The Pet Parent Hotline

By Amy Castro - Pet Parenting Expert & Animal RescuerEducation Self-Improvement Kids & Family How To Pets & Animals

The Pet Parent Hotline episodes

October 04How to Avoid the Wrong Pet: 6 Beliefs That Lead to Bad Choices
Choosing the right pet isn’t just about finding an animal you love. Sometimes the mistaken beliefs you bring into the decision can steer you toward a pet that isn’t actually a good fit for your life, your family, or your ability to meet that animal’s needs.
In this episode of The Pet Parent Hotline, Amy challenges six common beliefs that can lead to bad pet choices, including the idea that getting a puppy or kitten means you can “raise it right,” that small animals make good starter pets for kids, and that wanting a particular breed or species is reason enough to bring one home.
Drawing on a lifetime with animals, years in rescue, and experience fostering more than 4,000 pets, Amy also shares some of her own bad decisions, including getting an iguana before she truly understood what caring for one would require.
You’ll hear why:
A baby animal isn’t a blank slate you can shape into exactly the pet you want
“Starter pets” can require far more care than families expect
Always wanting a certain animal doesn’t necessarily mean you should own one
Legal and available for sale doesn’t automatically mean appropriate as a pet
Falling in love with an animal can make it easier to overlook a bad match
Love alone can’t fix every mismatch between a pet and your home
This episode isn’t about making people feel guilty for wanting a pet. It’s about slowing down long enough to ask a better question:
Not just “Do I want this pet?” but “Can I give this particular animal the life it actually needs?”
Sometimes the right pet is a different pet. And sometimes the right decision is walking away.
If you know someone who’s thinking about bringing an animal home, send them this episode before they decide.
Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.
Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.
Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.
Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
The Pet Parent Hotline covers real-world dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, veterinary decisions, pet-care costs, aging pets, and everyday life with animals.
No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.
Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.
Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro
20 min
September 27Is Your Cat in Pain? Subtle Signs You Might Be Missing
Cats are incredibly good at hiding pain, and sometimes the first clue that something is wrong doesn't look like pain at all. It looks like a change in behavior.
Maybe your cat suddenly stops hanging out with you. They're less tolerant of another cat. Their eating or litter-box habits change. They start biting when touched somewhere they never minded before. Or they're simply acting a little... off.
In this episode, Amy talks with Certified Cat Behavior Consultant Amanda Caron, founder of Frisky Feline Behavior Counseling, about how pain can show up through behavior and why knowing what's normal for your individual cat matters so much.
Amanda shares what changes to watch for, how to track patterns without turning pet parenting into a full-time data-collection project, ways to figure out what's happening in a multi-cat household, and when a behavior change warrants a call to your veterinarian.
They also discuss the Feline Grimace Scale, a science-based tool that helps cat parents recognize facial changes associated with acute pain and gives them useful information to discuss with their veterinarian.
In this episode:
Why cats are so good at hiding pain
Subtle behavior changes that may deserve a closer look
Why your cat's individual “normal” matters more than a generic checklist
Simple ways to track changes and patterns
Monitoring eating, litter-box habits and behavior in multi-cat homes
When to involve your veterinarian
How pain can be mistaken for a behavior problem
How the Feline Grimace Scale can help you recognize signs of acute pain
Resources:
Amanda Caron and Frisky Feline Behavior Counseling
Visit Frisky Feline Behavior Counseling
Feline Grimace Scale
Visit the Feline Grimace Scale website
Important: This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for veterinary care. Behavior changes can have many causes. If you're concerned about a change in your cat's health or behavior, contact your veterinarian.
Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.
Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.
Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.
Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
The Pet Parent Hotline covers real-world dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, veterinary decisions, pet-care costs, aging pets, and everyday life with animals.
No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.
Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.
Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro
30 min
September 19Should You Dump Someone If Your Pet Doesn’t Like Them?
Would you dump somebody because your pet didn’t like them?
A new survey found that nearly one in four pet parents say a pet’s negative reaction to someone they’re dating would be an immediate deal breaker. Which sounds pretty reasonable... until you meet Nash, the Golden Retriever who recently greeted a burglar inside his house by bringing him toys.
So how much should we really trust our pets’ reactions to people?
