Who Are the Cat Writers’ Association: Joey Lusvardi

By Mollie Hunt

Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? is a series of interviews with CWA members, but not your usual who, what, and where discussion. I like to ask a different set of questions and am always amazed by the answers. I hope you are too.

Our guest today on Who are the Cat Writers’ Association? is Joey Lusvardi. About Joey: I’m an IAABC-certified cat behavior consultant and run a cat behavior and training business called Class Act Cats. Basically, I spend all day being a shill for Big Scratching Post and telling people they need to stop using a spray bottle on their cats. I have a day job as a psychiatric physician assistant, but I prefer my work with cats if I’m being honest. I live in Minneapolis, MN, with my two feline overlords, Poutine and Prozac.

Part 1:

About My Craft:

I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I never really got into it until I started my cat business. I figured starting a blog to share cat behavior advice to complement my business was a good idea and would be fun. I wrote a couple blog posts that, looking back on it, were absolutely atrocious. I never really committed to it until I decided to write a blog on gay cats. No, that was not a typo. For a while, I had the top result on Google for most similar search terms. As soon as I started actually seeing people visit my website, I began writing more because it felt less like I was putting effort into something that would never be viewed again.

Cat behavior is such a broad area that I sometimes get to dabble in other interests such as mental health, crafting, and history related to cats. I particularly enjoy writing about cat products because it allows me to share some of the cool stuff I come across without annoying my friends, family, and social media followers.

How Cats Inspire My Creativity:

Unfortunately, the event that really pushed me to begin taking writing more seriously was losing my soul mate cat, Zoloft, in 2023. I felt like all the light in the universe was extinguished, and I couldn’t process my emotions, so I began writing to organize my thoughts. I also figured maybe it would help others feel better if they were struggling.

There was a point where all I could do was write and cry. The good thing about writing is you can both write AND cry at the same time, so I managed to write a lot. It helped me feel connected to Zoloft when I shared stories, photos, and the lessons he taught me about cats in a way that was productive. It didn’t fix my grief, but it gave it someplace to live that was outside my head.

I’ve gotten multiple emails from people who said my blogs on grief really helped them feel not quite as alone when they’d lost their cats. I find it incredibly meaningful as it feels like Zoloft is still making the world a better place. I miss him so incredibly much, but I get to share his story with the world. He’ll always be the fire that fuels me.

What I Enjoy About Belonging to CWA:

I have learned so much about the many different ways people can incorporate cats into their writing and art. Obviously, I know there are people who write about cat health, behavior, nutrition, and similar topics, but holy heck. Some of the things people write about are not at all things I’d think to write about. Cat murder mysteries? Sign me up because that is awesome.

It’s also really neat seeing some of the journalists and writers I’ve connected with getting their work recognized. There are so many really talented writers putting in a lot of hard work to get good information about cats and cat behavior out there. It was really fun seeing a few names I recognized as Muse Medallion winners! 

I almost submitted my tribute to Zoloft for last year’s contest, but I couldn’t stand the thought of it being judged because it felt like he was being judged. I absolutely know that isn’t what happens, but grief does some weird things, and I couldn’t get over that thought, so I chickened out. Maybe I’ll try again for next year’s contest with something fresh.

Part 2: 

Mollie: What crosses your mind when someone tells you they don’t like cats?

Joey: A combination of confusion and being really bummed. Cats are so cool, and the bond you can develop with a cat is something that can’t quite be replicated. It’s too bad they’re missing out on all the joy we cat folks get to experience. There’s nothing quite like seeing how excited a cat you’ve bonded with gets when you return home.

Mollie: How would you identify your cat in a lineup?

Joey: Poutine would not stay in the lineup. He’d be rubbing against me, “singing” loudly, and trying to make friends with the other cats. Prozac has very expressive legs (yes, expressive legs are a thing) and usually looks mildly concerned. I’d look for the cat showing off his legs who looks like you haven’t texted him back for a few days.

Mollie: What’s the most valuable piece of cat behavior advice you have?

Joey: Work with your cat rather than trying to stop your cat from doing a behavior, using deterrents, or forcing them to do something. Find a way to help them slowly get used to something new, and focus on what you want them to do rather than what you don’t want them to do. You’ll put in less effort and be less frustrated in the long run working with them than constantly trying to startle or scare them.

Please give us the names and short descriptions of your cats.

I have two Siamese mixed dudes, affectionately referred to as The Dudes. Prozac is my flame point guy. For a cat named after an anxiety medication, he’s got a lot of anxiety. He’s got the world’s most perfect paws and is extremely sweet, though. Poutine is my lynx point dude. He’s got the characteristic Siamese chattiness, but he’s very sweet and very fun, so I keep him around.

You can find Joey Lusvardi and learn more cat behavior on his Class Act Cats Blog.

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