# Cat Chat® CAT CHAT ® was Tracie Hotchner's own weekly, live call-in show on the Martha Stewart channel of Sirius-XM for 7 years – until the channel was canceled. Since 2015 it has been a weekly podcast carrying on her mission to educate and inspire cat lovers to optimize their relationship with their kitty cats by giving them the best possible nutrition and environmental enrichment. Tracie’s frequent co-host is Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado of Feline Minds Cat Behavior Consulting and author of the new book Play… Page: Feed: --- ## Midnight Feline Frolics _2026-08-17_ #317: Mikel Maria Delgado of FelineMinds consulting talks about all the ways that cats can find to wake you up in the middle of the night — and how to manage nocturnal cat activity. [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2211366/episodes/19618578-midnight-feline-frolics.mp3) ## Protecting NYC's Un-Owned Cats Since 9-11 _2026-08-10_ #316: Mike Phillips tells the history of the Urban Cat League — rescuing cats after the World Trade Center bombing, making a refuge for them — and continuing to improve the lives of street cats to this day. [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2211366/episodes/19547682-protecting-nyc-s-un-owned-cats-since-9-11.mp3) ## A Cat Who Wants to take Showers With You? _2026-08-03_ #315: A listener wrote Tracie to ask how it was possible that two different cats she's had want to get in the shower with her! Resident cat expert Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado discusses the likelihood of this unusual feline predilection and how to handle a water-loving cat. [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2211366/episodes/19520709-a-cat-who-wants-to-take-showers-with-you.mp3) ## What to Know About Cats and Mammary (Breast) Cancer _2026-07-27_ #314: The nonprofit EveryCat Health Foundation financed a study across 5 countries of mammary tumors in cats, with surprising results explained by Dr. Maggie Placer, the veterinarian who is the Science Program Manager for the Foundation. [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2211366/episodes/19479709-what-to-know-about-cats-and-mammary-breast-cancer.mp3) ## Legalizing the Thousands of NYC Bodega Cats _2026-07-20_ #313: Dan Rimada is leading the push to legalize and protect bodega cats by creating a citywide archive of cats in NYC bodegas (estimates are 5,500 of them) which he and fellow volunteers have started documenting through field visits, photos, owner conversations, and release forms to get them legalized so the bodegas they protect against rodents don’t have to pay a fine. [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2211366/episodes/19479309-legalizing-the-thousands-of-nyc-bodega-cats.mp3) ## Vincent Gets Off Kitty Crack with CleanProtein _2026-07-13_ #312: Andrey (who created Brook Fountain) reports that his adopted cat, Vincent, who was completely hooked on kitty krack, transitioned off unhealthy kibble by starting with Dr. Elsey's CleanProtein dry food, then going all the way to wet food with canned CleanProtein, putting a smile on Andrey’s lips. And reminding other cat people that enticing “food toppers” are deceptive because they are not a… [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2211366/episodes/19444564-vincent-gets-off-kitty-crack-with-cleanprotein.mp3) ## HARD HAT CATS NYC: Hard at Work Keeping Rats at Bay _2026-07-06_ #311: Sheila Massey talks about her Hard Hat Cats NYC, which puts unadoptable cats from the NYC shelter into breweries, restaurants and retail stores where they provide non toxic rodent control in return for safety: a litter box, food and shelter. [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2211366/episodes/19410698-hard-hat-cats-nyc-hard-at-work-keeping-rats-at-bay.mp3) ## Turn Your Sofa Into a Scratching Outpost _2026-06-29_ #310: Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado of FelineMinds cat behavior consulting, explains that you cannot — nor should you — try to stop a cat from scratching, which is a natural and essential behavior. Instead, you need to offer a variety of sturdy, tall scratching posts in the areas where you spend time. Better yet, do like Mikel does and transform the back of your couch into a stylish array of scratchers! [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2211366/episodes/19378951-turn-your-sofa-into-a-scratching-outpost.mp3) ## Premium Cat Food at Supermarket Prices _2026-06-22_ #309: Allison Ward, the founder of Salty Cat, launched her company with the intention of creating a lower-priced cat food with premium ingredients. How did she do it? Simple! By lowering her profit margin, while also creating an egalitarian management structure in the small company. [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2211366/episodes/19341117-premium-cat-food-at-supermarket-prices.mp3) ## [Accept your Doppler invite (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/4QNo597ngIx0) _2026-06-22 · **Sponsored**_ Create your Doppler account using the invite code you received. ## The “Elevator Butt” Style of Peeing _2026-06-15_ #308: Cat behaviorist Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado explains another way to look at “vertical peeing” — cats who raise their butts like a rising elevator to pee behind themselves. But because they have all four feet in the litter box, it is not “marking.” She recommends some litter box accessories to manage the problem. [Listen](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2211366/episodes/19305370-the-elevator-butt-style-of-peeing.mp3)