19 Cats and Counting Episode 29 Liz Miele, Author, Cat Mom

Meet Jody Teiche, pet health expert and pet parent coach. Her unique holistic approach to pet issue ranging from nutrition to anxiety have helped calm both pets and pet parents alike. She is a Certified Pet Homeopathic Educator and her program, 3 Key Health Pillars Every Pet Parent Should Know (And Why They Lead to a Longer Life), is offered a couple of times a year.

Jody focuses on nutrition, anxiety, increasing energy and vitality and giving senior animals a more vibrantly alive life. Join Rita and Linda as they talk with Jody about helping our pets live long, happy, healthy lives.

EPISODE NOTES: Meet Jody Teiche

How would you like to buy one toy for your cats that never needs replacing? That you can store away neatly on its own hanger. That you can buy multiple different toys to dangle on the end, PLUS you can add a long lead to make it even more fun for your cats?

Enter the Forever Stick at Repounce.com! Created by engineer and cat dad Anton Kreicbergs, this is the more durable and customizable cat toy on the market today. Anton was inspired by his own two cats, handsome Russian Blue brothers, Gorba and Tolstoy, Anton wanted to create a toy that was made to last and that would keep his cats interested. He also insisted upon using sustainable materials that are of the best quality. On top of all that, the handle of the toy is ergonomically designed for the comfort of we humans, too! Linda and Rita love Anton and the Forever Stick, and we know you will too!

EPISODE NOTES: Forever Stick

Bryan Kortis was a Manhattan lawyer when he stumbled up some kittens who needed homes. After that experience, he then got involved with TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) and finding homes for animals on the street. Rescue became his passion, and he happy to be making changes happen.

Today, this once Manhattan attorney is living in Maui (talk about change!) and has been helping to be reunite and/or rehome cats who were displaced during the Maui wildfires. Linda and Rita found Bryan and his new calling in life fascinating and think what he is doing a-meow-zing things! We think you’ll love Bryan as much as we do!

EPISODE NOTES: Bryan Kortis – Saving Maui Fire Cats

Julie Bradford, Partner and Medical Director at Goodvets.com, is here to tell us about a new concept in vet care. Goodvets is an innovative network of animal hospitals that are each co-owned by the local vets who run them. In this structure, local vets get the autonomy they need to run their practices, yet they have the support of a team and the good name of Goodvets.com. Listen as Julie explains how this model works to benefit not only the veterinarians, but also benefits you and your pets, too!

EPISODE NOTES: Goodvets

We all love our pets, and we’d do anything for them. But what happens when we can’t, or aren’t there to make sure they are well cared for? Some of us plan for our cats should we pass unexpectedly. But what happens when we are sick, temporarily unable to care for our pets, or wind up having a lengthy hospital stay. A timely topic in view of Rita’s current bout with Covid, what would have happened to her cats had she been hospitalized? Or worse? As prepared as Rita thought she was, there is a big hole in her plans.

This is where PetPeaceofMind.org comes in. This wonderful non-profit organization is there to help. Keeping people and pets together when they can is their goal, offering to help find temporary placement for people who find themselves unable to care for the pets due to illness of their own. They also teach hospices how to provide pet care assistance for their patients with pets. Join Linda and Rita as they talk with President and Founder, Dianne McGill.

EPISODE NOTES: Pet Peace of Mind

Dr. Kelly Cairns, VP of medical excellence for over 400 Thrive Pet Healthcare clinics, is back with Part Two of our Holiday Safety Tips for cats and dogs. With all the special foods, plants, presents, decoration, as well as people coming into your home, the holidays can be a dangerous time for our pets.

How do we keep them safe? Tune is as we talk with Dr. Kelly about everything from Christmas Trees and Menorah’s to how to safely wrap our holiday gifts, so our cats (and dogs) won’t get hurt. We’ll also talk about what to look for in cat toys, so we give our cats enjoyable yet safe presents this holiday season.

EPISODE NOTES: Holiday Décor and Cats

Your cat just chewed up one of your plants. Should you be worried? Is it poisonous? If she starts throwing up, should I take her to the vet? Before you panic, there is a place you can contact BEFORE you even head to the vet’s office with your pet: PetPoisonHelpline.com


Manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the people at Pet Poison Helpline can tell you if you should be concerned, if you can treat your cat (or dog) at home, or if you need to go to your veterinarian. They’ll even tell you exactly what to tell you vet should it be determined that your cat needs to be seen. Dr. Renee Schimd is here to tell us all about this amazing service. (855) 764-7661 is the number you need to tack up on your fridge, especially for the holiday season when your cats (and dogs) may well eat something they shouldn’t!

EPISODE NOTES: Pet Poison Helpline – Just in Time for the Holidays!

Stacy LeBaron has long been a champion of TNR (Trap Neuter Release) to help stop the growth of the feral cat population, affectionately referred to as Community Cats. But it’s not just ferals who are part of the community: people who let their cats wander outside, cats that have been cast out of their homes, and any cat, feral or domestic, that lives the majority of their lives outside can be considered part of the outside Community Cats.

Host of the Community Cats Podcast, Stacy says Community Cats are “all those cats we see outside, whether feral, stray or cats that are inside/outside cats.” It’s become her mission to educate people about the outside cat population, and why TNR is such an important component to ending the growth of the feral population and the suffering of all outdoor cats due to resource limitations. Stacy is always working to bring education to cat lovers everywhere with her blogs, classes, and continuing education.

EPISODE NOTES: Stacy LeBaron – TNR and Community Cats Advocate

Dr. Kelly Cairns, VP of medical excellence for over 400 Thrive Pet Healthcare clinics, shares her feline knowledge with us here each month. As the winter holiday season is upon us, Dr. Kelly is here to talk about holidays, cats, and the things we need to be careful with around our feline friends as we celebrate.

Can I share my Thanksgiving feast with my cats? What foods are okay for our cats, and which foods are dangerous? Will all the people coming and going from our home be upsetting to our cats? Join us and let's plan for the upcoming holidays, and how to make the season joyful and safe for all of our holiday guest, both human and feline.

EPISODE NOTES: Gobble Gobble, Meow Meow!

Catification. It’s a big buzz word in the cat world, but what does it really mean? Does it mean you need to live in a home filled with cat trees and shipping boxes in order to make your cats happy? Well, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Kate Benjamin of HausPanther.com is here on our show to talk about bringing great cat items into your home that are also aesthetically pleasing to we humans. And it does not have expensive either. Join us as Kate shows us real examples in her how home that are inexpensive, functional for cats, while adding style, too.

Enabling cats to climb and run, sleep and hide, replicating what they do when living outside in nature, gives cats the type of environment they need to thrive. A happy cat is less prone to unwanted cat behaviors, too, so this is a show you won’t want to miss.

EPISODE NOTES: Kate Benjamin – Hauspanther