Vacation: Take your Cat? Or Not?
Today, we have Dr. Lisa Radosta who is a recurring guest that we love to talk with us about vacations if you have cats. There are options for cats during a vacation and they include petsitters, boarding, and bringing cats along. We are going straight to the source of a cat's mind to find out about each of these options and what your cat might prefer. We will also talk about how to make your choice the best possible one for your cat's happiness and safety.
Listen to Episode #131 Now:
BIO:
Dr. Radosta graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. After completing an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Coral Springs Animal Hospital, she worked as a primary care veterinarian for 2 1/2 years. She completed a 3-year residency in Behavioral Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and passed the board examination later that year. During her residency, she was awarded the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists Resident research award two years in a row.
In 2005, she went to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to volunteer in the efforts to help animals stranded by Hurricane Katrina. She has owned Florida Veterinary Behavior Service since 2007.
Dr. Radosta lectures nationally and internationally for veterinarians, their staff and lay people. She has written book chapters for textbooks including Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat; Blackwell’s Five Minute Veterinary Consult: Canine and Feline and Small Animal Pediatrics.
She has published scientific research articles in Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science and The Veterinary Journal and written review articles for Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Compendium, NAVC Clinician’s Brief and AAHA Newstat. She is the section editor for Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery. She serves on the Fear Free Advisory Board and the AAHA Behavior Management Task Force.
Interviews with Dr. Radosta have been published in: Cat Fancy, Dog Fancy, Palm Beach Post, NAVC Clinician’s Brief, Sun Sentinel, Washington Post, Real Simple, WebMD and AAHA News Stat. She has appeared on Lifetime television, Laurie Live, News Channel 25 (West Palm Beach, WPBF), Mitch Wilder's Amazing Pet Discoveries, Nat Geo Wild, Animal Planet, News Channel 10 (Miami, ABC), and Steve Dale's Pet Talk. She podcasts for VetGirl on the Run.
Dr. Radosta has participated in tracking, obedience, herding and therapy dog work with personal dogs--always Rottweilers. Currently, she shares her life with a wonderful husband, Scott and her daughter, Isabella as well as Maverick, her Labrador Retriever and Chewie her cat.
Transcript:
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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.
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Announcer: Let's talk pets.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Hey there, cat lovers!
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Welcome to Nine Lives with Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Kat.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: I'm your host, Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Kathryn Primm, and as you know, I'm a small animal veterinarian and crazy cat lover.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So I have with me today Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Lisa Radosta.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Radosta has been a guest on the show many times, and we love learning and picking her brain, because she is a veterinary behaviorist.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: And it's that time of year to think about vacationing with our family.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: And if you have a cat, then you have a special consideration about vacation and some choices to make.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So we're going to talk with Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Radosta today about her suggestions to make vacations, whatever you choose, fun and stress-free for you and your cat.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So we'll be right back.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Hey there, cat lovers.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: It's Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Kat from Nine Lives with Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Kat.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: You know the expression, cats have nine lives.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Well, what if you can give them one more?
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: The Give Them Ten movement is on a mission to help give cats an extra life.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: How?
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: With spay and neuter.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Spaying or neutering your cat helps them live a longer, healthier life, and it helps control free-roaming cat populations, too.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Learn more about the benefits of spay and neuter and meet Scooter, the neutered cat, at givethemten.org.
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Announcer: Let's talk pets on petliferadio.com.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Back to Nine Lives with Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Kat on PetLife Radio.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: We have Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Lisa Radosta, the Veterinary Behaviorist, with us today.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Hi, Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Radosta.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Hey, how are you?
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Excellent.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Thank you for joining us today.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Thank you for having me.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: I'd love to talk about behavior.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: I'd love to talk about cats, so it's perfect.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So my content kind of comes from my own exam rooms and my own clients asking me things.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: And then I think, wow, you know what?
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: There are probably other cat lovers out there that have the same question.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So I have had this concern kind of brought up with me in my exam room of it's vacation time and I'm going to go on vacation, but I have a cat or two or more.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: And what should I do?
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So I thought maybe we would just talk with you a little bit about vacation and cats.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So can we just dive right in?
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Absolutely.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So I think one important thing that I want to bring up is just like you said, if one person asked a question, probably a bunch of other people had the same question.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So I want to encourage people to reach out to their vet and ask questions sometimes we feel, and I hear a client saying to me, this is a stupid question, but, and I'm always like, no, it's not stupid.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: It's a good question.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So if you have questions, get with your veterinarian and give your veterinarian time to call someone like me, to figure out the answer if they don't have the answer in their brain at that moment.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So that's definitely something I want people to think about.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: But also, there are lots of different options for vacation.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So like everybody else, I vacation during the summer with my family.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: That's a lot to this too if our kids are in school.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: And one of the things that I think I hear a lot is, my cat only needs someone to check on them every other day.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I know you're probably grinching up your face like I am right now.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Like we don't want cats only checked on every other day.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Yes, totally.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: I'm so glad that you brought that up.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Yes.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Yeah.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So even just scooping the litter box, like that has to happen a minimum of once a day.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: That's not ideal, that is less than ideal.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So we want to kind of help people look at cats in this regard as little dogs.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: I usually don't advise that.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: But when we think of dogs, we think of I need to have someone in the house with them.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: I need to have someone overnight.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Now we want to think about our cats that way, too, if we can.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So there's number one, right?
