Cats Episodes

Moving cross-country with pets is not the same as taking your dog for a quick ride around town. In this episode of The Pet Parent Hotline, Amy shares the practical lessons she learned from a 2,200-mile move with one other adult and six pets. This is not a perfect travel checklist or a generic pet travel episode. It is the real-life stuff that matters when you’re on the road for days, juggling multiple animals, an RV, a car, overnight stops, messes, medication timing, and pets who are complete...

Most people who find tiny kittens think the shelter is the safest place to take them. But when kittens are newborns or bottle babies, the shelter may not have the staff, fosters, supplies, or overnight care needed to keep them alive. In this episode of The Pet Parent Hotline, Amy talks with Deborah Felin-Magaldi of Helen Sanders CatPAWS about what really happens during kitten season when neonatal kittens enter an already overwhelmed shelter system. This conversation picks up after the “wait a...

If your cat is biting, swatting, attacking another cat, or suddenly having litter box issues, it may not be happening out of nowhere. In many cases, cats show warning signs long before things escalate. In this episode, certified cat behavior consultant Marilyn Krieger joins me to break down the real causes of cat aggression, what different aggressive behaviors can mean, and how to spot the subtle signals that your cat is stressed, overstimulated, fearful, or reacting to conflict in the home. We ...

Bringing home a new cat and hoping your pets will just figure it out? That’s one of the fastest ways to create tension, hissing, and fights. A lot of cat introductions fail before they even start, and a bad first impression can take weeks or months to undo. In this episode, we walk through what your cats are reacting to, how to set up your home before they ever meet, and the step-by-step process for introducing them the right way. If you’ve been guessing, rushing, or hoping for the best, this wi...

Stop Buying Useless Pet Care Supplies. Here’s What You Actually Need. Most “must-have" pet care supply lists focus on gimmicks and generic basics, missing the pet-care essentials that actually make daily life easier and safer. You probably have the basics for pet care, like bowls and a bed, but in this episode, Amy Castro and Bev Brooks share 10 rescue-tested pet essentials they can’t live without, five dog essentials and five cat essentials, plus a few bonus items pulled from decades o...

Understanding cat litter box issues is one of the top problems cat owners face. You think your litter box setup is fine, yet your cat is still peeing on the bath mat or worse, on your bed! In this episode, I share expert pet advice and reveal the six “everybody knows” rules cat parents accidentally break and how small, practical changes in cat care can stop cat anxiety and outside-the-box accidents for good. You’ll learn why health issues always come first, what “clean” really means to a cat, h...

That friendly, purring shelter cat you fell in love with can sometimes turn into a ghost or even a hissy ball of nerves the moment you get them home. It’s not rejection. It’s survival mode. And how you handle those first few days sets the tone for your entire relationship. Even if you don't have a cat, many aspects of these steps toward acclimating a new pet to your home would apply to dogs, birds, and other species of pets to reduce stress and make their transition easier on them. In this epis...

Heartworm Truths Every Pet Owner Needs to Hear with Dr. Zoo Think skipping heartworm prevention just this once is no big deal? It only takes one mosquito bite to change your pet’s life forever. Heartworm disease is slow, painful, and completely preventable—yet pets still die from it every year. In this episode, Dr. Zoo shares two cases that prove why you can’t take the risk: a two-year-old German Shepherd in kidney failure after his owners stopped prevention, and a rescue terrier whose heart ...

Think hairballs are just a normal part of life with cats? Think again. If your cat is coughing up hairballs weekly or even monthly, it’s not just gross—it’s a red flag. Frequent hairballs can point to stress, food allergies, digestive issues, or even chronic illness. In this episode, I talk with veterinarian Dr. Linda Atkins about what really causes hairballs, when to be concerned, and cat care hacks to help your cat stay healthy from the inside out. BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DIS...

Do you think your pet “loves” something, but they’re actually just stressed, overwhelmed, or trying to cope? Many pet parenting problems start when we judge animal behavior through a human lens and miss what our pets are trying to tell us. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Rachel Malamed, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (veterinary psychiatrist), to talk about what pets actually need to feel safe, balanced, and mentally healthy in a human home. We get into enrichment that matters (not...