The Cat Conversation

About The Cat Conversation

Welcome to The Cat Conversation with KJ, Your Kitty Correspondent! Each episode we help cat people like you understand your cats better so you can have a better relationship with your cat! Watch KJ on Pet Pals TV, a nationally syndicated pet show where KJ shares positive stories about cats! Subscribe to KJ TODAY, your YouTube channel for the positive vibes of pop culture, people to know and pets! Follow KJ on your favorite social media platform: kjonsocial.com

Publisher

KJ

Category

kids & family · tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Apr 2024

Latest episode

30 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Is Your Cat Really Happy? What New Research Reveals

   How can you tell if your cat is hiding pain or if a change in behavior deserves a closer look? KJ McGlinn talks with Dr. Tammie King of the Waltham Petcare Science Institute about feline quality of life and the subtle clues cat parents can easily miss. In this Cat Conversation from Pet Pals TV, we explore research designed to help us better understand our cats' physical and emotional wellbeing throughout their lives. Your cat may seem less playful, stop climbing, or spend less time interacting with you. Is that simply their personality or age—or could something else be happening? KJ shares what happened when her cat Malcolm, whom she had always called a "ground dweller," started climbing the family's cat shelves after treatment for joint pain. His story brings this conversation home: sometimes a behavior we think is "just our cat" deserves another look. In this conversation: • Why cats hide pain and discomfort • Changes in activity, appetite, mobility, and social behavior worth noticing • Why quality of life matters at every life stage • How researchers developed the Feline Quality of Life questionnaire • What cat trees, shelves, and elevated perches have to do with feline wellbeing • How observations at home can support conversations with your veterinarian • How eligible cats and dogs can participate in the Mars Petcare Biobank ABOUT THE RESEARCH The Feline Quality of Life questionnaire, also called FelQoL, assesses cats' physical and emotional wellbeing. Its development and validation included responses from more than 1,300 cat owners in the United States and United Kingdom. Learn about the research: https://www.waltham.com/feline-quality-life-study Explore Mars Petcare Biobank participation and current eligibility: https://marspetcarebiobank.com/pet-owners At the time of this interview, Dr. King explained that the questionnaire was being used in research and was not yet available as a standalone public app or test. Have you ever discovered that something you thought was "just your cat's personality" was connected to their health? Tell us about your cat in the comments. Subscribe for more Cat Conversations with KJ and expert interviews about the cats we love. This conversation is educational. Discuss changes in your cat's health or behavior with your veterinarian. #CatHealth #CatBehavior #PetPalsTV

2. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Is Your Cat Aging Well: Senior Cat Support from Expert Vets | Live from PurrCon