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Cats are social, they need us.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Number two, we want to think about what's best for our cat.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: You know, I have a friend who has a van, and I don't know, Dr.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Premick, you have like, you know, friends that do this, and my friend's going to travel all around in her van to all of the national parks all over North America for a year.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Her cat's going with her.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So if you have like a motor home or a van that's built out to live in, you might think about taking your cat with you, and that is perfectly fine to do.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: You want to make sure that you head to your bed.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: You make sure your cat can travel in the car without motion sickness.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: That's a big problem for cats, vomiting in the car, right?
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: You want to make sure that your cat has a comfortable place to go in this van or motor home, whether it is just a bed put in a corner or under a little table or whatever.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: And we want to make sure your cat can have a normal size litter box if possible.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: You might want to also think about if you're going to do that with your cat, treating your cat to a harness.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Because some cats like to go outside, we want to be able to do that safely.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: However, if you're traveling to other states, you need to get with your vet because the infectious diseases that I had here in Florida are not the same as my colleagues up in maine.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So you want to get with your veterinarian about what vaccinations your cat may need, traveling around the country.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Also, what kind of preventative your cat may need traveling around.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So I just want to stop and let Dr.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Prim voice in before I go farther.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: You know, absolutely.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: And I went to a meeting recently about a new species of tick.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Have you heard about that?
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: I have not.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Oh, there's a new species of tick.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: And I think it started up in the Northeast somewhere.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: And it is moving across the country.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: I mean, it was found on sheep.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: It's not really a cat issue, but it will be if it moves all over the country.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So I would say if your friend is taking their cat to all of the National Parks, which makes me very jealous, that they want to make sure that their cat is on flea and tick prevention because you don't want to bring home an Asian longhorn tick, I think is what it's called, to your home state.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So yes, I think that is excellent advice.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Yeah, Asian longhorn tick, that sounds angry.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: That sounds like a bad creature.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: I might have messed it up because like I said, it's a sheep thing, but I'm almost positive it's called the Asian longhorn.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: It's got really long legs on the front that make it look like it has horns.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: But you know, and so far, I don't think it's carrying a whole lot of diseases or maybe we just don't know yet.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: But you know what?
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Here's the cool thing.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: If you didn't know this, you can go back to your practice and tell people.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: It actually requires no male.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: It's parthenogenetic.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Only the females are required to generate offspring.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So you can imagine that it's going to move all over soon.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Yeah.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Yeah.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: And let me ask you now, you mentioned heartworm disease, but down here in Florida, we worry about cats with heartworms.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So I think we're going to travel south.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: You should be thinking about that protection for your cat too, no?
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Absolutely.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: We recommend the flea and tick preventions that actually cover feline heartworm disease as well.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So I think that all of my listeners that are considering something like this need to talk with their veterinarian and maybe even have their veterinarian call their colleagues that are in the other parts of the country they're going to visit, because that might be a consideration you haven't thought of.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Yeah.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Yeah, for sure.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So then the other options are going to be people more like me, right?
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: I'm not going to take my cat with me because my cat doesn't want to go.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: My cat, I adopted as an adult.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: He was a relinquishment from a person who brought him in here to my practice, which is how a lot of veterinarians and veterinary technicians get pets.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: And so he was an adult.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: He already had his emotional baggage.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: He doesn't want to go anywhere at all, not even outside of my house.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: And so for those kitties, we have options.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: We have the option of boarding.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Now, for my cat, it would be very stressful, but maybe you had a cat who likes going to the vet.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Those cats exist or loves a certain vet tech.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: You could consider the veterinarian's office.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Another thing about boarding your cat at the veterinarian's office, and there are cat boarding facilities, there's not as many as dog, but they do exist, and sometimes dog boarding facilities have cat boarding areas.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So what you want to consider about boarding your cat to vet is that your cat is safe.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: And to me, if you're going away, because I have clients that go away for a month.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: If you're going away for a month, you absolutely could have someone in your home.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: If you have someone you trust that can come in a minimum of once a day, that's fine.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Maybe that person is not able to medicate your cat and your cat needs medicine.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Then they're safer at the veterinarian's office.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Will it be as much fun as your house?
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: No.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: But having been a vet for 23 years, I'm at a specialty practice, so we have a beautiful boarding facility, like with an open cat area.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Those cats are safe.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Medicines get in cats.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: And that is something that gives you peace of mind for your kitty.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: If you decide to have a pet sitter, that's cool too.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: But you have to consider that medicine factor.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: I cannot tell you.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Countless finds a client has said to me, Oh, no, Dr.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Radosta, my cat did not get his Prozac because the pet sitter couldn't give it for the three weeks I was gone.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: I would have much rather that cat be at the veterinary hospital with a litter box scoop twice a day and getting his medicine, then home and alone and not getting his emotional support.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: What do you think, Dr.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Praman?
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Absolutely.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: And some people have great situations where they know pet sitters that can come and stay, and the cat knows the pet sitter, and maybe it's a vet tech that knows how to do medications.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: But if you don't have that extra special situation, you can board your cat, and there are ways to make that better.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So I want to talk about that a little bit more because as a Fear Free Certified Professional, and I practice in a Fear Free Certified Practice, we have a lot of tricks up our sleeves for making that better.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: But I want to take a quick break and come back and delve into that a little bit more.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So we'll be right back.
