A gentle place to begin
Learn at your own pace
The PAWS Membership: short audio lessons and a community of people working through the same things.
Explore the membershipCat behaviour consulting · Canberra, Queanbeyan and online
A better life,
from their point of view.
A closer look at your cat
Work with me one-to-one
Cat behaviour consultations: a tailored assessment, practical first steps and a written plan.
Explore consultationsNot sure where to start? The free 15-minute call works it out with you, no pressure and no obligation to book. Book a free discovery call ↗
Founding places in the PAWS Membership are open now.
Find out moreWhen things feel hard
Cat driving you around the bend?
You’ve probably already tried the internet’s advice. Some of it made sense, some of it made things worse. None of it knew your cat.
Whether you’d like to learn at your own pace or have a plan built around your cat and your household, there’s a gentle place to begin.
When things feel hard
Your cat is communicating. We can learn to listen.
Litter tray issues, scratching, tension between cats, overgrooming or a cat who suddenly seems unlike themselves: these are not failures. They are information.
The PAWS Approach helps you understand what is underneath the behaviour, then make practical changes that fit your cat and your actual household. No punishment. No one-size-fits-all fixes. Just a clearer way forward.
We can also build cat skills and cooperative care, helping with carrier comfort, handling, grooming, medication preparation and vet-visit readiness. When your cat has choice and feels safe, everyday care can become more manageable for everyone.
Book a free 15-minute discovery callNo pressure. No obligation to book. In-person in the Canberra and Queanbeyan area, or online.
Predictability · Agency · Welfare · Security
The PAWS Approach
Designing life from the cat’s perspective.
There’s a lot of cat advice out there. Some of it’s fine, but a lot of it treats every cat the same. And your cat isn’t a generic cat. Everything under The PAWS Approach works from current feline behaviour research, without punishment or intimidation, designed around the cat in front of us.
That same philosophy runs through both the membership and consultations: learn the framework at your own pace, or get a plan shaped around your cat and your household.
A gentle place to begin
The PAWS Membership
Learn to understand your cat, one short lesson at a time.
Instead of scattered tips, you get a guided path of short audio lessons, each ending with one small practical action. It starts with how cats see the world, moves through the four PAWS lenses, and brings them together in practical decisions for your household.
The whole path is designed and scripted, and I’m recording and releasing it lesson by lesson. Understanding Your Cat has started, and the first cooperative care mini-courses, Brushing and Claw Trimming, are already open if you’d like to begin there. New lessons are added regularly.
Founding guardians pay $30 a month and keep that rate for as long as they remain members. Once founding places are filled, membership will be $45 a month.
- Short audio lessons. Podcast-style, ending with one small practical action.
- Guided activities. Observation logs and simple tasks to try with your cat.
- Mini-courses when you need them. Starting with Brushing and Claw Trimming, with more on the way.
- A kind community. A safe space to ask, share wins and cheer each other on.
The curriculum
Built on six parts
The four lenses spell PAWS, which was not an accident.
Understanding Your Cat
The foundation: see the world from your cat’s point of view before changing anything.
Predictability
Build routines and a home your cat can rely on.
Agency
Give your cat real choices, and notice when they’ve had enough.
Welfare
Meet physical needs without adding stress.
Security
Spot stress early and keep the household fair.
Putting PAWS Together
The capstone: use all four lenses together in real life.
The core path is released in order, so you can start at the beginning and build from there. As the membership grows, you’ll also be able to choose your own way through: follow the full journey, or head straight to what your cat needs.
See the full framework on the Membership pageA place to begin
Made for real life with cats.
- Every cat guardian, from new kitten parents to senior-cat companions. The path is designed for every life stage and released lesson by lesson.
- Special situations, such as introducing a new cat or living with more than one, as the mini-courses are released.
- Anyone who wants to do better for their cat, without guilt or judgement.
The rhythm
A little at a time.
- 01 / Join
From anywhere.
- 02 / Start
Begin with Understanding Your Cat, or open a mini-course if there’s one task you want help with now.
- 03 / Try
One small action per lesson, with the community alongside you.
- 04 / Notice
Change isn’t instant, but small wins add up, and new lessons keep arriving.
One-to-one support
A Plan With A Point Of View
Less guessing, more understanding.
1 / First we talk.
A free 15-minute chat, no pitch. I want to know if this is something I can genuinely help with, or whether you need a vet involved first. If it’s the second one, I’ll tell you.
2 / Book your consult, behaviour or skills.
A consultation can support behaviour concerns, cooperative care goals or both. You’ll receive a service agreement and an intake questionnaire so I can learn your cat’s history before we meet. Once your questionnaire is complete, an invoice is sent separately by email; full payment is required before the appointment.
3 / We have a live session.
About 90 minutes, either in person in the Canberra or Queanbeyan area, or online. We’ll go through your cat’s body language, environment and routines together.
4 / You get a written plan.
Practical phases with strategies built for your cat and household. If your vet needs to be involved, I’ll liaise with them directly.
5 / We keep going if you need to.
Follow-up sessions are optional and tailored to your cat, either ad hoc or as part of a package.
Shared trust
What people are saying
“We weren’t sure at first what was going on with Ada, the accidents around the house were out of character and we felt a bit helpless. The behaviour plan we followed made it clear that ruling out a medical cause had to come first, so a vet check was one of the very first steps. That’s exactly what turned things around, the vet found a urinary infection we wouldn’t have known to look for otherwise. After treatment, we worked through the behaviour plan to rebuild her confidence and routine around the litter box. It’s been so reassuring to have a plan that looked at the whole picture. Ada is completely back to her happy, affectionate self now, using her litter box like the pro she’s always been, and we’re so relieved and grateful for the guidance in getting her there.”
A little more sense of the cat mind.
A free place to start
Why Do Cats ‘Cat’?
Your cat isn’t being naughty or difficult. They’re running an old operating system, built for a small, solitary hunter, in a modern living room. This free guide helps make sense of everyday cat behaviour and gives you one practical thing to try. Pop your email in for the guide, and to get Penny’s new cat-behaviour posts in your inbox.
Your guide
Qualified, curious and honest about limits.
I’m a COAPE Certified Animal Behaviourist (C.C.A.B.), having completed my Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training (DipCABT-C) through COAPE International, graduating with a 94% average. I’m also a Feline Training Provisional Member of the Pet Professional Guild Australia.
I’ll always tell you what I don’t know, and bring in a vet or specialist when a case needs one.
Start with a conversation
You do not have to solve this by yourself.
Book a free 15-minute call. Tell me what has been happening, what you have tried and what you wish was different. We will work out together whether a consult is the right next step.
Don’t like using the phone? Reach out using our contact form instead.