Become a Certified Cat Trainer
Can you train a cat? A certified cat trainer can! If you are unsure and are looking for validation to embark on a career in cat behavior training, consider how many feline lives you could save by becoming a cat behaviorist.
According to The Zebra, 3.2 million cats find themselves in a shelter every year whether they are born in a shelter, surrendered or abandoned. As a result of abandonment, on average, there are approximately 30 to 40 million stray, feral, uncared-for cats in the United States. Interestingly enough, on average, people adopt stray cats more often than they adopt stray dogs and frequently adopted pets come with plenty of behavioral issues.
By becoming a feline behaviorist, you can help frustrated cat parents learn how to correct, modify and manage problem behaviors which otherwise might have caused them to surrender their cats to shelters all because they did not know what else to do!
Need more reasons to become a certified cat trainer? Look at the numbers. Did you know there are more pet cats in the U.S. than there are dogs? As of 2018, there were 94.2 million pet cats and 89.7 million pet dogs in the U.S.1 Given these numbers, attending a cat training school now could put you on the cutting edge of this growing animal care profession.
Since 42% of all dog owners are also cat owners, you may be able to offer new services to your existing client base.
Why You Should Become a Cat Trainer Today
ABC has been in the animal career training industry for decades. We recognize the current trend in the feline industry can represent employment opportunities for people who want to pursue a career in cat training.
The industry data we gathered clearly shows that the money pet owners are spending on their cats continues to increase consistently.The 2013-2014 APPA National Pet Owners Survey states:
- Cat owners using a training method/trainer has trended upwards from 19% in 2008 to 24% in 2014 (25% increase)
- The percentage of cats with health insurance increased from 1% in 2008 to 4% in 2014 (300% increase)
- The percentage of cat owners who use pet services (such as pet sitting services at home, kenneling, pet hotels, etc.) increased from 69% in 2008 to 82% in 2014 (18% increase)
These statistics indicate more and more pet owners are spending their discretionary income on their cats. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for animal training services is projected to increase by 11% from 2014 to 2024.2 Given that there are more pet cats than pet dogs in the United States, this is very exciting.
Further evidence of cats and cat training career opportunities is the popularity of the TV show “My Cat From Hell” starring cat trainer Jackson Galaxy, which is the 8th best animal show on TV, according to TVGuide.com.
Where Cat Trainers Can Work
As a cat trainer, you may have the opportunity to work at a variety of locations, such as:
- Animal shelters
- Established cat training organizations
- Pet retail stores
- Cat sitters
- Veterinary hospitals
- Your own business
Please note that no school can offer any type of guarantee as to whether a graduate will find employment. Animal Behavior College makes no promises or guarantees about employment.
Add Cat Training Services to Your Current Business
If you’re a dog trainer, groomer, pet sitter or dog walker, standing out from the competition could be very beneficial for you. Offering cat training services can help you achieve that goal. Since 42% of all dog owners are also cat owners, you may be able to offer new services to your existing client base. In addition to being able to offer more services to your clients, you will be able to boast your services in your online marketing presence which will allow even more people who are searching for phrases like “cat behavior training near me”, “cat trainer near me”, and other valuable marketing terms to find your business. The possibilities are endless!
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