In this episode, Amy looks at what your pet’s behavior can tell you, what it probably can’t, and why the more revealing clue may be how the other person reacts to your pet.
Because whether you’re dating, moving in together, getting a roommate, or combining households, loving animals isn’t necessarily enough. Differences over sleeping arrangements, house rules, vet bills, daily pet care, future pets, and even what happens if the relationship ends can turn into much bigger issues than people expect.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Why a pet’s reaction to someone is information, not necessarily a verdict
What Nash the Golden Retriever can teach us about dogs as “judges of character”
Why respecting your pet’s boundaries may tell you more about a person than whether your pet likes them
When fear, growling, snapping, or escalating behavior warrants help from a qualified behavior professional
What a recent survey reveals about pets and dating relationships
Why “I like dogs” or “I like cats” doesn’t necessarily mean two people are pet-compatible
The house rules couples should discuss before moving in together
How different attitudes toward veterinary spending can create major conflict
Why “I’ll help with the dog” needs a clearer definition
What couples should discuss before adopting a pet together
Why pet ownership can get complicated when a relationship ends
What do you think? Would you end a relationship because your pet didn’t like someone? Have you ever had a pet react badly to somebody and later thought they were onto something? Or is your dog more like Nash and likely to welcome a burglar with a tennis ball?
Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.
Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.
Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.
Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
The Pet Parent Hotline covers real-world dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, veterinary decisions, pet-care costs, aging pets, and everyday life with animals.
No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.
Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.
Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro
21 min
September 13Dog Won’t Take a Pill? 10 Rescue-Proven Tricks That Work
Getting a dog to take a pill can turn into a ridiculous battle of wills, especially when they somehow eat everything except the medication.
In this episode, Amy shares 10 tricks she’s learned from years of owning, fostering, rescuing, and medicating dogs of all shapes, sizes, and ages. The key isn’t finding one magical food that works for every dog. It’s figuring out how your dog approaches food and choosing a strategy that fits.
You’ll learn why a tiny, soft pill package may work better than a big chunk of something delicious, how to use decoy treats and momentum, why your dog may be reacting to your medication-prep routine before the pill even appears, and what to do when a trick that worked for months suddenly stops working.
Amy also covers when it may be time to stop hiding the pill altogether and ask your veterinarian about a "pill popper", liquid or compounded medication, or another appropriate way to give it.
And cat people, you’re not forgotten. Some of these tricks translate, but cats can present a whole different pill-giving challenge, so Amy also talks about when liquid, compounded, transdermal, or direct-pilling options may be worth discussing with your veterinarian.
In this episode you'll learn:
How your dog’s eating style affects which pill tricks may work
Why small, soft, easy-to-swallow bites can beat bigger treats
The decoy-treat trick for slipping medication into the sequence
How dogs learn our medication routines
Using timing, momentum, and safe competition in multi-dog homes
What to do when your dog figures out your favorite trick
Pill poppers and other direct-pilling options
When to ask your vet about another medication formulation
Why pilling cats sometimes requires a completely different approach
Important: Always follow your veterinarian’s instructions for your pet’s specific medication. Don’t crush, split, open, dissolve, or otherwise alter medication unless your veterinarian has confirmed that it’s safe to do so.
Got a pill trick that works on your dog or cat? Amy wants to hear it. Share your weirdest, sneakiest, or most successful strategy, and you might see it featured in a future Pet Parent Hotline episode or post.
Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.
Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.
Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.
Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
The Pet Parent Hotline covers real-world dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, veterinary decisions, pet-care costs, aging pets, and everyday life with animals.
No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.
Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.
Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro
25 min
September 068 DIY Pet Health Checks to Do Every Month
You see your pet every day, which means you’re in the best position to notice when something starts to change. The problem? Seeing them every day can also make gradual changes surprisingly easy to miss.
In this episode of The Pet Parent Hotline, Amy walks through eight simple at-home pet health checks you can do about once a month to get more familiar with what’s normal for your pet and spot changes that may be worth mentioning to your veterinarian.
This isn’t about diagnosing your pet at home or replacing regular veterinary care. Think of it as a 10-to-15-minute monthly check-in where you slow down, actually look at your pet, put your hands on them where it’s safe to do so, and pay attention.
