Hello! I’m Julie, the Cat Teacher

That’s Jones with me (Julie Posluns). Together, we make cat training fun and doable, with tutorials, tools, and tips that work for every cat.

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Julie Posluns smiling while sitting on outdoor steps with a black cat on her shoulder. The cat is wearing a collar and harness, and the background includes a metal railing, a brick wall, and glass doors.
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Cartoon illustration of a black cat's face with violet and blue eyes, pointy ears, and gray accents on the cheeks and collar.

Our Story, so Far

Julie Posluns, holding a blue leash attached to a black cat with a harness. They are outside on a paved area near a brick building, with a bench and autumn-colored foliage and trees around.

Becoming an animal behaviorist

Like many people who become professional pet trainers, my learning journey started with a “special” dog, who became my teacher. Tyson, a puggle, entered my life in 2004 and developed significant behavioral issues – lunging at children, biting skateboarders and fighting with other dogs. Each day, it became increasingly challenging to walk him in our busy downtown neighborhood. In a desperate search to find ways to burn his energy and improve his behavior, I stumbled upon clicker training, which I used to teach Tyson to be calm around his triggers.

Clicker training Tyson sparked my interest in a career in the pet industry, and I honed my skills by working as a professional dog walker and dog trainer at a local training school.

Driven by a passion to deepen my knowledge in animal behavior, I returned to school and earned a Master of Science in Cognitive and Behavioral Ecology from Memorial University in Newfoundland. I then became an Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (ACAAB).

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Then came Jones

Black cat walking on a catwalk in a house, with a person partially visible on the left side of the image.

A little black kitten who showed up at my doorstep sent me on a new path. Jones boldly explored the house, befriending our antagonistic dogs and our upstairs cat. Before long, Jones was following around his two canine companions, busting into their training sessions and stealing their treats. Although I had planned to foster Jones and find him a new home, I changed my mind; I was having too much fun clicker-training him.

Clicker training cats

When I saw Jones eagerly participating in our trick training, I was amazed by what a motivated and quick learner he was. Curious to see if this was just a Jones thing, I repeated this experiment with my other cat, Mackenzie, and she was equally enthusiastic. She became bolder and more confident, even in socializing with our dogs.

Once I saw what an enriching and beneficial activity clicker training was for my cats, I decided to create Cat School.

Woman sitting cross-legged on the floor between kitchen cabinets with her arms resting on the cabinets. A black cat is perched on the counter behind her. The woman is smiling and wearing a gray t-shirt, khaki pants, and white sneakers.
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The journey never ends. Join Us!

Julie Posluns training a black cat indoors, with a tablet, a laptop, and a smartphone displaying educational content from the Cat School about cat training in the background.

Cat School is built on a foundation that every indoor cat deserves to live an enriched life while at the same time becoming confident and comfortable with life events such as vet visits and moving. I became an animal behaviorist to share the most progressive science-based methods to improve the welfare of all animals.

Thousands of students have learned from our clicker training lessons and proven that cats are trainable and love the enrichment and activity that training provides. We can’t wait to see you show off all the skills and tricks your cat learns at Cat School. Happy Training!

Julie Posluns playing with a black cat that is jumping through a makeshift agility course in a home, with the text 'School Supplies List' at the top and 'Everything you need to train your cat' at the bottom.

    Get ready for school!

    Sign up to receive your cat’s school supplies list, which includes all the necessities for beginning your cat training journey.