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Pets & Animals · Amy Castro - Pet Parenting Expert & Animal Rescuer

The Pet Parent Hotline

by Amy Castro - Pet Parenting Expert & Animal Rescuer

You love your pets. But sometimes, living with them is a lot. The Pet Parent Hotline helps you figure out what matters and what to do next when pet care gets confusing, stressful, expensive, or just plain overwhelming. Most pet podcasts focus on the pet. This one focuses on you too, including the decisions, tradeoffs, frustrations, costs, mess, guilt, and curveballs that come with loving animals and trying to do right by them. From dog and cat behavior and training to pet health, nutrition, vet decisions, rising costs, aging pets, adoption, home life, and everyday pet-care problems, you’ll get practical help you can actually use. You got a pet to make life better, not to lose sleep, drain your bank account, second-guess every decision, or feel like you’re failing at something that was supposed to bring you joy. I’m Amy Castro, a longtime animal rescuer who has fostered more than 5,000 animals. Each week, I share real-world strategies, expert insight, and lessons learned from years of hands-on rescue experience to help you solve problems, make smarter decisions, and spend your time, money, and energy where they matter most. No fluff. No guilt. No pretending pet parenting is always easy. On the first Wednesday of each month, you’ll also get a Pet Parent Power-Up, a short reset to help you think more clearly, set better boundaries, and make calmer decisions. Start with the episode that matches what you’re dealing with today.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Is Your Pet's Collar a Safety Hazard? What Dog & Cat Parents Need to Know

Could your dog's or cat's collar actually put their life in danger? A collar that's too loose can slip right over your dog's head, dangling ID tags ca

Oct 18
26 min

8 Pet Products That Waste Your Money (And What to Buy Instead)

Ever spent good money on a pet product that promised to make your life easier, only to discover it created more work, more expense, or more aggravation? Some of the most

Oct 11
36 min

Love the Animal. But Do You Want The Life? | Pet Parent Power-Up

Before you get another pet, don't just research the animal. Research the life that comes with it. In this Pet Parent Power Up, Amy shares a simple way to make a bet

Oct 7
8 min

How to Avoid the Wrong Pet: 6 Beliefs That Lead to Bad Choices

Choosing the right pet isn’t just about finding an animal you love. Sometimes the mistaken beliefs you bring into the decision can steer you toward a pet that isn’t actua

Oct 4
19 min

Is Your Cat in Pain? Subtle Signs You Might Be Missing

Cats are incredibly good at hiding pain, and sometimes the first clue that something is wrong doesn't look like pain at all. It looks like a change in behavior. May

Sep 27
29 min

Should You Dump Someone If Your Pet Doesn’t Like Them?

Would you dump somebody because your pet didn’t like them? A new survey found that nearly one in four pet parents say a pet’s negative reaction to someone they’re dating

Sep 19
20 min

Dog Won’t Take a Pill? 10 Rescue-Proven Tricks That Work

Getting a dog to take a pill can turn into a ridiculous battle of wills, especially when they somehow eat everything except the medication. In this episode, Amy shares 1

Sep 13
24 min

8 DIY Pet Health Checks to Do Every Month

You see your pet every day, which means you’re in the best position to notice when something starts to change. The problem? Seeing them every day can also make gradual ch

Sep 6
21 min

Your Pet Is Acting ‘Off’: 3 Questions to Ask Before You Worry

This month’s Pet Parent Power Up is a little different: no intro music, minimal editing, and recorded on the fly to follow up on an important question from Sunday’s episo

Sep 2
8 min

Multiple Pets? Why Treating Them the Same Backfires

Treating your pets fairly doesn’t mean treating them all the same. In this episode, Amy looks at how age, health, mobility, personality, behavior, and even personal pref

Aug 30
19 min

A New Home With Pets: I Need Your Help!

What happens when the person who usually answers the Pet Parent Hotline needs help from the listeners? Amy is finally in her new house (new to her, but built in 1957), b

Aug 23
16 min

Stop Putting Off Your Pet Care To-Do List

Summer has a way of knocking routines loose and pushing pet care tasks to “later.” Before fall gets busy, this is a good time for dog, cat, and other pet parents to catch

Aug 16
21 min

How to Read a Pet Food Label

Pet food labels are packed with reassuring words like real chicken, high protein, complete and balanced, and superfoods. But what do those words actually tell you about t

Aug 9
56 min

Do Special Pet Diets Do What They Claim? | Pet Parent Power-Up

Sensitive stomach. Weight management. Hairball control. Urinary care. Pet food labels make these diets sound highly specific, but not every claim on the package means the

Aug 5
9 min

Is Doggy Daycare Helping or Hurting Your Dog?

Doggy daycare can give dogs exercise, enrichment, social time, and a much-needed outlet for their energy. But a dog coming home exhausted does not automatically mean they

Aug 2
39 min

Buying a House With Pets: What I Never Thought to Check

I thought buying a house with pets meant finding enough space, a decent yard, and hopefully a fence. Then I started walking through houses with three dogs and three cats

Jul 26
26 min

What Really Happened Moving 2,200 Miles With Six Pets

What Really Happened Moving 2,200 Miles With Six Pets Moving six pets from Texas to Massachusetts in an RV sounded manageable on paper. Then came the delayed departure,

Jul 19
34 min

Moving Cross-Country With 6 Pets: Lessons From 2,200 Miles

Moving cross-country with pets is not the same as taking your dog for a quick ride around town. In this episode of The Pet Parent Hotline, Amy shares the practical lesso

Jul 12
22 min

When a Pet Is Loved, But Not Safe: Understanding Behavioral Euthanasia

Behavioral euthanasia is one of the hardest and most misunderstood decisions a pet parent may ever face. While most people think of euthanasia as something reserved for p

Jul 5
46 min

Why Isn't Training Working for My Dog?

If you’ve ever said, “We tried training, and it didn’t work,” this episode is for you. This week, Amy talks with Em Breslin, host of the podcast The Dog Who Asked for Mo

Jun 28
50 min

Chart trend

Position in the Pets & Animals chart (US), last 90 days.

#7
all-time peak
1
day in the top 10 since Jan 2025

Chart positions

Where The Pet Parent Hotline ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 21, 2026).

#161 ▼ 34 Pets & Animals US

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About The Pet Parent Hotline on Reason.fm

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