You’ll learn to check:
Body condition, weight, and muscle changes
Lumps, bumps, swelling, and sensitive areas
Skin, fur, hair, or feathers
Eyes, ears, teeth, gums, and mouth
Feet, nails, claws, and paw pads
Movement, stiffness, and mobility
Eating and drinking habits
Bathroom habits, energy, and behavior
Amy also shares how accidentally discovering a badly broken tooth in one of her own dogs made her realize just how much pet parents can miss when we’re not deliberately looking.
The goal isn’t to catch everything. It’s to know your pet well enough that when something changes, you’re more likely to recognize that it’s new and give your veterinarian useful information about when it started.
In This Episode
Why everyday petting isn’t the same as deliberately checking your pet
How gradual weight and muscle changes can sneak up on you
A simple way to keep track of your pet’s lumps and bumps
Why teeth and gums deserve a closer look
Small mobility changes that may be easy to dismiss as “just getting older”
Eating, drinking, and bathroom changes worth paying attention to
How to turn a monthly pet check into an easy habit
What to ask your veterinarian so you can personalize the routine for your pet
Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.
Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.
Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.
Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
The Pet Parent Hotline covers real-world dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, veterinary decisions, pet-care costs, aging pets, and everyday life with animals.
No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.
Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.
Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro
22 min
September 02Your Pet Is Acting ‘Off’: 3 Questions to Ask Before You Worry
This month’s Pet Parent Power Up is a little different: no intro music, minimal editing, and recorded on the fly to follow up on an important question from Sunday’s episode.
What should you do when you notice your pet doing something differently? Maybe your dog suddenly hesitates before jumping into the car, your cat starts sleeping somewhere new, or a pet who used to love a certain activity seems less interested.
Before you panic or write it off as “just getting older,” Amy shares three questions that can help you decide whether you’re seeing a simple preference, a pattern worth watching, or a change that deserves a conversation with your veterinarian:
Is this actually new for my pet?
Is it happening consistently?
Is it interfering with something my pet normally wants or needs to do?
You’ll also learn why knowing your individual pet’s normal matters, how videos and a few simple notes can help your veterinarian, and why aging, moving, stress, or other life changes shouldn’t automatically be used to explain away new behavior.
This episode builds on Sunday’s conversation about treating pets as individuals and paying attention to what each animal actually needs.
Veterinary Disclaimer: The Pet Parent Hotline is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your veterinarian or another qualified pet-care professional about questions or concerns related to your individual pet’s health, behavior, diet, mobility, or care.
Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.
Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.
Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.
Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
The Pet Parent Hotline covers real-world dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, veterinary decisions, pet-care costs, aging pets, and everyday life with animals.
No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.
Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.
Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro
9 min
August 30 Multiple Pets? Why Treating Them the Same Backfires
Treating your pets fairly doesn’t mean treating them all the same.
In this episode, Amy looks at how age, health, mobility, personality, behavior, and even personal preferences can mean very different needs for pets living under the same roof. From secret extra meals for a skinny senior cat to different exercise, rules, accommodations, and attention, the goal isn’t perfect equality. It’s paying attention to the individual animal in front of you.
And this isn’t just for people with a houseful of animals. Whether you have one pet or six, it’s about recognizing what that pet needs instead of comparing them to other animals or even to who they used to be.
She also tackles a harder question: Are you giving your pet what they actually enjoy and need, or trying to turn them into the pet you imagined having?
Plus, try this week’s simple Pet Parent Hotline challenge to learn something new about your own pet.
Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.
Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.
Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.
Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
The Pet Parent Hotline covers real-world dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, veterinary decisions, pet-care costs, aging pets, and everyday life with animals.
No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.
Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.
Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro
20 min
August 23A New Home With Pets: I Need Your Help!
What happens when the person who usually answers the Pet Parent Hotline needs help from the listeners?
Amy is finally in her new house (new to her, but built in 1957), but "moved in" might be a generous description. Most of the furniture and pet gear are still in storage, the floors and painting aren't done, she needs a new roof, and she's currently recording from an echoey bedroom furnished with a semi-deflated air mattress.
More importantly, the pets are adjusting too.
So this week, Amy is turning the tables and asking fellow pet parents for the practical, real-life solutions they've discovered through experience.
