on the social behavior of neutered domestic cats while working at the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. She has since worked as an independent cat behavior counselor and a consultant for the cat-toy industry, and has conducted research for and worked with several UK animal charities. She has authored and co-authored… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Veronica Boutelle About How to Make Your R+ Training Business Thrive


Join Niki Tudge as she chats and chuckles with Veronica Boutelle of dogbiz about the five steps to a thriving R+ training business! Veronica Boutelle, MA, CTC is the co-founder of dogbiz, whose business is to help you love yours. Learn all the ways dogbiz can support your success at dogbizsuccess.com . Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here. Recorded November 12, 2024


Chat & Chuckle with Alice Chau-Ginguene About Comparing Attitudes of Cat Ownership in Ireland and the U.S.


Join Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison and Krista Schulte as they chat and chuckle with Alice Chau-Ginguene about comparing attitudes of cat ownership in Ireland and the U.S.! Alice Chau-Ginguene is a clinical animal behaviorist with 15 years of experience specializing in cat behavior. Passionate about making animal science accessible and engaging, she is dedicated to enhancing the enjoyment between cats and humans, and improving feline mental health. Through her private practice Alice supports cat lovers worldwide. Her expertise and insights have made her a regular feature in media across Ireland, the U.S.,… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Dr. Zazie Todd About the Five Pillars of Feline Wellness


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Dr. Zazie Todd, author of Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy, about the five pillars of feline wellness! Zazie Todd PhD is an animal behaviour expert and award-winning author. She got the world talking about happiness for pets with her first two books Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. Her third book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog, will be published in October 2024.… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Sassafras Patterdale (Lowrey) About Play and Enrichment for Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Sassafras Patterdale (Lowrey) about tricks, games, and enrichment for cats! Sassafras Patterdale (Lowrey) CPDT-KA is an award-winning author whose books have been honored by organizations ranging from the American Library Association to the Dog Writers Association of America. Sassafras’ books include Tricks In The City, Healing/Heeling, and Chew This Journal: An Activity Book For You And Your Dog. Sassafras is also the author of the Cat Writers Association Finalist book, Claw This Journal: An Activity Book for Cat Lovers. Sassafras is a Certified Trick Dog… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Laura Monaco Torelli About Cooperative Care With Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Laura Monaco Torelli about cooperative care with cats. Laura Monaco Torelli is the founder of Animal Behavior Training Concepts in Chicago, Illinois. Her career began in 1991 with Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, where she was part of the animal care team for beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters, seals, river otters, and penguins. After nearly a decade at the Shedd, she moved on to the San Diego Zoo and then Brookfield Zoo as a lead supervisory trainer. During her time in the… Continued


PPG Advocacy Panel: The Most Misunderstood Facts About Cats and Their Behavior


Join PPG Advocacy Task Force Chair Don Hanson as he hosts a clowder of feline training and behavior experts for a discussion about the most misunderstood facts about cats and their behavior. Your panelists for this discussion are Dr. Zazie Todd, Beth Adelman, Allison Hunter-Frederick, Holden Svirsky, and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison. Enjoy listening to the Advocacy Panel’s informal, free-flowing discussion! Listen to the podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. Recorded July 17, 2024. Find out more about future Advocacy Panel topics and dates.


Chat & Chuckle with Grace Taylor About Collaborating with Cat Sitters


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Grace Taylor about collaborating with cat sitters to promote your business. Grace Taylor is the owner of Furever Friends Catsitting in Baltimore, Maryland. With a deep passion for animal welfare, she has been actively involved in cat rescue and fostering for many years, specializing in neonates. Grace has fostered over 180 cats and kittens, dedicating her life to providing loving homes and care for the most vulnerable felines. Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here.… Continued


PPG Appoints Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as Feline Division Vice Chair


Please join us in congratulating Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as the new vice chair of PPG’s Feline Division! “I am thrilled to accept the role of vice chair of the Feline Division at the Pet Professional Guild,” said Joanna. “In this position, I will be dedicated to advancing feline welfare through education, advocacy, and support for other cat professionals. Together we will strive to improve the lives of cats and strengthen the bond between pets and their guardians.” Joanna is a Houston-based dog and cat trainer and behavior consultant. She started on… Continued



Chat & Chuckle with Michelle Martiya About Working With Hybrid Cats


Savannahs and Bengals (and spraying) … oh my! Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Michelle Martiya about working with hybrid cats! Michelle Martiya is an ABI certified exotic animal trainer who works with canines, equids, and exotic species. Michelle specializes in connecting and building relationships with fearful and feral equids, combining her natural ”way” with animals and her many years of experience, with a robust education in animal behavior and training. Michelle’s animal experience includes both domestic and exotic species, and she currently coaches… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Katlyn Grayson About Making Modifications for Cats With Mobility Issues


Cats with limited mobility need an environment that accommodates their need. Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Katlyn Grayson about making modifications for cats with mobility issues. Katlyn Grayson is a Fear Free Certified Professional (FFCP), Licensed Family Dog Mediator (LFDM), CertifiedProfessional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant (CCBC). She is the owner of Pets Knead Peace in Northeast Ohio providing in-person and virtual behavior assistance for dogs, cats and their guardians.  She began her behavior journey when she started working in animal shelters in 2009. Since then, she… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Beth Adelman About Shifting Perspectives About Cat Behavior


