This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, The Animal Rights Foundation, The Underfoot Podcast, and The Community Cat Clinic.

When a pet emergency nearly cost him both his beloved dog and thousands of dollars, Pietro Kabeya decided enough was enough. In this compelling episode, Stacy LeBaron chats with Pietro, the founder of Farevet, an app designed to bring price transparency and affordability to veterinary care.

Pietro shares the emotional story of his dog King, whose medical emergency revealed an alarming disparity in vet costs—from a $5,000 quote to the same procedure for $1,500 just miles apart. This experience sparked his mission to build a platform where pet parents can compare vet prices in real time, crowdsource cost estimates, and avoid unnecessary financial stress during moments of crisis.

Listeners will discover how FareVet works, why price transparency matters, and how the veterinary care landscape varies across regions. Pietro also introduces their upcoming AI chatbot, which aims to simplify the vet search process and help users budget for their pet's care more accurately. Whether you're rescuing community cats or navigating your own pet's health journey, this conversation is a must-hear for anyone seeking to turn compassion into action—and save money doing it.

Press Play Now For:

• The origin story behind FairVet and the emergency that changed everything
• How massive price discrepancies in vet care sparked a tech revolution
• A look at how crowdsourced data powers the FairVet platform
• Why itemized vet bills confuse pet parents—and how to decode them
• An inside scoop on FairVet's AI assistant and its budgeting potential
• Advice for pet parents navigating emergency care and economic euthanasia

Resources & Links:

• FareVet.com

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, The Animal Rights Foundation, The Underfoot Podcast, and The Community Cat Clinic.

In this heartfelt and thought-provoking episode, Stacy LeBaron sits down with Dr. Angie Krause, a holistic small-animal veterinarian from Boulder, Colorado, and her veterinary nurse, Jojo Smith. Together, they explore the evolving landscape of feline veterinary care, community cat welfare, and the powerful human-animal bond that fuels it all.

Dr. Angie shares her lifelong love for cats and how her holistic approach—combined with home visits and mobile vet care—provides a less stressful, more authentic picture of feline health. Jojo opens up about the unique emotional richness of end-of-life care and the urgent need to advocate for underserved cats with the same passion and grace we afford to dogs.

From discussing consent in feline handling to championing spay/neuter accessibility and the nuances of community cat caregiving, this conversation will leave you both inspired and informed. You'll also learn about their podcast, Tales of Truth: The Truth About Veterinary Medicine, which dives deeper into these topics.

Whether you're a cat parent, TNR advocate, or simply feline curious, this episode is your invitation to better understand and uplift the cats in your life and community.

Press Play Now For:

• Why consent matters in feline veterinary care
• The unique value of in-home visits for understanding cats
• How Colorado's spay/neuter infrastructure impacts cat populations
• The emotional depth of end-of-life decisions for cats
• Strategies to approach vet visits with grace and empathy
• The role of language in reshaping perceptions about "feral" cats
• How to advocate for cats—even if you don't have one at home

Resources & Links:

• Dr. Angie Krause's website: boulderholisticvet.com
• Podcast: Tales of Truth: The Truth About Veterinary Medicine (available on all major platforms + YouTube)
• Community Cats Central Paper Collar Template
• Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society

"The cat was telling me—I was just the one writing it down."

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, The Animal Rights Foundation, and The Underfoot Podcast.

What if there were a scientifically validated system to help shy, fearful, or traumatized cats become adoptable and happy? In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Jacklyn Ellis, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Director of Behavior at the Toronto Humane Society, sits down with host Stacy LeBaron to share her groundbreaking work in feline behavior and welfare. With a PhD in animal welfare and a passion ignited in second grade, Dr. Ellis has built a career helping cats communicate their needs through data-driven insights.

At the heart of the conversation is Dr. Ellis's revolutionary ordinal rating scale system, used to assess behaviors like food intake, response to petting, and play participation. She explains how this simple yet powerful tool not only improves individual case outcomes but also transforms how shelters approach feline care on a larger scale. Hear about whimsical enrichment rooms sponsored by brands, the unique challenges of conflict aggression, and why indoor-only cats need enrichment just as much as their outdoor counterparts.

If you're working with "in-betweener" cats—those that sit on the fence between adoptable and feral—this episode is packed with tools, inspiration, and insights to turn passion into meaningful outcomes.

Press Play Now For:

• The backstory behind Dr. Ellis's career in feline behavior
• How the Toronto Humane Society tracks and improves cat welfare
• The power of data in managing behavioral interventions
• Creative enrichment solutions that benefit both cats and adopters
• The truth about barn cat programs and their perception in urban areas
• Dealing with tough cases like conflict aggression and "dive bombing" cats
• How to help indoor-only cats live their best lives

Resources & Links:

• Feline Behavioral Ordinal Rating Scale Training (Free Course)
• Toronto Humane Society
• Dr. Ellis's research publications

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