19 Cats and Counting on Pet Life Radio (PetLifeRadio.com)

So, you’ve decided to have more than one cat. Congratulations! You’ve officially leveled up in the game of feline companionship. While single-cat life has its perks, nothing beats the chaos, comedy, and cuddles of a multi-cat household. But let’s be honest—living with multiple cats isn’t all synchronized purring and Instagram-worthy group naps. It’s also territorial tiffs, litter box logistics, and a constant battle for the best sunbeam real estate. Join Linda and Rita as they talk about living with 12 and 18 cats respectively, and how they manage to keep peace among the felines. EPISODE NOTES: Multi-Cat Households

Spring is coming up fast, and with spring comes kitten season. With rescues and shelters already overpopulated, what is the answer? Preventing those kittens from being born in the first place. Join Linda and Rita as they talk with Brianna Lovell Myers, Director of United Spay Alliance and their Fix By Five initiative. Find out how United Spay Alliance is helping to make spay/neuter more accessible and affordable by training veterinarians on the latest and most efficient cost-saving techniques. As quoted on their website: "Spaying or neutering a cat or dog is one of the most important actions any of us can take to prevent animal suffering, cruelty, and neglect. United Spay Alliance strives to make affordable, accessible, and timely spay/neuter services available nationwide. We do this by working with a national network of state and local spay/neuter referral organizations, by carrying out research, education, and public outreach initiatives, and by advocating for strong public policy on spay/neuter." EPISODE NOTES: Spay/Neuter Saves Lives

There’s no doubt that raw food for our cats and dogs has arguably been the number one choice, touted by veterinarians and pet experts alike. Closer to what cats and dogs would eat in nature, the benefits of feeding raw range from improved appetite, weight management, and healthier skin and coats. However, our love of the raw diet has now been tarnished. H5N1, aka Bird Flu, has been found in numerous raw meals, causing illness and even death in a few cases. The FDA is demanding better control over the manufacture of raw pet foods, while the AVMA says “Feline susceptibility to H5N1 is a cause for vigilance.” Steve Dale is here to help us understand what is happening in the pet food industry: is raw food still a good choice for our cats, or do we go back to traditional cooked meals for our cats? Let’s find out… EPISODE NOTES: Feeding Fears: Bird Flu and the Raw Diet Debate

Have you ever considered doing TNR (Trap Neuter Return) or maybe fostering some cats while they wait for their furr-ever homes? There are many well-known people in the world of TNR and fostering, like Sterling Davis the Trap King and Kitten Lady Hannah Shaw. They commit their days to these tasks, and we are thankful for them. But what if you want to help, but you can't commit to helping full time? Or you don’t have resources? Rita and Linda are joined by Rachel Comte, who decided to help when and where she can. She's here with Rita and Linda to discuss how she is helping by doing some part time TNR and fostering and making a big impact in her neighborhood. EPISODE NOTES: Rachel Comte - TNR and Fostering

From the minute we bring a tiny kitten into our homes, we know our days with them are numbered. Their lives are so much shorter than ours and someday, we will all face that moment of decision: should I keep treating my sick cat, or should I let him go? Is he happy or is he suffering? If kitty is very sick and we know he’s at end of life, do we let nature take its course at home or do we help with euthanasia? How do we know when it's time to help? We are so thankful Dr. Jeff Feinman is back to talk to us about this difficult decision and what we can do now, to help our cats live as long as possible and to be aware of the changes we may not notice. EPISODE NOTES: Dr. Jeff Feinman - End of Life Decisions

They say cats have 9 lives, but what if we could give them 10? Many areas of the country struggle with an overabundance of community cats, causing issues for the residents. In 2013, the live release rate for cats in shelters in Cincinnati, Ohio was only 37%. That means, a whopping 63% of cats didn’t survive the shelter system. That one statistic was the cat-alyst for creating the Give Them Ten movement. We are honored to have Deborah Cribbs, the founder and leader of the Give Them Ten movement, as our guest. Listen in to find out how they turned that live release rate of 37% in 2013 to the current live release rate of 96%! WOW that’s a staggering improvement! If you LOVE cats and want to improve the lives and health of cats, this episode is for you. If you HATE cats and want to reduce the population of those community cats in your neighborhood ... this episode is for you! Together, we can be the solution. EPISODE NOTES: Give Them Ten!

