Furball Confidential

A bunch of you have asked me about my own relationship with Clutch, beyond what is peppered throughout the conversations we've been having on Furball Confidential. I have obviously been thinking a lot about what she means to me as we put this podcast together. I've been collecting my thoughts and decided to write them down in a letter to her - and share it with you all here. It's actually a beautiful exercise. I would encourage you all to do it, for pets past or present. And if you would like to share, we'd love to hear from you at hello@furballconfidential.com. Meanwhile, here's my letter, to Clutch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a writer, how do you know when the work day is done? For Dean Koontz, it’s when a golden retriever throws your hand off the keyboard at exactly 5pm. A self-described “workaholic” who has written more than 100 books, Dean says adopting his first dog Trixie transformed his schedule and his life. Dean opens up about Trixie’s mystical side, what it’s like to care for a “perfect soul” and the jealous rage he felt when her debut book (co-written with Dean) outsold his own first novel. And he talks about coping with the immense grief of losing Trixie and how he and his wife Gerda knew they were ready to love another dog.Dean and Gerda adopted all three of their golden retrievers through Canine Companions for Independence, which trains service dogs for adults, children and veterans with disabilities at no cost to the client. When a dog has a “career change” (ie. doesn’t make it through training or can’t work as a service dog for whatever reason), it goes up for adoption to the general public. Or, say, to a world famous author who’s about to get a whole lot more exercise walking.You can keep up with Dean and Elsa on Instagram here and on Facebook hereAnd you can find all his books on his website here***Furball Confidential is created and hosted by Jen MorozTalia Schlanger is our producerTalia also co-created our theme  music with David Travers-Smith, with Brian Kobayakawa on bassReza Dahya does the video and sound design and editing Dani Stover does our social mediaOur show artwork is by Adrian Forrow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Haviah had her heart set on adopting the underdog. Or, undercat, as it were. Black cats are often overlooked in the rescue world and as a young Black woman growing up in Canada, the experience of being an underdog resonates deeply with Haviah. But in the end, after a long back and forth at her local rescue, the award-winning rapper realized that the cat who most needed saving was not black. It was Buster. Haviah tells the whole story, which is quite frankly one of the most remarkable pet origin stories we’ve ever heard. She explains how Buster became Thirteen - a number that shows up a lot in her work and life and has deeply poetic, meaningful origins. Haviah also talks about what it was like to adopt Thirteen, only to find that at first he didn’t want anything to do with her - and what she learned from that as a new pet parent. And she shares how Thirteen has taught her to slow down and “find a better baseline.”You can follow what Haviah is up to on her website: https://haviahmighty.ca/Or on Instagram here***Furball Confidential is created and hosted by Jen MorozTalia Schlanger is our producerShe also co-created our theme music with David Travers-Smith, with Brian Kobayakawa on bassReza Dahya does the video and sound design and editing Dani Stover does our social mediaOur show artwork is by Adrian ForrowMarina Hanna does our audience development Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meant to be. That’s really the only way to describe the trio of doggos that Adrienne C. Moore - star of Orange is the New Black and Pretty Hard Cases - calls her family. We dive into the remarkable origin stories of all three pups; from the photo of one little black and one little brown dog that Adrienne had up on her fridge long before she ever met Lola (small and black) and Mowgli (small and brown), to rescuing Dodson from the side of a road she never drives down. Never, except that one night.Adrienne will be the first to tell you, there’s magic and manifestation wrapped up in all of it. She’ll give you a glimpse into life with dogs who have three very different personalities, and their deep ability to comfort and ground her, especially with her hectic work life. And we talk about Adrienne’s lifelong respect for and love of animals, from healing injured birds and adopting strays as a kid, to regularly volunteering her time to advocating for rescue dogs as an adult. Giving back is a big theme for Adrienne, who already has had Mowgli trained as a service dog and accompanies him to hospitals and adult learning centres because “he’s the main attraction.” She hopes her dogs will all be service animals one day to spread the love and comfort and healing she says they have brought her. I mean: COME. ON.If you’re looking to support a pet related cause, Adrienne encourages you to check out the ASPCA and Hope for Paws, which is where she got Lola and Mowgli. And if you’re looking to adopt a pet of your own, Adrienne would love for you to check out your local shelter. In her words, “I always believe that, you know, there are enough dogs out there to rescue, to keep our hands and our hearts busy for a while.”Follow Adrienne’s acting updates and animal antics here.  