Las Vegas feline expert offers ‘cat whispering’ expertise, counseling

A certified pet grief counselor, Rebecca Zisch provides many cat-centric services

LAS VEGAS – While dog owners far and wide have had the opportunity to learn why dogs do what they do – and how to change unwanted behaviors – thanks to the “Dog Whisperer,” cats, for the most part, remain a mystery.

Luckily for Las Vegas owners of challenging cats, feline behavior expert Rebecca Zisch understands what makes cats tick and how to correct undesirable traits.

Clark County’s own “Caesar Millan of cats,” Zisch established Friends Forever Counseling in 2012. She is also one of the only providers of certified pet grief counseling in the region.

Zisch’s lifelong passion for animals led her to pursue a career in the field of veterinary medicine. As a licensed veterinary technician, she brings extensive training and knowledge to her counseling practice and offers grief counseling and animal adoption counseling in addition to her pet behavior sessions. She relishes the opportunity to change people’s minds when they are under the misconception that cats are not trainable.

From her experiences in rescuing, fostering and adopting cats, Zisch knows intimately just how many animals are surrendered to shelters by owners frustrated by correctable behaviors. Using proven techniques to help multiple cats coexist peacefully and cease undesirable behaviors such as scratching furniture, biting, incessant meowing, overeating and more, Zisch helps repair and preserve the relationship between feline and human housemates.

During her veterinary technician training, she also encountered many heartbroken pet owners struggling under the weight of the seemingly insurmountable loss of their beloved pets. These encounters opened Zisch’s eyes to the lack of grief counseling assistance available to people whose lives are intertwined with their cherished pets. She knew that her love of both animals and people, combined with her nearly encyclopedic knowledge of feline behavior, could combine to create a much-needed resource for animal lovers at many stages in their relationships with their furry friends.

“The grieving people I met while working in a vet practice weren’t just in mourning – they were faced with family and friends who couldn’t understand why they didn’t just move on,” Zisch said. “The stages of grief are completely natural, whether you’re mourning a person or an animal. People often feel like they’re not healing or don’t know how. I wanted to help people who felt misunderstood and alone during such a horrible time.”

In addition, her pre-adoption counseling practice helps families, including those with children, select the perfect pet for their lifestyles so that all parties can live in harmony as pets find their “forever homes.”

Zisch is certified in pet grief counseling by the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement. Beyond her counseling practice, Zisch lends her boundless compassion for animals to volunteer with Homeward Bound Cat Adoption, a nonprofit no-kill cat rescue, and her kooky quips on cat behaviors to the popular “Meowster Podcast,” co-hosted by Las Vegas voiceover artist Tim Black.

Friends Forever Counseling serves three primary market segments: behavioral training for cats, pet adoption counseling and grief counseling for people struggling after the loss of beloved pets.

For more information or a free initial consultation, visit friendsforevercounseling.com or call 702-371-6205.