Most often, when we get a new kitten, they have been weaned from their momma and are ready for their new home. But what if you find a kitten who is abandoned and not yet old enough to be weaned? What do they need? How often should they be fed? When do we visit the vet? Dr. Kelly Cairns is back to help us unpack this situation so we can be prepared to give foundling kittens their best possible start in life. Dr. Kelly is VP of medical excellence and education for over 400 hospitals in the Thrive Pet Healthcare family and is a regular guest on 19 Cats and Counting. EPISODE NOTES: Dr. Kelly Cairns - Found Kittens

Pandora Syndrome can cause many health issues in our cats and comes from anxiety. Dr. Jeff Feinman is here to tell us more about Pandora Syndrome, what is it, how it affects our cats, and what we can do to help cats who have it. Join us to learn more about the issues it causes and how you can help your kitty to lessen their likelihood of suffering from this common ailment. Dr. Jeff Feinman holds degrees in veterinary medicine and molecular biology. He is also a holistic veterinarian. EPISODE NOTES: Dr. Jeff Feinman - Pandora Syndrome

Michael Herbert took one of his cats to the vet. After coming home, aggression immediately started between his cats. They always got along before, what happened? He was shocked to learn about Feline Non-Recognition Aggression, which happens when a cat’s scent has changed due to a vet visit, grooming, or boarding visit, or other such time when the cats lived apart. Why hadn't his veterinarian warned him about this possibility when one of his cats had to stay at the animal hospital for treatment? Michael and Dr. Rachel Geller, join Rita and Linda to discuss what this phenomenon is and what we can do to avoid it. This is something that is just now being understood and talked about in the cat community. We feel that ALL cat parents need to know about Feline Non-Recognition Aggression and the best ways to prevent it from happening to your cats. EPISODE NOTES: Non-Recognition Feline Aggression

Does this sound familiar? Your cat is doing something super adorable. You grab your camera and snap a picture, but the photo never does your feline friend justice. Then there's those black beauty kitties! You snap a quick pic of your sleek black panther and the photo looks like a lump with no face. How do people get such great pictures of their cats? Your cat is just as beautiful (possibly more beautiful) than theirs! When Rita and Linda met Suzie Inverso, who photographs pets professionally at her studio, Crimson Cat Photography, they knew they wanted to talk to her! Listen in to hear more and pick up a few tips for your own cat cover-girl... or boy! EPISODE NOTES: Cat Photographer Susie Inverso

Earlier this year, we, and the world, suffered a tremendous loss in the very unexpected passing of our friend and former boss, Richard Simmons. To say we were devastated would be an understatement. If it wasn’t for Richard, we never would have met. If it wasn’t for Richard, we wouldn’t have the comfort with media that we have. And lastly, if it wasn’t for Richard, Cat Behavior Alliance, the Carolina Cat Sanctuary, and 19 Cats and Counting would not exist .Please join us as we talk about how we each came to meet and work for Richard, and how fate helped us to become BFFs, business partners, cat behavior experts, and cat behavior trainers. EPISODE NOTES: Richard Simmons – Tribute Show

Steve Dale knows pets. He is a celebrated Animal Behaviorist and animal welfare advocate, with not one, not two, but THREE radio shows! Rita had the pleasure of meeting Steve a few years ago at a conference about Cat Behavior. Steve is one busy guy, and we’re honored he made the time to be on our show! If there is one thing Steve is passionate about, it’s the health and well-being of all of our beloved pet companions. As a board member to the Every Cat Health Foundation (formerly known as The Winn Feline Foundation), everycat.org, Steve has his finger on the pulse of feline disease management breakthroughs as they happen. Every Cat is on the cutting edge of the development of treatments for and prevention of the various diseases our feline companions get. Join Linda and Rita, as Steve tells us about the amazing work of Every Cat, as he challenges Rita and “19 Cats” to get involved. With pleasure, Steve! Whatever we can do to help, we’re onboard! EPISODE NOTES: Steve Dale and a Cure for FIP

Oh, we love those Two Crazy Cat Ladies! They're back and they have something new to share. Every wonder why some cats are affected by everything and even seems to be allergic to cat food? The ones who pee on the floor versus the ones who don’t? What is different about the cats that are laid back and the ones who are afraid of their own shadows, or who constantly get into mischief all the time? The answer may have been found! Jae and Adrianne, The Two Crazy Cat Ladies, join Rita and Linda to discuss their new feline hair and saliva test for cats. This simple test can tell you if cat has environmental or food sensitivities, parasites, organ problems, and more. These sensitivities can cause a myriad of issues, including behavior issues. Not only will we be able to discover and avoid things that are causing our cats issues, but they will help give us a plan to battle the issues caused by them, and a list of holistic remedies that can help. You can also take the result to your cat behaviorist to help pinpoint the issues and recommend appropriate behavior modification methods! How fantastic is that! EPISODE NOTES: Two Crazy Cat Ladies and their CAT – Cat Allergy Test!