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Announcer: Let's Talk Pets.
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Announcer: Let's Talk Pets on Pet Life Radio.
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Announcer: Pet Life Radio.
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Announcer: Pet Life radio.com.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Welcome back to Nine Lives with Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Kat on Pet Life Radio.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So we're talking with Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Lisa Radosta about vacations and what to do to make sure your cat is happy, healthy, and safe while you're away, whether they're with you or they are not with you.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: There are considerations.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So, Dr.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: Radosta, I think that I heard you say something that I think we really need to point out.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: It depends on the individual cat.
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Dr. Kathryn Primm: So, can you kind of talk about that a little bit more?
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: Yeah.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: So, you really have to know your cat.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: And as I said, medications are a tipping point for me.
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Dr. Lisa Radosta: If the cat's not going to get his medicine, I'm going to lean toward a veterinary hospital.
00:12:20.248 --> 00:12:21.328
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It might be more stressful.
00:12:21.328 --> 00:12:22.748
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It probably will, okay?
00:12:22.748 --> 00:12:23.708
Dr. Lisa Radosta: More stressful.
00:12:23.708 --> 00:12:26.828
Dr. Lisa Radosta: However, we have to make sure that pets need medicines.
00:12:26.828 --> 00:12:27.808
Dr. Lisa Radosta: They're getting their medicines.
00:12:27.808 --> 00:12:31.148
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Let's just say it's a cat like mine, who all he gets is calming care.
00:12:31.148 --> 00:12:36.688
Dr. Lisa Radosta: That is a supplement, it's a probiotic, that you put on the cat's canned food.
00:12:36.768 --> 00:12:38.648
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So that's easy, anybody can sprinkle that.
00:12:38.648 --> 00:12:41.768
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So if you have a cat like mine, then you're going to look at, what is your cat like?
00:12:41.768 --> 00:12:44.648
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Some cats walk right out of the carrier at the veterinarian's office.
00:12:44.648 --> 00:12:48.328
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I have one patient, his name is Roscoe, he owns this place.
00:12:48.328 --> 00:12:51.828
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I wouldn't worry at all about him boarding.
00:12:51.828 --> 00:12:54.648
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But for cats who are fearful, better to stay at home.
00:12:54.648 --> 00:12:56.408
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Now you have to find a pet sitter.
00:12:56.408 --> 00:13:03.088
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I think it's common for us to just say, I have a friend who has a friend, and that's totally cool in a lot of instances.
00:13:03.348 --> 00:13:14.948
Dr. Lisa Radosta: For me, I like to know that I either know the pet sitter really well personally, you're trusting them with a family member, and you're trusting them in your home when you're not there.
00:13:14.948 --> 00:13:16.968
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Those are big trust points.
00:13:16.968 --> 00:13:23.508
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So I like to know someone personally, or like a professional pet sitter that is licensed and ensure this is their business.
00:13:23.508 --> 00:13:26.268
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And there's nothing wrong with asking a friend to take care of your cat.
00:13:26.268 --> 00:13:36.768
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But there's something that comes with paying someone to do something, it's their job, that kind of puts this responsibility on that person to follow directions.
00:13:36.768 --> 00:13:41.968
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So for cats, minimum of once a day, we want someone in the home scooping the box and feeding.
00:13:41.968 --> 00:13:43.668
Dr. Lisa Radosta: For my cat, it has to be twice a day.
00:13:43.668 --> 00:13:48.228
Dr. Lisa Radosta: He gets two different types of foods, so he has to have that kind of companionship.
00:13:48.228 --> 00:13:50.948
Dr. Lisa Radosta: You're also going to ask, will you play with my cat?
00:13:50.948 --> 00:13:52.268
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Will you interact with my cat?
00:13:52.268 --> 00:13:53.808
Dr. Lisa Radosta: How long are you going to stay?
00:13:53.808 --> 00:13:54.648
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Is it in and out?
00:13:54.648 --> 00:13:57.348
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Because my personal cat is very needy.
00:13:57.348 --> 00:13:58.408
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I know he's needy.
00:13:58.968 --> 00:14:04.928
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And if he doesn't get attention, he gets, let's just say, upset, which ends up with him biting.
00:14:04.928 --> 00:14:11.428
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So if you know that about your cat, even if you think he's going to be afraid of your pet sitter, still, you're going to ask them to stay.
00:14:11.428 --> 00:14:19.748
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Just having a human being in the house, having a TV on, having that kind of presence in the house will help to ease your cat's concern.
00:14:19.748 --> 00:14:22.928
Dr. Lisa Radosta: What is shocking to me is shock me with my own cat.
00:14:22.928 --> 00:14:30.268
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I just got a new pet sitter about three months ago, and I was sure he would never come out to see her.
00:14:30.268 --> 00:14:38.148
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Turn up that first day, she started sending me pictures of my cat on her lap, and I was like, whose cat is this?
00:14:38.148 --> 00:14:48.488
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But a lot of times, when you think your cat will not bond with someone, if they're the only thing in the house, right, then that bonding can often occur.
