Best This is Trix Podcasts (2026)

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Please Don't Gift a Snake or a Turtle to Anyone 18:14

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2h ago18:14

18:14

#341: Doug Mader reminds you that whether it’s a tortoise that lives many decades, or a mouse that only lives a short while, it is never a good idea to give anyone a living thing — other than a houseplant!By Tracie Hotchner

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Cat Tails Tell A Tale 11:39

3h ago11:39

11:39

#284: Mikel Maria Delgado discusses the variety of positions in a cat’s tail and how it reflects their feelings and mood, which is very particular to each kitty. Tracie likens deciphering cat tails to learning to read Morse code signals.By Tracie Hotchner

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You do Know Your Cat is Not Actually Your Baby, Right?! 29:26

1d ago29:26

29:26

#967B: Rebecca Van Laer's memoir “Cat” is a slim little book that speaks volumes about the life the author spent as a child feeling closer to cats than to humans and explores how her relationships with her cats have been the through line in her life. She also shares her opinion that referring to a kitty as your “baby” does a disservice both to cats…

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The Miraculous Transformation Wrought by Books in Prisons 30:52

3d ago30:52

30:52

#967A: Tracie shares her awe and admiration for Dwayne Betts, who, as a result of being incarcerated as a teenager, discovered the power of reading in prison. He came out to become a lawyer and a published poet, founding Freedom Reads in 2020. The nonprofit has put custom made wooden libraries into over 560 prisons nationwide, transforming the live…

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Alfred the Little Albino Tortoise Talks to Tracie 23:06

3d ago23:06

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#340: Paul Radice at Angels Hatchery and his wife Judith were the first breeders to create Albino tortoises — and enchanted Tracie by introducing her to Albert, the great grandson of their first breeder Norman, who is now 130 lbs and still lives with them.By Tracie Hotchner

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The Urban Kitty Living Large (even in a small apartment) 16:38

3d ago16:38

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#283: Stephen Quandt (https://catbehaviorhelp.com/) suggests ways to make a cat-centric city apartment including a space-saving cat climbing tree that is suspended from the ceiling and a window perch.By Tracie Hotchner

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A New Way To Be Your Dog’s Best Friend 30:07

4d ago30:07

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#966A: Katya Lidsky, author of “Be Your Dog’s Best Friend: the Benefits of Mutual Bonding and Relationship Building,” discusses what we can learn from our bond with dogs to improve our interactions with humans.By Tracie Hotchner

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Early Spay/Neuter — What Would Happen if You Desexed Human Children Before Puberty? 29:48

3d ago29:48

29:48

#966B: Dr. Lisa Radosta, one of the rare board certified veterinary animal behaviorists, discusses the issue of early spay/neuter and how it affects both physical and emotional development — and what is lost when a dog does not have the opportunity to fully grow mentally and physically.By Tracie Hotchner

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The Sad Fate of the Southern Hognose Snake 18:58

10d ago18:58

18:58

#339: Jeff Beane is Herpetology Collections Manager for the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences where he has been documenting the shrinking populations since 1985. He talks about the Southern Hognose Snake in particular, which has lost 97% of its habitat and is on the "Threatened" list but without the environment it requires is unlikely…

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Feline Purradise: the Lāna‘i Cat Sanctuary 25:35

10d ago25:35

25:35

#282: Keoni Vaughn, the Executive Director and caretaker of 767 cats (!) at the Lāna‘i Cat Sanctuary on the tiny Hawaiian island of Lāna‘i, explains its history and how they look after these previously feral cats (40% of whom become so tame they are adopted out to some of the nearly 20,000 tourists a year), while protecting a rare and vulnerable lo…

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We're in the Golden Age of Octopus Appreciation 28:41

18d ago28:41

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#965B: Sy Montgomery’s fourth book about octopuses (yes, not “octopi!”) “Secrets of the Octopus,” is filled with stunning National Geographic photographs and brimming with anecdotes and scientific discoveries about the multitude of abilities and superior intelligence of these otherworldly creatures, who are having their moment in the sun.…

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1,000’s of Beagles Used in Lab Experiments 26:51

