About this episode

The episode discusses the gap in veterinary care for cats compared to dogs and explores the barriers cat owners face in seeking care for their pets.

"It is not a lack of care or love. They love, love, love their cats. They would do anything to give their cat a longer life." This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund , OcuTrap , and Feline Infectious Disease Summit 2026 . Host Stacy LeBaron talks with Gina Fortunato, Executive Director of CATalyst Council, and Kristin Wuhrman, the organization's Chair and co-founder/Chief Experience Officer of CatsOnly Veterinary Services, about a stark gap in feline care: cats now make up nearly half of U.S. household pets, yet get only a fraction of the veterinary visits dogs do. CATalyst Council, founded in 2008, exists to close that gap with data. Gina explains how a decade-old feline usage study first exposed the problem, while years of "veterinary visits are declining" headlines actually masked cat visits quietly climbing as dog visits fell. She also flags a number that matters to TNR advocates directly: over half of cats are acquired through informal channels rather than shelters, meaning they may never enter a system connected to routine care. Kristin breaks down the real barriers between cat parents and the vet — affordability, carrier stress, and the myth that adult cats need…

People in this episode

Host: Stacy LeBaron

Guests: Gina Fortunato, Kristin Wuhrman

Topics covered

• feline care
• veterinary visits
• cat ownership
• pet health
• barriers to care

Sponsors

Maddie's Fund, OcuTrap, Feline Infectious Disease Summit 2026

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CATalyst Council, CatsOnly Veterinary Services

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