00:14:48.488 --> 00:14:53.248
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And one of the things related to that is, are you going to close the doors to the rooms in your house?
00:14:53.248 --> 00:14:54.288
Dr. Lisa Radosta: This is kind of important.
00:14:54.788 --> 00:15:05.248
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So, because what people do, my husband even mentioned this, you know, let's close all the doors to the house so that Chewie has to be in the main living area and his area where his food and litter box are.
00:15:05.248 --> 00:15:11.068
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So I understand that because you're pushing the cat out to be with this person, but on the other hand, the cat can't get away.
00:15:11.068 --> 00:15:21.908
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So I understand closing most of your doors, you have a stranger in your house, but I would say leave at least one door with a hiding space open so that your cat can get away from this stranger if they so choose.
00:15:21.908 --> 00:15:22.988
Dr. Lisa Radosta: What do you tell people, Dr.
00:15:22.988 --> 00:15:23.188
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Pram?
00:15:23.728 --> 00:15:27.408
Dr. Kathryn Primm: I do, and I also encourage people to have their video.
00:15:27.408 --> 00:15:39.628
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Everybody has videos, ability to video their pets and just to check in now and then and make sure the cat seems comfortable, that things are being done the way you had intended for them to be done.
00:15:39.628 --> 00:15:40.428
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Do you recommend?
00:15:40.428 --> 00:15:41.968
Dr. Kathryn Primm: I bet you recommend that too.
00:15:41.968 --> 00:15:42.648
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Absolutely.
00:15:42.648 --> 00:15:43.848
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I have cameras in my house.
00:15:43.848 --> 00:15:48.248
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I think everybody pretty much does now because they're cheap and easy.
00:15:48.248 --> 00:15:50.908
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I don't think it is an invasion of privacy.
00:15:51.048 --> 00:15:54.228
Dr. Lisa Radosta: That is your home and that is your furry child.
00:15:54.228 --> 00:15:58.888
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I certainly had cameras when my daughter was young and somebody would watch my daughter.
00:15:59.028 --> 00:16:00.268
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And to me, this is no different.
00:16:00.268 --> 00:16:04.888
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And make sure if you would write out what you want to have happen.
00:16:04.888 --> 00:16:06.488
Dr. Lisa Radosta: A meeting with someone is great.
00:16:06.488 --> 00:16:07.928
Dr. Lisa Radosta: You should meet with people.
00:16:07.928 --> 00:16:14.208
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But having it written down just ensures what you intend to be done will actually be done.
00:16:14.208 --> 00:16:18.408
Dr. Kathryn Primm: OK, so what if your cat does need medication, for example?
00:16:18.408 --> 00:16:20.408
Dr. Kathryn Primm: I certainly have diabetic cats and cats.
00:16:20.788 --> 00:16:23.568
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Is there anything that you can do?
00:16:23.568 --> 00:16:32.228
Dr. Kathryn Primm: And I kind of know the answer, but there are things that you can do to make it better for your cat to be away from home and go to a boarding facility.
00:16:32.228 --> 00:16:34.788
Dr. Kathryn Primm: And I've even experienced this with my own cat.
00:16:34.788 --> 00:16:38.548
Dr. Kathryn Primm: But let's talk about, like, pre-visit pharmaceuticals and anxiety medications.
00:16:38.848 --> 00:16:47.188
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Yeah, I mean, so definitely medications also, we'll talk about it in a second, but also bringing things that smell like home.
00:16:47.188 --> 00:16:55.228
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And a lot of times, as an employee of a veterinary hospital for all these years, I'll tell you, many times we have said, this is a policy to leave your stuff at home.
00:16:55.228 --> 00:16:59.968
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And the reason that we tell you that, right, or you might have heard that is because we don't want to lose your stuff.
00:16:59.968 --> 00:17:02.488
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And stuff gets sent home with other people.
00:17:02.488 --> 00:17:06.168
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So what I would do is I would not bring my $500 cat bed.
00:17:06.168 --> 00:17:11.708
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I don't have one of those, but I recently had occasion to go on the Internet and see they exist, amazingly.
00:17:11.708 --> 00:17:17.388
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But bring your cat's favorite bed and just let, if the technician says, hey, we can't do this, say, you know what?
00:17:17.388 --> 00:17:20.008
Dr. Lisa Radosta: If you lose it, I'm not going to be angry with you.
00:17:20.008 --> 00:17:21.328
Dr. Lisa Radosta: My cat has to have this.
00:17:21.328 --> 00:17:24.168
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So be politely insistent.
00:17:24.168 --> 00:17:29.308
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Let's go with that so that your cat has things that, you know, smell like home.
00:17:29.308 --> 00:17:34.168
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Also, I want you to bring your own food and bring extra and also bring extra medicine.
00:17:34.168 --> 00:17:35.188
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Stuff gets spilled.
00:17:35.188 --> 00:17:35.788
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It just does.
00:17:36.428 --> 00:17:38.988
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I don't want for your pet to go without medicine.
00:17:38.988 --> 00:17:43.908
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And this has happened with my patients at veterinary hospitals, where the medicine is spilled.
00:17:43.908 --> 00:17:48.208
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And for whatever reason, the doctor on staff is not told and the pet goes without medicine.
00:17:48.208 --> 00:17:51.008
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So you're always going to bring extra medicine.
