Meet Your Trainer
Misty Hampton
I have always had a soft spot for misunderstood creatures. Cats are among the most popular pets and, yet, they seem mysterious and are often misunderstood.
My journey to becoming a cat behavior consultant started 7 years ago when a friend asked me if I knew anyone who wanted a kitten. She showed me a picture of a fluffy orange kitten, and I fell in love. Two weeks later, I brought home Linus. Over the next three years, we adopted more kittens into our family. Now, we have five cats: Linus, Jasper, Abigail, Pearl, and Piper.
I treated Linus the way my family did our childhood cat, but I soon learned that the traditional methods I had learned – spraying him with a squirt bottle, for instance – didn’t work. He became defensively aggressive. On the other hand, Pearl was still very fearful of being picked up. I realized then that there had to be a better way of interacting with cats.
Since then, I have made it my mission to enrich the lives of people and pets by making training more accessible. I aim to use the least invasive methods that are effective for changing behavior. Learn more about my approach here.
Training Partners
Linus
Linus likes to be around people. When we sit down for a cup of tea, he can often be found sitting on the back of the couch, purring contentedly. He enjoys petting on his terms: three or four chin scratches is just right!
Linus teaches how to communicate with your cat. When you understand and respect your cat’s body language, training becomes a cooperative dialogue.
Linus does everything from problem solving to cooperative care. He specializes in cases involving aggression. If your cat bites during petting and does not tolerate restraint, Linus can show you some alternatives.
Jasper
Jasper loves enrichment activities! He’s very attached to me. He’s not a fan of the other cats.
In the home environment, where Jasper feels comfortable, he likes to explore and try new things. Whenever I bring home a bag of groceries, he is the first to investigate. It’s easy to introduce Jasper to new training situations because I’ve spent time building a foundation of trust with him.
Jasper does demos for more hands-on cooperative care procedures, introductions, and managing cat-cat aggression. If your cat seems anxious in new situations and doesn’t get along well with other cats, Jasper can help.
Pearl
Pearl loves treats, and is always eager for training!
Pearl has her own cat tree by my desk. She does demos for virtual training, including cooperative care and clicker training.
Pearl teaches the value of trust. If your cat seems nervous around unfamiliar people and with handling, Pearl can show you some games to help build trust and boost your cat’s confidence.
Abigail
Abigail likes to cuddle. When we sit down on the couch to watch a show, she comes running.
Abby doesn’t always participate in training but, when she does, she is a quick learner! She does some demos for cooperative care, clicker training, and enrichment, as well as resolving cat-cat aggression.
Piper
Piper spends most of her time with my husband, Jesse.
Piper shows the value of early socialization. She grew up in a foster home, where she was exposed to a wide variety of positive experiences when she was young. As a result, she’s not afraid to try new things.
Piper does some demos for cooperative care and clicker training. She specializes in carrier training.
