About Caitlin McAuliffe

📷

How I got here

I didn't set out to become a cat behaviorist — I set out to help the cats nobody else could figure out. The fearful ones, the so-called "difficult" ones, the cats being returned to shelters because their families ran out of answers.

After years of fostering through the ASPCA — including work with the Invisicats program for shy and undersocialized cats, and the Lion Tamer program for cats who arrived with the most complex behavioral histories — I realized I wanted to do this work properly, with real training behind it.

I completed my Certified Feline Training and Behaviour Specialist (CFTBS) certification through the Animal Behavior Institute, and became Fear Free Certified to ensure everything I do puts the emotional wellbeing of the cat first.

Today I work with cats and their families in Park Slope and across Brooklyn, and virtually with clients everywhere. No judgment, no quick fixes — just careful, evidence-based work that actually lasts.

Credentials & Training

Qualifications

Primary Certification

CFTBS

Certified Feline Training and Behaviour Specialist

Animal Behavior Institute (ABI) — a comprehensive academic program covering feline ethology, learning theory, behavior modification, and clinical case application.

Professional Certification

Fear Free Certified

fearfree.com

Trained in reducing fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) in cats across all settings. Every consultation I do is guided by Fear Free principles — no punishment, no force, no flooding.

Specialist Experience

ASPCA Foster Programs

Invisicats · Lion Tamer

Trained through ASPCA programs for working with shy, fearful, and undersocialized cats — the population most likely to be misunderstood and least likely to get a second chance.

My Approach

What I believe about cats

Cats are not aloof. They're not spiteful. They're not doing things "out of nowhere." Every behavior — even the most frustrating ones — makes complete sense when you understand what your cat is experiencing.

My job isn't to train the cat into a different animal. It's to help you understand what your cat is actually communicating, address what's driving the behavior, and build an environment where they can genuinely thrive.

That usually means changing some things about the environment, sometimes adjusting routines or relationships between cats, and always treating your cat's emotional state as the starting point — not an afterthought.

Work with me

Caitlin McAuliffe