You can also follow Lola and Mowgli hereAnd check out Dodson - aka Loddy Doddy - here***Furball Confidential is created and hosted by Jen MorozTalia Schlanger is our producerShe also co-created our theme music with David Travers-Smith, with Brian Kobayakawa on bassReza Dahya does the video and sound design and editing Dani Stover does our social mediaOur show artwork is by Adrian ForrowMarina Hanna does our audience development Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rose Cousins was never not going to get a dog. But, being a busy touring singer-songwriter, the timing had to be right. When the pandemic rolled around, Rose took the opportunity to welcome Harrington the Schnoodle (half schnauzer, half poodle) via an ad posted halfway across the country. Just like her songs about love, Rose talks so beautifully about the portal for love that Harrington has opened in her heart. She also details their adorable bedtime ritual and the quirks she’s come to love. Rose and Jen also reflect on what it’s like to contend with the fact that our pets will almost always break our hearts by leaving us first. Follow what Rose is up to:On her websiteOn Instagram (where you can also follow Harrington aka Schmarrington)And purchase or stream her music here. ***Furball Confidential is created and hosted by Jen MorozTalia Schlanger is our producerShe also co-created our theme  music with David Travers-Smith, with Brian Kobayakawa on bassReza Dahya does the video and sound design and editing Dani Stover does our social mediaOur show artwork is by Adrian ForrowMarina Hanna does our audience development Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let the record show that Natasha the cat was supposed to be “just a foster.” But by the time Baroness von Sketch Show star/co-creator Carolyn Taylor finally coaxed her out from under the couch, there was really no other choice but to keep her. A self-proclaimed “cat apologist”, Carolyn goes deep on feline lessons in humility and what keeps cat lovers coming back for more despite the possibility of scratches (emotional and physical). She shares theories on the cat-witch connection as well as tales of her hardscrabble, street-wise, jump-scare loving, late great black cat Eve.Carolyn also introduces us to the oddly comforting world of Catland, a fantastical cartoon with a zany soundtrack where all cats reunite in the great kitty beyond to ride horses and bicycles and do other fun things. It’s her go-to offering when a friend loses a beloved cat, and you can see it for yourself hereWe asked Carolyn for her favourite pet-related cause and she said the Loyalist Humane Society in Prince Edward County. It’s a volunteer-run “giant house that has all these apartments for cats”, and also where she adopted Natasha, the cat formerly known as Phyllis Jane.Follow Carolyn on InstagramCatch her in the latest season of Plan B on CBC Gem, as well as Baroneness von Sketch Show on CBC Gem and Peacock, and I Have Nothing on Crave and Peacock.***Furball Confidential is created and hosted by Jen MorozTalia Schlanger is our producerShe also co-created our theme music with David Travers-Smith, with Brian Kobayakawa on bassReza Dahya does the video and sound design and editing Dani Stover does our social mediaOur show artwork is by Adrian ForrowMarina Hanna does our audience development Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before comedian Sabrina Jalees had sons Wolfie and Rowan, she and her wife Shauna had another son - their French bulldog, Cowboy. According to Sabrina, he was their first born, and taught them a thing or two about parenting humans. Cowboy has also become fast friends and mischievous co-conspirators with her toddler. And who knew - until this conversation - that Cowboy kind of wasn’t meant to be. That’s all in this action-packed episode, in which Sabrina “gives some shine” to Cowboy and reflects on what he has brought into her life - and her family. (She will also argue, in great detail, that he has the most potent farts in the world. Brace yourselves.)We asked Sabrina what pet-related cause she might like to highlight and she joked it was “the teeny tiniest charity” she could find. She’s talking about the SPCA (or ASPCA in the States) and she encouraged everyone to check out our local chapter:In Canada: https://humanecanada.ca/In the US: https://www.aspca.org/Follow Sabrina:On InstagramOn TiktokCheck Sabrina out in the new Lilly Singh movie, Doin' It, out now. And look out for her new parenting podcast with comedian Natasha Leggero later this year, and Mating Season, her new animated Netflix show with Nick Kroll.***Furball Confidential is created and hosted by Jen MorozTalia Schlanger is our producerShe also co-created our theme music with David Travers-Smith, with Brian Kobayakawa on bassReza Dahya does the video and sound design and editing Dani Stover does our social mediaOur show artwork is by Adrian ForrowMarina Hanna does our audience development Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think you know someone? Wait until you hear them talk about their pets. Furball Confidential is a new podcast that takes a gleeful swandive into one of our most intimate - but least talked about - relationships - the one we have with our pets. Join veteran podcaster and rescue dog mom Jen Moroz as she sits down with some of your favourite actors, authors, musicians and influencers to explore a side of them you've never heard before, through the stories of the animals they love.Series premiere: Saturday, October 4, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.