Change can be good, especially when it comes to understanding cats better! Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Beth Adelman about shifting people’s perspectives about cat behavior. Beth Adelman, MS, is a Cat Behavior Consultant in Brooklyn, New York. Beth is currrently on the executive committee of the Pet Professional Guild’s Feline Division, and was a founding member of the Cat Division of the IAABC. She is the former editor in chief of Cats magazine and DogWorld and former cat columnist for the New York Post. She currently is a… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Kate Benjamin About Environmental Enrichment for Cats


You’ll feel enriched after listening to Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison chat and chuckle with the incredible Kate Benjamin about environmental enrichment for cats! Founder of the cat style brand Hauspanther, Kate has been writing about cats and design since 2007. Her website ⁠hauspanther.com⁠ is the top online resource for design-conscious cat lovers. She has been interviewed as a cat style expert by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, NY Daily News, CBS Sunday Morning, O, The Oprah Magazine and many other media outlets.  Kate co-authored with cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy two New York… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Mary Stevens About How Cat Consultants Can Build Relationships with Veterinary Practices


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Mary Stevens about how cat consultants can build relationships with veterinary practices. Shortly after Mary graduated from Villa Julie College with a degree in biology, she fell upon a job in veterinary medicine. She has now been a veterinary technician for almost two decades, and in 2022 she began her journey into feline behavior. Mary studied the basics of feline behavior and training through Animal Behavior College, receiving her certificate in December 2022. She began her mentorship with… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with T Hamboyan Harrison About Strategies for Handling Fearful Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with T. Hamboyan Harrison of A Cat’s Purrspective about strategies for handling fearful cats. T Hamboyan Harrison is a cat behavior consultant at A Cat’s Purrspective, LLC. As a disabled person, T especially enjoys helping cats with chronic medical conditions. T has spent over a decade volunteering with cats in local rescues and shelters, and has several cats of their own at home. T has certifications through IAABC (CCBC, ACSB-C) and Fear Free Pets (FFCP, animal trainer) and is… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Tabitha Kucera About Cooperative Care for Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), about cooperative care for cats—an important topic since significantly fewer cats than dogs see a veterinarian every year, and cooperative care can make vet visits less stressful and more comprehensive for cats!  Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, VTS (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training… Continued


PPG’s New Pet Training Science Alliance Program


Join Niki Tudge, Jean Donaldson, Judy Luther, and Rebekah King as they gather to officially launch PPG’s new Pet Training Science Alliance (PTSA)! Learn about what the program is, how the program works, and how you can help support it as an educator or as a learner.  Stay up to date on the latest PTSA projects here: ⁠https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/Pet-Training-Science-Alliance Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here. Or simply click on the “play” button below. Recorded September 25, 2023


PPG’s Ethics Review Process—A Reminder


Professional ethics are of utmost importance here at PPG, and we take reports about ethics violations very seriously. PPG’s ethics review process is detailed and confidential, and has worked exceptionally well since it was created more than 12 years ago. However, in order for PPG’s Ethics Committee to investigate an ethics violation report, the person making the report must provide complete information and evidence to support their claim. For legal, ethical and other reasons, PPG can’t investigate ethics complaints based on hearsay. Read more about PPG’s ethics review process and requirements… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Katenna Jones About Working with Dogs and Cats Together


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Katenna Jones of ⁠Jones Animal Behavior⁠ about working with dogs and cats together. Animal behavior is not a new field for Katenna, nor a hobby turned into a career—it’s all she’s ever done. She became a shelter volunteer in 1998 while earning a Bachelor’s degree in biology, then went on to earn a Master’s in psychology with a focus on animal behavior from Brown University. Katenna is Rhode Island’s only Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Cat Behavior Consultant,… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Beth Brown About Control Unleashed for Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Beth Brown about Control Unleashed for cats!  Beth Brown (CDBC, CCBC, CSAT, CPDT-KSA, CCUI, FFCP) is passionate about educating people to advocate for and use force-free approaches to living with their animals. Specifically, teaching people and animals to communicate more effectively together using Leslie McDevitt’s Control Unleashed pattern games is the most rewarding thing she does. Beth works with private clients through her behavior-consulting business, ⁠Ear to Tail⁠, and on a variety of behavior issues for both dogs and cats,… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Alejandra López Irala of Rasca y Pica in Argentina


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Alejandra López Irala of Rasca y Pica in Buenos Aires, Argentina, about how to make your cat behavior consulting business stand out. Alejandra is a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, CCBC. She is the owner of Rasca y Pica, whose goal is to help everyone learn about cats and highlight their welfare.  Her life focuses on the domestic feline so she can help people better understand and relate to their pets, leading to a stronger bond and a more… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Dr. Mikel Delgado of Feline Minds


Join PPG’s Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Dr. Mikel Delgado of ⁠Feline Minds⁠ about play and enrichment for cats! Be on the lookout for Dr. Delgado’s new book, Play With Your Cat, coming out in February 2024! Enjoy listening as Laura, Joanna, and Dr. Delgado share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format! Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here. Or simply click on the “play” button below. Recorded April 21, 2023


Chat & Chuckle with Hanna Fushihara of Nosework Cats


Chat & Chuckle with Hanna Fushihara of Nosework Cats Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Melissa Taylor as they chat and chuckle with Hanna Fushihara about nosework for cats! (Yes, you read that right!)  Hanna runs ⁠Nosework Cats⁠ as well as ⁠Hot Fuzz Dog Training⁠ from her home in New York State. She has been training dogs for more than 10 years and began teaching canine nosework in 2018. She reached the NW3-Elite title level competing with her pit bull, Derek, before he passed away. Hanna started developing her own ideas on… Continued


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