Bored Panda got in touch with Cat Behavior Consultant Joey Lusvardi from Classactcats.com and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions. First and foremost, we wanted to hear a cat specialist’s take on why cat content has been and is so pervasive on the internet.“In general, why do you think cat Cats are very easy to get great content from without much effort? Even them doing basic things necessary for survival like sleeping, walking, or eating is cute to watch. 

“I probably have 500 pictures just of my cats sleeping because they’re just so cute that I have to share them with the world. They have a lot of adorable features like cute toes and tiny noses that tug at our heartstrings and bring joy even on a bad day. Cats are filled with whimsy and do things that seem odd or silly to us.”

“They may play with trash, nap in unusual locations, or groom themselves on the counter when you have guests over. One of my cats recently began digging in my clean laundry to pull out socks to play with. I now have socks everywhere because who am I to deny him his favorite toy? There are so many opportunities to get hilarious or cute videos of cats because they’re so fascinating,” he shared with Bored Panda. 

“Cats are very common pets with an estimated 600 million cats being kept as pets worldwide. Cat parents can often see their own cats or a special cat from their past in many of the videos or cat memes that circulate on the internet.” He absolutely right, indeed, if we really stretch our definition of meme, you can go as far back as ancient Egypt to see people’s obsession with cats. 

We also wanted to hear some common misconceptions people have about cat behavior. “Many unwanted behaviors cats do, such as climbing on counters or not using their litter box, get attributed to cats being naughty or angry with their owners. Cats aren’t spiteful creatures and oftentimes these behaviors happen because their needs aren’t being met, they’re bored, or due to a medical problem. If you don’t provide your cat with places to get out their behavioral needs, such as climbing or scratching, they’re going to end up finding a way to meet those needs.”

“Cats generally need and want more attention from us than what people think. That doesn’t mean that they want to be petted all the time or sit on your lap, but many cats will enjoy occasional physical contact on their terms or a play session with an interactive toy. You can also train your cat to do things you want if you know what you’re doing and no, it doesn’t involve a squirt bottle.”

“Squirt bottles aren’t as effective as people make them out to be and cats are very willing to work for things they like so there really isn’t a need to use them for training. Instead, focus on encouraging your cat to do what you want them to do or try clicker training with them. Cats are very sweet, affectionate creatures to humans they are familiar with and trust. You can develop a deep bond with a cat with patience and time,” Joey shared. 

We were also curious to hear how he became a cat specialist in the first place. “I grew up cat and dog sitting but always wanted either a cat or dog of my own. A few years back, I was going through a stressful part of my life but was in a place where I was able to finally get a pet. I found an older cat, who I named Zoloft, through a friend and he changed my life. We generally had an amazing relationship, but he developed some aggression toward me because I wasn’t meeting his needs and he was very stressed out.”

“His vet was very helpful and I really enjoyed working with him on his behavior. One thing she suggested, which I had done lightly but didn’t really commit to before, was clicker training him. Zoloft and I trained together for many years and we always had a blast. A friend suggested I look into working with cats professionally so I spent a lot of time doing courses on cat behavior and earning a few certifications.”

“I eventually opened a business where I help cat parents with cats with behavior problems in order to improve their relationship with their cats because it felt like there wasn’t anyone out there who could help me when I was going through it. Sadly, Zoloft passed away in August and I miss him terribly. I’ve since adopted two new dudes, Prozac and Poutine. They are very fun and are just getting to learn the magic of training. They’ll never replace the bond I had with Zoloft, but we’re working on building our own bonds and making something special together.”

Joey also left us with some parting thoughts. “Be careful when consuming cat content online. A lot of it is harmless and fun, but there is also a lot of content where the cats are clearly stressed, afraid, or not enjoying themselves. In some cases, this is done intentionally. If the cat seems upset during the video or is being forced into a situation where they’re not enjoying themselves, don’t share or like it as it encourages people to be mean to their cats for a cheap joke.”

“Cats do plenty of delightful, fun, and amusing things on their own without creating stress for them so there are plenty of great ways to laugh at their antics without needing them to spook them!” If you are interested in learning more about cat behavior and how to get the most out of your relationship with your furry friend, check out Joey’s site, Classactcats.com.