Dr Susan and Dr. Jolle discuss giving cats as a present. Dr. Susan: "Giving a cat as a present seems heartwarming but requires careful consideration. Cats have unique needs and personalities, not just a gift item."Dr. Jolle: "Absolutely, Dr. Susan. It's crucial to ensure the recipient is ready for the responsibility. Proper introduction and commitment to the cat's lifelong care are essential."

Dr. Susan and Dr. Jolle, famous cat veterinarians, discuss hybrid cats. What are hybrid cats, how do you make them, and what are the benefits and disadvantages? A hybrid cat is the result of breeding two different cat breeds (often a wild breed) to combine certain desirable traits from each breed. These hybrids can occur naturally or through intentional breeding. For example, the Bengal cat is a popular hybrid breed, resulting from crossing domestic cats with Asian leopard cats. Hybrid cats can exhibit a mix of physical characteristics and temperaments from both parent breeds, creating unique and sometimes sought-after traits in the resulting offspring.

Dr. Susan and Dr. Jolle discuss some common abnormalities that you can observe in the most populare cat breeds. From polycystic kidne disease to ear and tail abnormalities. The main disadvantage of inbreeding is that these diseases tend to pop up.

Dr. Susan and Dr. Jolle discuss common cat breeds in North America (US & Canada). Can you guess which breed is in the number one spot? Breeding emphasizes particular traits in these cats but can also come with unwanted characteristics and diseases.

The purrpodcast meets the veterinary life podcast hosted by Dr. Marci Kirk and Dr. Annie Chavent. We have a crossover podcast with so many questions answered. We talk about the start of the purrpodcast and all the things we have learned in the five years of our podcast. This is such a fun episode.

Dr. Duncan Lascelles, a famous veterinary surgeon and pain expert, and Dr. Margaret Gruen, a veterinary behaviorist, tackle chronic pain together at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. What are the clinical signs of chronic pain in cats? Does their behavior change? Did you realize that 60-90 percent of cats between 6 months and 20 years have symptoms of degenerative joint disease? Of those cats, 45% have pain.

Dr. Jessica Quimby from the Ohio State University joins us to discuss chronic kidney disease and a new test called FGF23. Chronic kidney disease is really common in older cat but now we have new ways to diagnose it early.

A communication manager is essential in any veterinary practice, but what does such a person do? Stacey Gonzalez is interviewed by Dr. Susan and Dr. Jolle about her career and what roles she plays in a cat hospital.

Dr. Emmanuel Fontaine is a specialist in veterinary reproduction and talks with Dr. Susan and myself about if we can spay cats without doing surgery. At the end of the podcast we talk about the difference between ovariectomy (removing only the ovaries) and ovariohysterectomy (removing the ovaries and the uterus) in cats. What is more exciting than cat repro? Did you know that cats are inflatable?

Dr. Kelly and Dr. Jolle discuss the new cat book, "nine lives are not enough, a practical guide to caring for a geriatric cat' with the author Dr. Mary Gardner. Mary is a veterinarian and expert in geriatric animals. Her new book is fantastic and we recommend all cat owners read it. It is a practical guide to changes that will happen when cats get older, and it is always so much fun to have Dr. Mary on the show.