Cat Chat®
Brought to you by Dr. Elsey's

icon of cat image in the shape of heart with tail finishing the heart shape Tracie Hotchner the Radio Pet Lady

CAT CHAT ® was Tracie’s own weekly, live call-in show on the Martha Stewart channel of Sirius-XM for 7 years – until the channel was canceled. Since 2015 it has been a weekly podcast carrying on her mission to educate and inspire cat lovers to optimize their relationship with their kitty cats by giving them the best possible nutrition and environmental enrichment.

Tracie’s frequent co-host is Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado of Feline Minds Cat Behavior Consulting and author of the new book Play With Your Cat! the Essential Guide to Interactive Play for a Happier, Healthier Feline.

Sponsored By:
Dr. Elsey’s, who developed America’s #1 kitty litter and also created a healthy dry and canned food for kitties called cleanprotein™ inspired by a cat’s natural prey.

 

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Is Your Kitty a Good Retriever?

#201: Jemma Forman did a study in England on cats who fetch and made some surprising discoveries.

"Single Kitten Syndrome"

#200: Mikel Maria Delgado (author of "Play With Your Cat!") discusses the importance of play for kittens, especially up to four months of age. Is it best to have two kittens to burn off their limitless energy with each other — instead of letting them chase and bite your toes?!

Cats are the Great Secret Keepers

#199: Dr. Tracey Deiss is a "cat-vocate," and as part of the Zoetis professional team she is enthusiastic about the new anti-anxiety medication for cats called Bonqat — which relieves stress and anxiety for cats, especially when going for a visit to the veterinarian.

Cat Crafting — Turn a Cardboard Box into a Kitty Playland

#198: Cats love boxes to play and hide in. Dr Mikel Maria Delgado talks about the ecological and financial benefits of repurposing a simple box into a highly desirable cat hangout.

Say what?! Your cat peed WHERE?!

#197: Luke Hollenbeck is a cat interpreter, helping people understand why cats pee on their pillow, in their shoes or in their laps! Cats don't need privacy to eliminate, they need safety.

How to Hack Your Old Cat Tree

#196: Mikel Maria Delgado talks about the importance of vertical space and how a cat tree is central to a cat’s need to feel safe - but just like in real estate remember what matters: location, location, location.

Your Cat is NOT Being a Jerk!

#195: Luke Hollenbeck, a certified behaviorist with the Animal Behavior Wellness Center in Washington D.C., wants to help people find connection with their cats and the problem with negative vocabulary being thrown around about cats — which was evident in the Washington Post headline story "Your Cat Isn't Being a Jerk,” for which he was interviewed.

Walk It Back — Reintroducing Cats for a Happy Outcome

#194: Rachel Geller's free non-profit cat behavior consultancy All Cats, All the Time helps with issues like reintroducing kitties who got off on the wrong foot — walk it back to the beginning, starting with putting the newcomer in "the sanctuary room."

Mr. Jones Has Cancer But Sally Can Handle It

#193: Sally Williams started the Brodie Fund to help pay for pets' cancer treatments, then she created Mission Meow. When her own kitty Mr. Jones was diagnosed with cancer, rather than despair she decided to view treatment as “the gift of time.”

A Diabetes Drug That Should Come with a Warning

#192: Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins talks about a new drug that has just come out for cats with diabetes. It concerns her for many reasons: it is only partially effective, it has side effects serious enough to warrant an FDA "black box warning" (like those cigarette packs), plus it is very expensive. She and Tracie urge everyone to avoid creating diabetes in their cats by avoiding "kitty crack" — any dry food — and to feed their obligate carnivore only wet food.