00:17:51.008 --> 00:17:52.068
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It's a vet hospital.
00:17:52.068 --> 00:17:54.988
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Don't send one of those pill organizers, please.
00:17:54.988 --> 00:18:01.208
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Just send your bottles that have the exact instructions on the bottle and also write it down.
00:18:01.208 --> 00:18:11.668
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So as far as like the stress of being at the vet hospital, if you think your cat will be stressed, I would encourage you to medicate for the first couple of days.
00:18:11.668 --> 00:18:13.688
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So what we tend to do is test the waters.
00:18:13.688 --> 00:18:19.808
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I feel like this is like asking a kindergartner to take a calculus test to see if they will fail.
00:18:19.808 --> 00:18:20.828
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Let me just help you.
00:18:20.828 --> 00:18:22.208
Dr. Lisa Radosta: They're going to fail.
00:18:22.208 --> 00:18:29.408
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So if your cat is stressed, let's not test the waters, but say, I'm betting that my kitty's going to be stressed.
00:18:29.468 --> 00:18:31.568
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So let's use gabapentin or pregabalin.
00:18:31.568 --> 00:18:34.448
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Those are our top two choices for cats.
00:18:34.448 --> 00:18:40.948
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Let's do that right off the bat, twice a day for the first three to five days my cat is boarding.
00:18:40.948 --> 00:18:42.968
Dr. Lisa Radosta: There's a veterinarian on staff.
00:18:42.968 --> 00:18:48.648
Dr. Lisa Radosta: God forbid if your cat's a little sleepy or anything like that, the pet care attendant should alert the veterinarian, right?
00:18:48.648 --> 00:18:57.008
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So then after three to five days, we might go to once a day, and then we might go to, you know, discontinuing the medicine altogether, depending on how long your cat is there.
00:18:57.568 --> 00:19:00.688
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But those first three or five days are the most stressful.
00:19:00.688 --> 00:19:03.748
Dr. Lisa Radosta: We want to be thinking about medicating up front for those.
00:19:03.748 --> 00:19:07.508
Dr. Lisa Radosta: What you also could do, I mentioned earlier, my cat's on calming care.
00:19:07.508 --> 00:19:11.568
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I love calming care, not just for my cat, but also for my patients.
00:19:11.568 --> 00:19:14.448
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And again, probiotic, you put it on your cat's food.
00:19:14.448 --> 00:19:22.108
Dr. Lisa Radosta: You could start that about a month in advance if you know you're going to lead to an extended period of time and continue it through the whole boarding cycle.
00:19:22.108 --> 00:19:28.668
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So again, you are protecting your cat well in advance for any kind of stressful event.
00:19:28.668 --> 00:19:32.248
Dr. Kathryn Primm: So what about things that are not medications?
00:19:32.248 --> 00:19:38.948
Dr. Kathryn Primm: And what about pheromones and some of the things that are kind of in the headlines about treating anxiety for pets?
00:19:38.948 --> 00:19:41.128
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Can you weigh in on some of those things?
00:19:41.128 --> 00:19:49.788
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Well, so as far as cats are concerned, there are supplements you can use, Anxotane, Soliquin, Zealkine.
00:19:49.788 --> 00:19:59.748
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Most of those, so those are the only three, by the way, that I'm going to recommend because they have research behind them, either the active ingredient or the product itself.
00:19:59.748 --> 00:20:03.948
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Anxotane has a lot of research, so does Zealkine and the actual product.
00:20:03.948 --> 00:20:12.388
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And Soliquin has two studies of the active ingredients in animal, not in humans, I'm not extrapolating from rodents, but actually the animals that I treat.
00:20:12.388 --> 00:20:18.788
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And also there are for all three of those products, a technical service veterinarian who collects adverse events.
00:20:18.788 --> 00:20:25.108
Dr. Lisa Radosta: No, these aren't FDA drugs, but I like the idea of quality control because my patients are really important to me.
00:20:25.108 --> 00:20:28.288
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So I don't recommend anything over-the-counter, period.
00:20:28.288 --> 00:20:28.968
Dr. Lisa Radosta: End of story.
00:20:28.968 --> 00:20:31.148
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It is the only three supplements I recommend.
00:20:31.148 --> 00:20:33.068
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Please don't give Kat CBD.
00:20:33.068 --> 00:20:36.728
Dr. Lisa Radosta: We don't have enough research on cats at all.
00:20:36.728 --> 00:20:47.548
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And the little bit of research we have shows that at least some forms of CBD, or some grand, let me put it that way, can affect the liver enzymes in cats.
00:20:47.548 --> 00:20:50.168
Dr. Lisa Radosta: You know, cats have special little livers.
00:20:50.168 --> 00:20:51.928
Dr. Lisa Radosta: This is where they're not little dogs.
00:20:51.928 --> 00:20:57.228
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Their livers work differently than dog livers, and they can't break things down in exactly the same way.
00:20:57.228 --> 00:20:59.788
Dr. Lisa Radosta: They're not good at what's called gluco-coronidation.
00:20:59.788 --> 00:21:04.688
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And when medicines or supplements or natural products need that, we can damage cat livers.
00:21:04.688 --> 00:21:11.128
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So I would not give CBD to my pet, and I don't recommend any over-the-counter supplements besides the ones I've just mentioned.
