Episodes

Does your cat really need a professional groomer, or can you handle everything at home? Most cats do a good job of keeping themselves clean, but matted fur, overgrown nails, aging, and certain health conditions can make grooming difficult or even unsafe to tackle yourself. In this episode of The Pet Parent Hotline, Amy Castro talks with Amanda Henry, Certified Feline Master Groomer and owner of Chatty Cats, a cat-only grooming salon in Indiana, about when professional cat grooming makes sense...

Ever Googled a symptom your pet was having and ended up convinced something terrible was wrong? Or made a decision about their care, only to spend days wondering if you made the right choice? Pet parent anxiety can disguise itself as being responsible. You want to do what's best for your pet, but when does caring turn into excessive worrying, endless research, and second-guessing every decision? In this episode of The Pet Parent Hotline, Amy talks with psychologist Dr. Alicia del Prado about w...

Could your dog's or cat's collar actually put their life in danger? A collar that's too loose can slip right over your dog's head, dangling ID tags can become deadly traps, and even a collar that fits perfectly can have a buckle that fails when you least expect it. In this episode of The Pet Parent Hotline, Amy shares frightening close calls with her own dogs and lessons learned from many years working in rescue. You'll discover common dog and cat collar safety hazards, along with practical w...

Ever spent good money on a pet product that promised to make your life easier, only to discover it created more work, more expense, or more aggravation? Some of the most popular pet gadgets and accessories look terrific in advertisements but fall flat once you bring them home. After fostering more than 4,000 animals, Amy Castro has learned which pet products are worth the investment and which ones might leave you regretting your purchase. In this episode, you'll discover: Why automatic pet toy...

Before you get another pet, don't just research the animal. Research the life that comes with it. In this Pet Parent Power Up, Amy shares a simple way to make a better decision before bringing home a new pet: picture an ordinary Tuesday six months from now, after the excitement has worn off. What will that animal actually need from you? How much time, training, cleaning, exercise, enrichment, money, and daily attention will be involved? And what are the parts longtime owners find frustrating,...

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 ki...

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 Fris...

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 pr...

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...

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 ...