   Is your senior cat slowing down, or hiding pain you can't see? Every cat parent eventually hits that moment. The jump onto the couch gets skipped, the litter box habits change, and you start to wonder whether it's just age or something more. In this episode of The Cat Conversation, KJ talks senior cat care with Maggie Placer, DVM, and Dean Vicksman, DVM. They cover when a cat officially becomes a senior, the quiet signs we tend to miss, what your vet checks during a senior exam, how to make sense of bloodwork, and the newer options helping cats with arthritis feel like themselves again. 🎤 Recorded live in front of an audience on the Cat Conversation Stage at PurrCon 2026, inside PopCon Indy. Presented by EveryCat Health Foundation. ━━━━━━━━━━ SIGNS YOUR SENIOR CAT NEEDS A VET VISIT Cats are experts at hiding discomfort. Call your vet if you notice: • Weight loss or weight gain • Drinking more water than usual • Using the litter box more often, or straining • Trouble getting in or out of the litter box • More vocalizing at night • Changes in vision • Avoiding stairs, or no longer jumping onto the couch, bed or counters • Skipping the things they used to love Tip: A baby scale and regular photos help you track changes at home. A friend or family member who only sees your cat now and then can often spot changes you've missed. ━━━━━━━━━━ KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Senior starts at 10. The American Association of Feline Practitioners defines a senior cat as 10 years and older. That's a good time to start twice-yearly exams and routine senior bloodwork. 2. A year is a long time in a senior cat's life. Cats age much faster than we do, so waiting a full year between checkups can let changes go unnoticed for too long. 3. Trends tell the story. A single bloodwork result matters less than how the numbers change over time. Ask your vet to walk you through yours. 4. "Just getting old" might be pain. Arthritis is common in older cats, and it's treatable. Warm, soft bedding and easy access to the litter box, food and water can make a big difference at home. 5. Care is getting easier. Monthly injections and medications given as liquids or applied to the ear or skin mean fewer pill battles. Ask your vet whether something to help your cat relax before visits could help. 6. Trust your instincts. "You live with your cat every day and you know your cat. If you feel something's off, trust your judgment." – Dean Vicksman, DVM ━━━━━━━━━━ CHAPTERS 0:00 Welcome to The Cat Conversation 0:21 Meet Dr. Dean Vicksman & Dr. Maggie Placer 2:12 When you realize your cat is getting older 3:02 How often senior cats should see the vet 4:12 Signs something's off: trust your instincts 5:19 What counts as a "senior" cat? 6:05 Making sense of senior bloodwork 7:40 What vets check in a senior exam 8:31 Arthritis: the pain cats hide 9:51 New ways to ease arthritis pain 11:45 Free resources from EveryCat Health Foundation 13:41 The human-cat bond in the exam room 14:50 Quality of life and the hardest conversation 16:09 Top takeaways for senior cat parents 18:28 Thanks for watching ━━━━━━━━━━ RESOURCES 🐾 Learn more about feline health and support cat health research, from EveryCat Health Foundation: https://everycat.org 🐾 Free cat care guides written by feline veterinary experts: https://catfriendly.com ━━━━━━━━━━ JOIN THE CONVERSATION 💜 Looking for a supportive community for your cat questions and concerns? Join KJ's Cat Club, KJ's free Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/kjscatclub 🎧 Prefer to listen? The Cat Conversation is also on your favorite podcast app. 📱 Follow KJ: https://kjontheair.com ━━━━━━━━━━ SEE US LIVE AT PURRCON 2027 PurrCon returns March 26–28, 2027, inside PopCon Indy at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, with more live Cat Conversations on stage. Get the details at https://purrconindy.com ━━━━━━━━━━ ABOUT THE HOST KJ is a broadcaster, author, Kitty Correspondent for Pet Pals TV and the founder of PurrCon. She connects cat parents with the experts and stories that build a deeper bond. ━━━━━━━━━━ 💬 Tell us in the comments: What's your senior cat's name, and how old are they? 👍 If this helped, give it a like and subscribe so you never miss a Cat Conversation. This video is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary care. If you're worried about your cat, please contact your veterinarian. #SeniorCat #CatHealth #CatArthritis #TheCatConversation #PurrCon

3. 

   11 Sept 2026

   Is Your Cat Hiding Pain? Signs Every Cat Parent Should Know | Vet Explains

   Cats are incredibly good at hiding pain. So how can you tell when something is wrong? We're here to help. In this episode of The Cat Conversation, KJ sits down with veterinarian Dr. Maggie Placer, DVM, from EveryCat Health Foundation to talk about the subtle signs of pain cat parents often miss and what changes in your cat's behavior may be trying to tell you.  Cats instinctively hide weakness, which means pain may be present long before we recognize an obvious symptom. Sometimes the clues are surprisingly small: hesitating before a jump, grooming differently, sleeping in a new position, eating less, avoiding touch, or suddenly behaving differently. Dr. Maggie explains why knowing your cat's normal may be one of the most powerful tools you have. 🐾 In this conversation:  • How cats hide pain • Subtle signs your cat may be uncomfortable • Why changes in grooming can matter • When limping or movement changes need veterinary attention • How arthritis can affect cats of all ages • Signs of chronic pain in senior cats • GI discomfort and vomiting • Stress, pain, and the connection between the two • Medication and treatment options for cats • Transdermal medications and compounding • Simple environmental changes that can make life easier • Elevated food bowls, ramps, bedding, warmth, and accessibility • Why behavior changes aren't your cat being "difficult" • How being present and noticing small changes can make a huge difference One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation:  Pay attention to changes from your cat's normal.  Your cat may not be able to tell you something hurts, but they are communicating all the time. This episode was recorded live on The Cat Conversation Stage at PurrCon and presented by EveryCat Health Foundation.  Learn more about feline health research and the work of EveryCat Health Foundation: https://www.everycat.org And if you're looking for more ways to understand your cat, strengthen your relationship, and feel more confident as a cat parent, join KJ and the cat-loving community at:  https://KJOnTheAir.com 🐾 Subscribe for more conversations about cat health, behavior, connection, and what our cats may be trying to tell us. The Cat Conversation Hosted by KJ, your Kitty Correspondent. #CatHealth #CatBehavior #catparents

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.