Meet Lucia Fernandes

Certified Feline Behavior & Environmental Enrichment Specialist

Hi, I’m Lucia Fernandes.

I help cat guardians understand their cats beyond labels like “difficult,” “independent,” or “misbehaving” and instead learn how behavior reflects emotional and environmental context.

My work is grounded in the belief that every behavior is communication, and that lasting change happens when cats feel safe, understood, and supported within their environment.

How I Came to This Work

My path into feline behavior didn’t begin with a single certification, it began with living alongside cats whose needs were often misunderstood.

Over the years, I’ve shared my life with rescue cats, former strays, and cats who struggled silently with stress, fear, and sensory overload. Some sought constant closeness. Others kept their distance. Many appeared “fine” on the surface, while quietly coping with environments that didn’t feel predictable or emotionally safe.

Those experiences taught me something fundamental:

calm behavior doesn’t always mean comfort and quiet cats are not always relaxed cats.

That understanding shaped the way I observe, study, and support feline behavior today.

My Professional Approach

I am a certified Feline Behavior and Environmental Enrichment Specialist, with additional training in feline nutrition, stress management, and sensory-based regulation.

My work combines:

• Evidence-based feline behavioral science

• Environmental and routine-based enrichment

• Emotional regulation strategies (not suppression)

• A deep respect for each cat’s individual thresholds and coping style

I don’t believe in quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions.

Instead, I help guardians learn how to read subtle signals, adjust context, and create environments that allow cats to feel secure enough to relax, explore, and engage.

What I Help With

I commonly support guardians navigating:

• Chronic or subtle anxiety and stress patterns

• Litter box avoidance and elimination issues

• Fear-based or overstimulation-driven aggression

• Scratching, withdrawal, or hypervigilance

• Behavioral changes often mistaken for “shyness” or “independence”

Rather than isolating symptoms, I look at the whole picture, emotion, environment, routine, sensory input, and communication.

Life with My Cats

I currently share my life with several rescue cats, each with their own personalities, histories, and challenges.

Some are affectionate and expressive. Others remain cautious and reserved. I also support feral cat colonies, offering care and stability to cats who may never fully trust humans — yet still deserve safety, dignity, and kindness.

Living with cats in different emotional states continues to shape my work every day. It keeps my approach grounded, realistic, and compassionate.

Peewee

Gadu

Pepe

Nina

Silvestre

Bruce & Blizzard

Why This Matters to Me

Why I Do This

Many cats live for years in quiet distress.

They eat.

They sleep.

They don’t “cause problems.”

And yet, they are constantly adapting to environments that feel overwhelming, inconsistent, or emotionally unsafe.

Better Cat Behavior exists to give language to those silent experiences and to help guardians recognize early signs of stress before they escalate into visible behavior issues.

Because education is prevention.

And understanding is intervention.

Where to Go Next

If you’d like to explore this approach further, you may find these pages helpful:

• Cat Behavior 101 — understanding behavior as communication

• Behavior Stories — real cases and context-based transformations

• My Credentials — professional training and certifications

If you’re unsure what your cat’s behavior is trying to communicate, you’re not imagining it and you don’t have to navigate it alone.