There are certain medical conditions that seem inescapable as our cats age. Kidney disease is one of those conditions. Linda and Rita have both lost many cats to this dreaded disease that we cat parents feel helpless to avoid. But, is it indeed avoidable? Dr. Kelly Cairns is joining us again and will tell us the signs to look for, what to do if your cat has kidney disease, and, most importantly, what we can do to be proactive. There are new treatments and preventatives on the horizon that you won’t want to miss! Join us now! EPISODE NOTES: Dr. Kelly on Kidney Disease in Cats

There is a big push in the cat world to feed our feline a raw diet. Trouble is, it's often difficult and confusing to find the PURRfect cat food with all the right nutrients that our cats need to live. Add to the equation our cats’ finicky pallets, it gets even more challenging. If we find one that is nutritionally complete and easy to serve, it might be a struggle to get our cats to eat it. In an attempt to make feeding raw a little less confusing, Rita and Linda invited the CEO of Boss Brand Pet Foods, Basel Nassar, to discuss their raw food for cats. Not only is Boss Cat complete with the nutrients our kitties need, but it’s also been infused with probiotics for even more health benefits. Boss Cat is freeze dried, which makes it easy to serve as either a treat or a meal, and the cats all love it! In fact, one of the cats in our sanctuary, Subra, is a shameless beggar and won’t leave Linda alone until she’s given a taste of that good stuff! Listen in to hear why we love Boss Cat, and why we think you and your cats will love it, too! EPISODE NOTES: Boss Cat Raw Cat Diet

There has been much in the press about pet foods lately, with many recalls and questions about just how safe commercial pets are. It feels like the big companies don’t care about what is actually in our pets’ food. But that’s all about to change. Spokesperson: Chad Wethal, Senior Global Marketing Manager, Pet & Lifestyle for Cargill's Animal Nutrition business, is here to talk about big changes happening in the petfood industry that will benefit our pets and help them live long and happy lives. Join us as we talk with Chad about Cargill, what they do in the petfood industry, and what changes they are driving to ensure our pets live a long, happy, healthy life. Cargill Cares. EPISODE NOTES: Cargill and Animal Nutrition

How we LOVE our good friend, Arden Moore! If you haven’t caught her Podcast, Oh Behave! on Pet Life Radio, you’re really missing out! In addition to podcasts, and the a-meow-zing pet first aid and safety catches she teaches, Arden is really an expert on all things cat AND dog! So when Linda's husband decided he wanted to add a dog to their 11-cat household, Rita suggested we reach out to Arden right away! Arden lives with both cats and dogs and has the magic down to creating a multi species household. She has a multiple dog AND multiple cat household, and everyone gets along PURRfectly! If you’re considering adding a dog to your cat household, or vice versa, this is the episode for you! EPISODE NOTES: Arden Moore - The Dog and Cat Household

Rita and Linda work with many clients and see all kinds of cat behavior issues. Although it's rare, there are times where the anxiety in that cat is so extreme, they often wonder if a neurological consult might help. However, many clients hear "neurologist" and think it's going to be insanely expensive. So, they invited Dr. Karen Kline, who specializes in neurological conditions, to know talk to chat about the various problems we might see, and how they are addressed. Dr. Kline took the fear out of the neurological consult and shared so much great information and education. We know you won't want to miss this one! EPISODE NOTES: Dr. Karen Kline - Feline Neurologic Anomalies

Dr. Andy Roark is a veterinarian who not only helps animals, he also helps to educate their humans and veterinarians, too! In addition to conducting training sessions and attending speaking engagements, he also hosts a podcast entitled "The Cone of Shame". Dr. Andy is also active on social media giving great tips and information. Be warned! He does pull out the occasional Dad joke... if your dad was a veterinarian. Rita and Linda had a great time talking with Dr Roark and he even threw in one of his signature jokes at the end. Wait for it… EPISODE NOTES: Cats Needs Vet Care Too

We all know dogs can be therapy animals, but did you know cats can as well?? We were surprised, too, until we met Mary Margaret Callahan. Pet Partners’ mission is to improve human health and well-being through the human-animal bond. Humans and animals share a deep, innate connection, and we believe that through the human-animal bond we can improve the physical, social, and emotional lives of more people and communities. Listen as Mary Margaret tells us how YOUR CAT can become a therapy cat and bring joy to people who would otherwise not get to spend time with animals. EPISODE NOTES: Pet Partners – Therapy Pets