00:21:11.708 --> 00:21:18.788
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I love pheromones, and there is no other product as researched in probably at all of veterinary medicine as pheromones.
00:21:18.788 --> 00:21:22.368
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I mean, the amount of published research is extraordinary.
00:21:22.368 --> 00:21:26.668
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And the challenge, of course, is that it comes in a spray and it comes in a plug-in.
00:21:26.668 --> 00:21:28.648
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I'm hoping that your veterinarian has the plug-in.
00:21:28.648 --> 00:21:30.408
Dr. Lisa Radosta: If they do, you don't have to do anything.
00:21:30.408 --> 00:21:32.028
Dr. Lisa Radosta: If they don't, you could bring the spray.
00:21:32.028 --> 00:21:36.128
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I just say that's a challenge because it's one more thing that the pedicure attendant has to do.
00:21:36.128 --> 00:21:40.408
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And we don't want to do that while you're, we don't want to spray it while your cat is in the area.
00:21:40.788 --> 00:21:50.908
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So we need to put your cat on another boarding cage or triple deck or like condo, and then spray a blanket or something, and then stick that blanket in there once the vehicle dissipated.
00:21:50.908 --> 00:21:59.008
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But absolutely, we know that a lot of cats can be helped with, feel away specifically, whether it be classic or multi-cat or advantage.
00:21:59.008 --> 00:22:00.328
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Yeah, absolutely.
00:22:00.328 --> 00:22:02.448
Dr. Kathryn Primm: So I love those things that you mentioned.
00:22:02.968 --> 00:22:03.848
Dr. Kathryn Primm: So that's good.
00:22:03.848 --> 00:22:06.088
Dr. Kathryn Primm: We're again on the same page.
00:22:06.088 --> 00:22:16.628
Dr. Kathryn Primm: So I think that really, though, if I had to pick one point out of all the things that you discussed today, the one that I would highlight is preparation.
00:22:16.628 --> 00:22:21.688
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Preparing, if you think you're going on vacation, you can't say, okay, we're leaving tomorrow.
00:22:21.688 --> 00:22:23.488
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Let's take care of the cat, right?
00:22:23.488 --> 00:22:23.948
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Right.
00:22:23.948 --> 00:22:26.468
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And we're not so good at preparation sometimes.
00:22:26.468 --> 00:22:28.788
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It just seems like we're busier than ever.
00:22:28.788 --> 00:22:34.648
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And so yes, preparation, because also you're going to be interviewing pet sitters potentially.
00:22:34.648 --> 00:22:36.848
Dr. Lisa Radosta: We want to make sure you're really comfortable with someone.
00:22:36.848 --> 00:22:45.588
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I think the other thing that we haven't talked about is, should you bring your cat with you if you go to, you know, a Verbo or Airbnb or a friend's house or a hotel?
00:22:45.588 --> 00:22:49.388
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And that's really, again, this is going to depend on your cat.
00:22:49.388 --> 00:22:52.208
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So my cat had a pretty profound noise fear.
00:22:52.208 --> 00:22:53.688
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It's not a phobia yet.
00:22:53.688 --> 00:22:56.888
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It probably will never develop into a phobia because we're taking action.
00:22:56.888 --> 00:22:58.768
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But he has a profound noise fear.
00:22:59.008 --> 00:23:02.368
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And for him, a hotel would be really, really frightening.
00:23:02.368 --> 00:23:04.568
Dr. Lisa Radosta: He would be hiding all the time.
00:23:04.568 --> 00:23:09.588
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But an Airbnb, if I was going to be there, you know, renting a home or something, I would be there for a month.
00:23:09.588 --> 00:23:15.628
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I would consider taking him with me because I could make it seem a lot like home.
00:23:15.628 --> 00:23:18.068
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I have to also think about people in and out.
00:23:18.068 --> 00:23:26.468
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So if I'm in a hotel room and there will be people in and out, then my cat might have a chance of escaping and I might never find him.
00:23:27.028 --> 00:23:31.868
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So that would be also something I want to consider is my cat, a cat who dashes out the door.
00:23:31.868 --> 00:23:35.048
Dr. Lisa Radosta: If he's a door dasher, probably don't want to bring him with me.
00:23:35.048 --> 00:23:39.808
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And then what I also have a lot of clients do is bring their cat to a family member's house.
00:23:39.808 --> 00:23:43.228
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So we have a lot of people here in Southeast Florida who are retired.
00:23:43.228 --> 00:23:48.848
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So they will go up North, Northeast, or wherever, to stay with their kids for a month or two months.
00:23:48.848 --> 00:23:51.068
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So they'll all go to the beach together or whatever.
00:23:51.068 --> 00:23:54.088
Dr. Lisa Radosta: The thing with that is we want to consider how stressful that visit will be.
00:23:54.628 --> 00:23:57.928
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I understand not wanting to pay for boarding or a pet sitter for a month.
00:23:57.928 --> 00:24:00.108
Dr. Lisa Radosta: That would be a significant expense.
00:24:00.108 --> 00:24:11.968
Dr. Lisa Radosta: On the other hand, if your daughter or son or whomever you're going to stay with has three cats of their own, the likelihood of integrating your cat with those three cats is pretty low.
