Cats. Duplicitous, aloof and hard to read? Or an amazing combination of domestic, loving kitty and independent wild thing that just wants to be understood!

Whether you already love cats and just want to understand more about their behaviour, or are new to the feline world, my new, comprehensive online course will help you understand this remarkable species – and how you can be your cat's perfect human! 


I’m Sarah Whitehead – and this is me with Oakley – my adored, and much missed,  Maine Coon.

I’m a full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, and a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist.

I guess that most people know me through the dog behaviour and training world, but for most of my career, I have also had a complete fascination with feline behaviour too – and have seen cat behaviour cases on referral from veterinary surgeons as part of my behaviour practice work for the past 25 years.

To make a very obvious statement – cats are not just small dogs! They are a unique and intriguing species and have very specific needs and wants in terms of being our pets and companions – and yet the vast majority of people live with cats without really knowing how they ‘operate’ on an internal level – or have any understanding that their behaviour is a reflection of their emotional and physical states – and that it can be modified too. 

In fact, the most common response I get when I tell people that I do cat behaviour work is “Really? Can cat behaviour really be changed?”

The answer, of course, is…  learn to change your own behaviour, and then the cat will too!

I’ve put this brand new Programme together for three main reasons.

  1. The first is that cats often suffer from unrecognised stress - and this can lead to all kinds of physical and behavioural issues which can affect our quality of life as pet parents, just as much as theirs. If you've ever had a cat that pees in the house or scratches the furniture then you'll know this all too well. 
  2. The second is that understanding feline body language really is a subtle art! It's a rare human that can truly 'read' cats and respond to them accordingly - and this is one of the reasons why people think that cats are unpredictable or changeable - soft and purring one moment and trying to scratch or bite the next.  
  3. And thirdly, I’ve created this course because I have had such lovely and positive feedback from my clients, peers and colleagues about my work in this area – and how genuinely helpful they have found it in building really strong relationships with the cats in their lives, and what a huge difference it's made to everyone's happiness and contentment. 


So, my aim for “Learn to Talk Cat” is that it is a fast, fun and enlightening online education Programme designed to help you learn the subtle language of cats so that you can communicate and connect with them on a much deeper level. 

Got questions? We're here to answer them...

How is the course delivered? 

This course is all online, so you can access it when and wherever you want. You will have access to the Programme for its lifetime, so you can complete it at your own pace.

The Programme is delivered via webinars from Sarah, including multiple images and video, as well as supporting written materials for you to read.

Sarah has also created useful pdf owner guides for you to download and use with clients… she’s written them, so you don’t have to!

 

What will you gain from this course?

This Programme is not intended to make you into a feline behaviour specialist in just 12 lessons (!). However, it is designed to give you useful skills in recognising what cats need to be happy and emotionally healthy – and if you are a behaviour specialist or trainer who is more used to helping dogs and their people than cats, then I can guarantee that you will be fascinated, and (I hope) somewhat in awe of their behaviour having learned a bit more about their ethology and their needs.

What people are saying about Learn To Talk Cat

This course is a must...

Elizabeth Blatchford

This course is a must for all cat owners and all those working with cats. It gives a much greater understanding of what our cats are telling us, whether they are happy and being friendly, or feeling stressed and looking for an escape. Comprehensive coverage of the subtleties of cat communication is given in detail rarely, if ever, found elsewhere. Eyes, ears, whiskers, tail, mouth, head and body posture are each focussed on separately, before looking at the overall behaviour in its context. A fascinating section of purring is also included, which, although being one of cats’ most endearing behaviours, is often overlooked. How cats live naturally, their physical and emotional needs and their limited sociability is covered, explaining why cats do what they do and giving context for their behaviours and communications. Scientific references are given throughout, allowing as much in-depth follow up reading as you may wish for.