11d ago26:51

26:51

#965A: Melanie Kaplan wrote “Lab Dog: a Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research” after adopting Hammy, a Beagle “retired” from being a research subject. She wanted to find out how tens of thousands of Beagles were bred for often pointless and cruel experiments — done at University veterinary colleges, funded by US g…

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Meet the Masters of African Cichlids: 50 Years, 45 Varieties, One Legendary Hatchery 19:25

17d ago19:25

19:25

#338: Paul Radice and his wife Judith at Angels Hatchery first brought this hardy colorful fish from the 3 largest lakes in Africa 50 years ago and are still breeding the 45 most popular varieties.By Tracie Hotchner

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Ursula K Le Guin’s "Book of Cats" 17:38

22d ago17:38

17:38

#281: Jennifer Mowdy of the Literary Cat Co bookstore and cat cafe (where you can buy the book) joins Tracie to discuss this beautiful, quirky posthumous book of collected works (prose, poetry, drawings) relating to cats, from the late renowned science fiction author, Ursula K Le Guin.By Tracie Hotchner

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Fly Burgers, Anyone? 30:04

20d ago30:04

30:04

#964B: Dustin Crummett is the Executive Director of the Insect Institute and co-author of research that questions the economic, environmental and animal welfare concerns of farming insect protein for pet food.By Tracie Hotchner

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How the Law Can Help Animals 29:19

20d ago29:19

29:19

#964A: Sherrie Hines is an animal welfare lawyer — and professor at the University of Georgia Law and new director of the Practicum in Animal Welfare Skills (PAWS) — discussing legal solutions and remedies in cases involving dogs and how they differ from state to state.By Tracie Hotchner

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The Python Huntress in Naples, Florida 21:34

25d ago21:34

21:34

#337: Python Huntress on Instagram, Amy Siewe leads guided hunts to kill invasive Burmese pythons, her biggest kill being a 17 foot snake. A “herper” who loves snakes and used to breed small ones, Amy has eliminated over 750 of these snakes that have decimated the mammals in the Everglades — one python even had a deer and two fawns inside it when t…

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Your Cat’s Kidneys Need Help! 29:51

24d ago29:51

29:51

#280: Dr. Michelle Dulake discusses the ingredients in her Fera Pets Kidney Support for cats: how it binds the phosphate in their diet, which is the culprit in most chronic kidney diseases. Tracie recommends that the sooner you start the supplement (and switch to an all wet food diet!), the better chance you have to stave off the inevitable kidney …

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Dogs With “Baby Faces” Are Suffering 29:44

29d ago29:44

29:44

#963B: Taylor Waters from the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, who also teaches animal law and policy at the Vermont Law & Graduate School, worries about the "infantilization of animals” and the public desire for breeds like French Bulldogs, chosen for their big round eyes and round, flat faces like human babies — when the health of these overbred …

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An FBI Dog Saving Birds in Hawaii 29:30

29d ago29:30

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#963A: Jen Danna — writing "Deadly Trade" as Sara Driscoll — takes the team to Hawaii in her newest thriller in her FBI K-9’ series, which is focused on protecting endangered birds from deadly poachers.By Tracie Hotchner

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How About an African Emperor Scorpion as a Pet? 20:22

1M ago20:22

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#336: Dr. Doug explains that scorpions — which are over 200 million years old, the oldest living animal on earth, — are unusual as an exotic pet. African Emperor scorpions — "ominous looking, yet fairly gentle with grasping pincers" — carry their young on their back like a taxi service.By Tracie Hotchner

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Take the Lid Off That Litter Box! 10:22

1M ago10:22

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#278: Mikel Maria Delgado talks about how very much cats dislike covered litter boxes — which might be aesthetically pleasing to humans, but can be scary for cats who feel trapped because there’s only one way in and out and no way to guard against intruders.By Tracie Hotchner

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NYC’s Urban Dog Calendar 30:09

1M ago30:09

30:09

#962A: Sean Sheer created his blog UrbanDogNYC about living with dogs in NYC ten years ago. The calendar shows all the places and events to which dogs in the city are welcome, as well as dog-centric events for humans. Sean’s articles about many canine topics are well written, informative and fun for dog owners, even if you live in a different urban…