00:24:11.968 --> 00:24:12.968
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It could happen.
00:24:12.968 --> 00:24:18.888
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Maybe they grew up together or whatever, or it could turn into a holy nightmare with cats peeing everywhere and biting each other.
00:24:18.888 --> 00:24:25.048
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So you want to just consider can your cat be secluded in a room or a part of the house or are you going to be staying in a guest house?
00:24:25.048 --> 00:24:28.888
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Are you staying in the main living area before you bring your cat with you?
00:24:28.888 --> 00:24:36.008
Dr. Kathryn Primm: So I think again, preparation, just thinking about who your cat is, thinking about where you're going and how long you're going to be gone.
00:24:36.008 --> 00:24:40.908
Dr. Kathryn Primm: And I don't know about you, but here in our area, pet setters are kind of hard to come by.
00:24:40.908 --> 00:24:45.328
Dr. Kathryn Primm: I would certainly have to plan pretty far in advance to find someone that I trusted.
00:24:45.328 --> 00:24:46.688
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Yeah, I would too.
00:24:46.688 --> 00:24:51.108
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And we had the same pet setter for over a decade.
00:24:51.568 --> 00:24:54.968
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And then we just got a new one, and we know her very well.
00:24:54.968 --> 00:24:56.208
Dr. Lisa Radosta: She lives two doors down.
00:24:56.208 --> 00:24:57.228
Dr. Lisa Radosta: She's a friend.
00:24:57.228 --> 00:24:58.768
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Plus, she has a pet sitting business.
00:24:58.768 --> 00:25:01.788
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So it wasn't enough for me that she was just a friend.
00:25:01.788 --> 00:25:03.628
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I also wanted someone with a business.
00:25:03.628 --> 00:25:08.848
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I just feel like when you take money for a job, there is just a different level.
00:25:08.848 --> 00:25:10.048
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I've been really pleased.
00:25:10.048 --> 00:25:14.228
Dr. Lisa Radosta: She leaves us with a report card where each day, this is what Chewie did.
00:25:14.228 --> 00:25:15.468
Dr. Lisa Radosta: That's my cat Chewie.
00:25:15.468 --> 00:25:18.408
Dr. Lisa Radosta: He's named after Chewbacca, but he's much more like Kylo Ren.
00:25:18.568 --> 00:25:21.728
Dr. Lisa Radosta: He's not at all like Chewbacca, unfortunately, for us.
00:25:21.728 --> 00:25:24.568
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But anyway, the point is, I've been very pleased with that.
00:25:24.568 --> 00:25:25.228
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But you're right.
00:25:25.228 --> 00:25:26.088
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It takes time.
00:25:26.228 --> 00:25:27.128
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It does.
00:25:27.128 --> 00:25:39.168
Dr. Kathryn Primm: So also, I would say from my clients interviewing me and my pet caregivers and seeing the area where we do keep cats, because we have a cat-specific boarding area, of course, but you need to see that.
00:25:39.168 --> 00:25:42.028
Dr. Kathryn Primm: You need to see where your heart leads you.
00:25:42.028 --> 00:25:44.168
Dr. Kathryn Primm: If you think your cat would be comfortable, I think.
00:25:44.168 --> 00:25:46.228
Dr. Kathryn Primm: And I have a lot of clients that do want to tour it.
00:25:46.228 --> 00:25:47.968
Dr. Kathryn Primm: And so I'd have to plan ahead.
00:25:48.068 --> 00:25:51.068
Dr. Kathryn Primm: I can't just call, I'm leaving at 2 today.
00:25:51.068 --> 00:25:52.988
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Can I come and look at your facility?
00:25:52.988 --> 00:25:57.228
Dr. Kathryn Primm: I'd have to plan ahead if I were not a veterinarian and just a pet owner.
00:25:57.228 --> 00:25:58.168
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Absolutely.
00:25:58.168 --> 00:26:01.108
Dr. Lisa Radosta: But this is the message for everything, right?
00:26:01.108 --> 00:26:09.688
Dr. Lisa Radosta: This is the message for 4th of July planning because of the fireworks and New Year's Eve planning and moving house planning and having a baby planning.
00:26:09.968 --> 00:26:23.828
Dr. Lisa Radosta: All of those things that veterinarians, we want to see you months before any of those events, not a day or weeks before or God forbid, after the baby's born or 4th of July where you're reporting all the negative things happening to your cat.
00:26:23.828 --> 00:26:35.608
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Because what we cannot ever forget is that learning occurs, even learning how to write cursive or do math for humans, any type of learning occurs on a neurochemical level.
00:26:36.128 --> 00:26:50.688
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Okay, so in other words, if we don't plan and we end up in a situation where your cat is traumatized or fearful, that has happened on a neurochemical level in the brain, and the body really keeps the score.
00:26:50.688 --> 00:26:54.048
Dr. Lisa Radosta: It really does, and your cat will not forget those things.
00:26:54.048 --> 00:27:05.408
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So if you can plan in advance and set your cat up as best you can for a less traumatic event, whatever that event is, you will keep that negative learning from occurring.
00:27:05.808 --> 00:27:07.508
Dr. Kathryn Primm: So plan ahead.
00:27:07.508 --> 00:27:12.168
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Maybe consider getting a harness for your cat if you're going on a van or camper vacation.
