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.

Dr. Kelly and I discuss a recent article about vaccinations in cats. Some vaccines are considered core (for all cats) and noncore (only for cats that are at risk). Dr. Kelly and Dr. Jolle discuss the vaccines needed for your cat and why you should or should not vaccinate. There is a lot of discussion about this, but it is pretty simple.

Dr. Susan and Dr. Jolle are back together and are so excited! They are discussing some major myths about being a wonderful feline. Do you think a cat is a social breed? All myths will be busted!!!

Dr. Leslie Lyons explains why cat genes are essential and educates us about all the new tricks genetics research uses to determine where your cat comes from. Is she a single-breed cat of a nice mix of many breeds?