In this episode, Amy wants to hear from you about:
Helping senior pets safely handle stairs
Acclimating a blind pet to a new house, especially a multi-level one
Helping pets settle in and recognize a new place as home
Cheap, temporary pet-friendly fixes that work while you're waiting on permanent solutions
Managing contractors, noise, renovations, and escape risks with pets in the house
Bonus: finding the fun pet-friendly places and activities when you're new to an area
This isn't about replacing expert advice. It's about those little things another pet parent figured out because they were standing in the exact same situation.
Amy really does want your help. If you've dealt with even one of these challenges, share what worked, what didn't, or what you wish you'd known sooner.
Comment on the episode if your listening platform allows it, find The Pet Parent Hotline on Facebook or Instagram, or reach out at PetParentHotline.com.
If enough of you respond, Amy may share the best listener advice in a follow-up episode.
Because sometimes the answer you need is already sitting in another pet parent's house.
Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.
Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.
Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.
Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
The Pet Parent Hotline covers real-world dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, veterinary decisions, pet-care costs, aging pets, and everyday life with animals.
No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.
Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.
Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro
17 min
August 16Stop Putting Off Your Pet Care To-Do List
Summer has a way of knocking routines loose and pushing pet care tasks to “later.” Before fall gets busy, this is a good time for dog, cat, and other pet parents to catch up on the things that have quietly slipped down the list.
In this solo episode, Amy covers the pet care tasks worth handling now, from vet appointments and grooming to pet boarding, pet sitting, holiday travel, and changing routines. The goal isn’t to create another giant checklist. It’s to take care of a few things now that could save you time, money, and stress later.
In this episode:
Pet health issues and appointments you’ve been meaning to handle
Grooming, gear, and basic maintenance that may have gotten away from you
Why now is the time to think about boarding, pet sitting, and holiday travel
Helping pets adjust as fall routines change
Planning pet care around your real life before something becomes urgent
Need help figuring out what your pet needs, what to prioritize, or how to make it all work with your life? Learn more about a Pet Parent Hotline consultation at petparenthotline.com/consult.
Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.
Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.
Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.
Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
The Pet Parent Hotline covers real-world dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, veterinary decisions, pet-care costs, aging pets, and everyday life with animals.
No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.
Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.
Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro
22 min
August 09How to Read a Pet Food Label
Pet food labels are packed with reassuring words like real chicken, high protein, complete and balanced, and superfoods. But what do those words actually tell you about the food inside the bag?
Dr. Angie Boyer, founder of Grain & Grace Consulting and a trained multi-species nutritionist, returns to help us work through a pet food label from front to back to identify what's really in our pet food.
In this episode, we cover:
What “complete and balanced” means and where AAFCO fits in
How words like “with” and “may support” can change the meaning of a front-of-package claim on pet food
How to use the guaranteed analysis when comparing foods
What meat, meal, byproducts, and meat-and-bone meal actually tell you
How to identify protein, fat, fiber, vitamin, and mineral sources
Why pet food feeding guidelines are only a starting point
How treats and other foods affect your pet’s total daily intake
What to consider about where pet food is produced and ingredients you may want to investigate
Why the “best” pet food also has to work for your individual pet, budget, and real life
The goal isn’t to find one perfect pet food. It’s to understand enough of the label to make a more informed choice for the pet in front of you.
Guest: Dr. Angie Boyer, founder of Grain & Grace Consulting
And if you missed our August Pet Parent Power Up on specialty diets like sensitive stomach, urinary care, and hairball control, listen to that episode for even more help interpreting what pet food packaging is promising.
As always, talk with your veterinarian about your individual pet’s medical and nutritional needs before making changes to their diet.
Stuck on a pet problem? Send it here.
Practical pet advice for busy pet parents.
Love the show? Follow The Pet Parent Hotline so you don’t miss an episode, and share this one with a pet parent who needs it.
Listen & Follow: 🌍Official Site |📱Facebook |📺YouTube | 🍏 Apple |🎵Spotify
The Pet Parent Hotline covers real-world dog and cat behavior, training, pet health and nutrition, veterinary decisions, pet-care costs, aging pets, and everyday life with animals.
No fluff. No guilt. Just useful advice to help you make smarter decisions and enjoy life with your pets.
Help us reach more pet parents like you: A 5-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts helps new listeners feel confident trying us out.
Contact: [email protected]
©Ⓟ 2026 Amy Castro
57 min