00:27:12.168 --> 00:27:22.028
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Look at your camper through the eyes of your cat, or tour your veterinary hospital, meet with your pet sitters, and do this weeks in advance, and talk with your veterinarian.
00:27:22.608 --> 00:27:24.108
Dr. Kathryn Primm: That is my soapbox again.
00:27:24.108 --> 00:27:27.388
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Talk with your veterinarian about the preventive care your cat might need.
00:27:27.988 --> 00:27:33.388
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Leantick protection, vaccinations, all of those things should include your veterinarian, don't you think?
00:27:33.388 --> 00:27:34.108
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Absolutely.
00:27:34.108 --> 00:27:35.908
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And I want to say, you're listening to Dr.
00:27:35.908 --> 00:27:40.548
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Pram, you're listening to me, and I can tell you, we love talking to people and we love helping pets.
00:27:40.548 --> 00:27:45.828
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So maybe you would talk to your vet, and maybe your vet doesn't have the answers.
00:27:45.828 --> 00:27:48.628
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Or maybe, look, it happened to be human beings, by the way.
00:27:48.628 --> 00:27:53.368
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Maybe your vet gets a little anxious when you start asking about behavioral stuff because they don't know anything about it.
00:27:53.368 --> 00:27:58.648
Dr. Lisa Radosta: So if you ask your vet, and your vet's like, I don't know, or whatever you think, then you know what?
00:27:58.648 --> 00:28:01.488
Dr. Lisa Radosta: I would ask that you say, it's totally okay.
00:28:01.488 --> 00:28:03.788
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Can you direct me to some resources?
00:28:03.788 --> 00:28:09.388
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Like, I get that you don't know and it's not a big deal, but can you direct me to where I can get that information?
00:28:09.388 --> 00:28:14.128
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Vets are human beings and some vets might be offended by that approach, but I think most are going to be relieved.
00:28:14.128 --> 00:28:16.888
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Like, oh my God, thank you for letting me off the hook for not knowing.
00:28:16.988 --> 00:28:22.048
Dr. Lisa Radosta: 100 percent of everything about 100 percent of all the things that could ever happen to 100 percent of all the animals.
00:28:22.448 --> 00:28:24.268
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Like, just help them out.
00:28:24.268 --> 00:28:27.608
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And if they say, you know what, give me a couple days, say no problem.
00:28:27.608 --> 00:28:32.628
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And then follow up in a couple days with a phone call and say, hey, you know, do you have any resources for me?
00:28:32.628 --> 00:28:35.508
Dr. Lisa Radosta: You can also find tons of information by following Dr.
00:28:35.508 --> 00:28:40.608
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Prem or following me on Instagram, just reaching out yourself and gathering information.
00:28:40.608 --> 00:28:43.808
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Then you can bring that to your vet and say, yeah, I found that vet behaviorist online.
00:28:43.808 --> 00:28:44.608
Dr. Lisa Radosta: What do you think of her?
00:28:44.608 --> 00:28:46.068
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Should I do what she's saying?
00:28:46.068 --> 00:28:54.628
Dr. Lisa Radosta: And then your vet's in a position that is totally different and I think easier in a lot of ways to say, oh, yeah, I know her, I went to two of her lectures, she's cool, do what she says.
00:28:54.628 --> 00:28:59.308
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Finding things on your own and bringing those to your vet is also something you can do to be proactive.
00:28:59.308 --> 00:29:00.108
Dr. Kathryn Primm: I totally agree.
00:29:00.108 --> 00:29:04.268
Dr. Kathryn Primm: I write blogs, I write articles, you do videos, I do this podcast.
00:29:04.268 --> 00:29:13.748
Dr. Kathryn Primm: There is really good information out there if you just look, but you can take it to your veterinarian and ask them instead of making it an adversarial situation.
00:29:13.968 --> 00:29:15.008
Dr. Kathryn Primm: That's really good advice.
00:29:15.008 --> 00:29:17.768
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Thank you for coming and talking with us about this today.
00:29:17.768 --> 00:29:19.088
Dr. Lisa Radosta: Thank you for having me.
00:29:19.508 --> 00:29:24.388
Dr. Lisa Radosta: The more I can talk about behavior, I feel like the happier our pets will be.
00:29:24.388 --> 00:29:25.548
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Absolutely.
00:29:25.548 --> 00:29:32.568
Dr. Kathryn Primm: So your expertise is very valuable to us, and I hope that you continue to be available to us to discuss these things.
00:29:32.568 --> 00:29:40.228
Dr. Kathryn Primm: To my listeners, remember, preparation for vacation is key to ensuring a smooth experience for you and your cat.
00:29:40.228 --> 00:29:42.408
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Don't forget acclimating to your cat carrier.
00:29:42.408 --> 00:29:45.708
Dr. Kathryn Primm: We talk about that a lot on this show, and that's really important.
00:29:46.328 --> 00:29:50.748
Dr. Kathryn Primm: But I just want to thank my amazing producer, Mark Winter.
00:29:50.748 --> 00:30:00.128
Dr. Kathryn Primm: Thank my listeners, and I hope that until next time, you have happy travels and you have a purrfect day.
00:30:00.128 --> 00:30:01.468
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