About Laurelyn...

My name is Laurelyn, and, basically, I speak "cat".  Although a Spanish teacher early in my career, I've actually spent half of my entire life learning about, and working directly with, felines.  Over a decade of that time, I served as a manager at my local animal shelter, fostered hundreds of cats and kittens (many of whom were feral/under-socialized) and conducted many behavior interventions with shelter cats who were labeled "Unadoptable".  Since then, I have become adept at handling a variety of special cat needs, including those requiring medication and those with a history of aggression.  

My official position at the Norfolk Animal Care Center was Volunteer Manager, but after seeing so many cats being turned in to the shelter by frustrated owners, I began dreaming of finding a way to help humans understand and love their cats more.  That's when it hit me...understanding cats was a lot like understanding a foreign language.  And many cat owners don't understand their cat's "language"! 

I quickly developed a passion for cats and became known as the "shelter cat therapist".  I spent countless hours before and after the workday, reading/studying about animal/feline behavior, caring for my "office cats", and caring for foster cats and kittens.  I loved the challenge of figuring out what made individual cats less stressed, and what intervention(s) were effective at reducing, or eliminating that stress.  

I strove to provide that positive reinforcement for them (and trained the shelter volunteers on how to do so, too).  These intensive behavior interventions ultimately led to those "unadoptable" cats showing their true loving, playful and adoptable selves...and getting adopted!  It was the most rewarding thing I had ever experienced...having an impact on saving cats' lives through simply developing and nurturing a positive mutual relationship.  

Understanding cat body language and mannerisms is my forte.  It not only helps me help YOU figure out how to end problem behaviors in your beloved feline friend (hello, chair-that's-been-reupholstered twice!), but it's also how I can guarantee exceptionally compassionate, detail-oriented care for your cat when you're away.