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Let Street Cats Plan Your Next Vacation 29:17

1M ago29:17

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#962B: Travel writer and cat lover Jeff Bogle wrote the book “Street Cats & Where to Find Them: the Most Feline-Friendly Cities and Attractions Around the World,” to inspire cat lovers to plan a trip to almost anywhere in the world to include visiting community cats.By Tracie Hotchner

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The Black Cat Detective Agency Series 22:13

1M ago22:13

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#279: David Stirling wrote “The Cat That Followed Phantoms” and “The Cat That Chased Cadillacs” which Tracie compares to Richard Adams’ “Watership Down,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Stuart Little" and “Alice in Wonderland,” introducing us to an utterly believable alternate feline universe in which cats have fully realized inner and outer lives in which the…

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Play with Beaktivity (and Your Food!) 28:21

1M ago28:21

28:21

#335: Avian specialist and house call parrot veterinarian Dr. Ann Bourke talks about having helped Sue & John with the development of the Beaktivity hanging parrot toy, which makes parrots happy because they can destroy a toy made with his physical and mental needs in mind.By Tracie Hotchner

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Their DNA is the Crystal Ball to the Future of Horses 29:03

1M ago29:03

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#961B: Internationally celebrated DNA specialist Ludovic Orlando wrote “Horses: a 4,000-Year Genetic Journey Across the World,” illuminating his collaboration with hundreds of other scientists worldwide to discover where, when and how horses have been part of the human story, but also how science will write the future of The Horse — whether through…

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A Cozy Bookstore Filled With Cats 29:31

1M ago29:31

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#961A: Jennifer Mowdy (The Literary Cat Bookstore and Cat Lounge) brings books and reading to people in a lower socio-economic environment (Pittsburg, Kansas) who otherwise might not have access to it.By Tracie Hotchner

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Reptile Got Mites? Give your snake a bath in olive oil! 18:48

2M ago18:48

18:48

#334: Dr. Doug discusses mites on snakes — and the different mites that get on lizards — and how to treat them with an olive oil rub down, or the medication Provent-a-mite.By Tracie Hotchner

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The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen 10:36

2M ago10:36

10:36

#277: Jennifer Mowdy — owner of the Literary Cat Company book store and cat rescue — discusses this magical, allegorical Japanese best-selling novel by Yuta Takahashi, about a restaurant that appears only to those who need closure with a departed loved one and need to have one last meal with them.By Tracie Hotchner

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Don't Be Scared of AI Films — Because They're Here to Stay! 30:21

2M ago30:21

30:21

#960B: Filmmaker John Semper made the charming animated tale "The Singular Affair of the Missing Ball," which delighted the NYC audience at the recent premiere of the 10th Annual NY Dog Film Festival. After decades of producing and writing shows, particularly the iconic Spiderman series, using AI was a fun artistic experiment for him. Semper discus…

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Wisdom from the Immortal Jellyfish, the Gloomy Octopus and the Sarcastic Fringehead 29:58

2M ago29:58

29:58

#960A: These are the actual names of some of the 60 sea creatures Cara Giaimo describes in her gorgeously illustrated precious little book “Leaving the Ocean was a Mistake: Life Lessons from Sixty Sea Creatures,” from whom she has extracted great nuggets of wisdom like “Don’t let anyone tell you your relationship is weird” (White’s Seahorse), “Dres…

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The Special Human-Animal Bond With Fish 15:09

2M ago15:09

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#333: Dr. Doug Mader talks about his personal history with keeping fish as pets — feeling emotionally attached to them and their responsiveness to him as their caregiver. Another facet of the human-animal bond that is increasingly recognized in the pet keeping world.By Tracie Hotchner

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They Have a Cat in This Fight 33:21

2M ago33:21

33:21

#276: Dr. Bruce Elsey talks about the $17 million he and his wife Kathy [a Multiple myeloma survivor herself] have raised over the years for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation through their Dr. Elsey’s Fund to Cure Cancer — through litter coupon donations and an annual million dollar matching grant — because all cancer research helps find tre…

This Is Trix Podcasts