Episodes

I'm currently fostering two cats - one medical and one behavior - and it inspired me to talk again about fostering. Is it for you? Do you have time? What might the challenges be? What's in it for you? I finished recording and realized I hadn't talked about fostering nursing moms! That's a huge demographic of cats in need of a foster home - and they're so easy! Mom does all the work. You get to play with the kittens and mom does all the feeding. I'm sorry I forgot to include that in the episode!

A listener, Denise Catoni, emailed me with a podcast topic, Chylothorax in Cats. I'd never heard of the medical condition before! She told me about losing her cat to this rare disease and I invited her to the show to talk about her journey.

Karen W. sent in another request for us to talk about some of the pros and cons of feeding cats a raw food diet. There are many more than we covered in this episode, but it is a good place to start if you're considering converting to a raw food diet.

Listeners always have the best questions! And when heard in their own voice, is even better! We added a feature to www.cattalkradio.com where you can record and submit questions. We don't get a lot of them, so I've collected them and answered the questions in this podcast. Please submit more, I think this is a really good format!

If you’ve listened to any of our enrichment episodes, you know how important it is to find ways to connect your cat with you and nature. Connecting with nature boosts their physical and mental well being. Our indoor spaces should allow our cats to mimic their natural behaviors. How do we ensure our cats are thriving indoors? Two very special ladies are with us on this podcast to share some great ideas!

You might remember the episode we did on cat litter that ended with me saying I hadn't found the perfect one yet. After that, I set out to test a bunch of different litters for their clumping ability, odor control, dust factor, renewable source, biodegradability, and cat preference. In that process, I found IT - truly the best litter I could hope for. Join me in this podcast as we talk about why Smart Cat grass rules.

Why do cats do things we don't like? What triggers those behaviors and how do we encourage different behaviors? What are some of the effective disciplinary actions you can use on a cat?

Lots of unique questions in this episode! Molly answers everything from, Should I continue to make my cat go outside for walks if he's scared? to Which is better; leaving my indoor/outdoor cat with the new home owner or taking him with me?

Finally, a dental product for cats that really works! Tune in to learn about TEEF for Life, the new product that uses patented technology to combine the fundamentals of microbiology and molecular nutrition to improve the oral microbiome in a safer, revolutionary way. Watch the palatability test on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/ExpkwJfmITE

Fatty liver syndrome is a potentially fatal condition for your cat. It is caused primarily by your cat not eating - which is typically a response to an underlying medical issue. Tune in to find out how long your cat can go without eating before the liver is damaged (the answer might surprise you), what treatments are, and what you can do to help prevent it.

We can't plan for emergencies, but when they happen, we want to be prepared. Molly talks about the first aid kit she has with 20 items to help in the unfortunate possibility of encountering an injured feline. It could be your cat at home has an accident, or you run across a cat in need in your daily travels - it never hurts to be ready to help.

A listener asked about using Feng Shui for cats - so why not?! We talk about the 5 Feng Shui principles and how we can apply those to your environment to help reduce stress and increase harmony, balance and well-being.

We've talked about what to feed your cat but haven't really covered all the nuances of HOW to feed your cat. Several listeners' questions inspired me to talk about bowls, frequency, quantity, handling leftovers and more.

Do cats need vitamin D? Is it true that cats secrete oils into their fur that interacts with the sunlight to produce vitamin D, which they ingest when they lick it off their coat? How much vitamin D do cats need? How much is too much or little, and what happens when your cat has a vitamin D deficiency? Does vitamin D cause or prevent cancer in cats?

We have some great questions on this episode! A listener from Sweden sends in many questions about separation anxiety and bonding with a cat. Another listener asks about the different types of pheromone products.

Ever wonder why your cat purrs or all the meanings of the purr - or even how your cat is physically able to purr? This episode answers all your questions about cat purring.

So many cat owners put up with behavior problems that could have been prevented with the right knowledge and early intervention. It takes a lot longer to break a bad habit than it does to form one. And once a behavior happens for a prolonged period of time, the habit is activated in memory and considered automatic - neural circuits perform the habit without conscious thought. In other words, your cat may not be choosing to avoid the litter box any more - eliminating outside the box is an automat...

Are you a dog, or cat person? I have to assume cat person, since you're tuning into this show. Do you ever feel at odds with the dog people? Are you married to one? I interviewed James McCay from Compare the Market to talk about a survey his company recently published. It examines pet ownership in America, Canada, and Australia. To view additional data, learn more about the survey and see how the USA compares to other countries such as Australia and Canada, visit: https://www.comparethemarket.co...

Senior cats, those seven years and older, require a different diet than younger cats. With the right nutrition, cats can live long, healthy, happy lives. Tune in to find out what you should be looking for in your senior cat's food.

We've had several listeners write in asking that we do an episode on Pica, which is the condition where cats eat non-food items. Plastic bags, ribbons, cords, and hard plastic items are the most common objects pica cats are attracted to. Joining us on this podcast is Dr. Brian Hurley, with AmeriVet Veterinary Partners, to talk about the medical side of this behavior.

Transitioning your cat from a mostly dry/kibble, to a moist/canned diet, can be daunting. A lot of cats become addicted to kibble and refuse to eat wet food. The advice to add canned food to the kibble is not the answer. Tune in to learn how to make this transition for your cat - and WHY you could be doing this.

Nathan's mom, Jeannine, reached out to me to let me know her son is obsessed with cats - especially their history. I decided you might want to meet him and hear some of the fascinating cat information he's learned. This 12-year-old is very well spoken and might give Jackson Galaxy a run! Hop on over to our YouTube channel to watch this interview: https://youtu.be/WSuLZEcXvq4

One of our listeners, Teague, sent in seven very thoughtful questions about adolescence in cats. This is a crucial period for your cat, as the kitten social development period is, that can dictate their personality as an adult. Learn when adolescence is, the behaviors to expect, and the best way to mitigate behavior issues during this time.

Francesco Marciuliano is author of the #1 New York Times Bestselling Book I Could Pee on This. Francesco, known for his tongue-in-cheek poetry, helps cats put paw to keyboard to express the depth of their feline feelings. His newest book, Oh. It's You., uses the language of poetry to express cat affection nearly as well as a strategically-placed hairball. Join us and hear Francesco read a few of the poems from the book and talk about his own cats, Kiki and Leelo.