{"podcast":{"title":"The Community Cats Podcast","slug":"the-community-cats-podcast-743149","podcast_index_feed_id":743149,"rss_url":"https://communitycatspodcast.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://www.communitycatspodcast.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/d/f/a/f/dfaf848e37935d4fe5bbc093207a2619/CC_Graphic_Podcast_Icon_160502FIN3-20230404-7x4c26tz12.jpg","author":"Stacy LeBaron","episode_count":669,"summary":"Our mission is to provide education, information and dialogue that will create a supportive environment empowering people to help cats in their community. *For transcripts of most shows, visit https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/podcast/.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-community-cats-podcast-743149"},"episode":{"title":"Ep 658: The Cat Health Breakthrough No One Thought Was Possible with Steve Dale, Pet Journalist and Renowned Advocate","slug":"ep-658-the-cat-health-breakthrough-no-one-thought-was-possible-with-steve-dale-pet-journalist-and-renowned-advocate","published_at":"2026-03-31T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-community-cats-podcast-743149/ep-658-the-cat-health-breakthrough-no-one-thought-was-possible-with-steve-dale-pet-journalist-and-renowned-advocate","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-community-cats-podcast-743149","url":"https://communitycatscentral.com/episode-658-steve-dale/","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/communitycatspodcast/CommunityCatsPodcast_Ep658_Dale_260331.mp3?dest-id=394167","summary":"\"I'm announcing that FIP is no longer considered fatal… and I looked up to see tears in the eyes of veterinarians around the world.\" This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund , OcuTrap , the Feline Behavior Summit 2026 , and the TNR Certification Workshop . In this powerful and emotional episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron sits down with renowned animal behavior expert and advocate Steve Dale to explore groundbreaking advancements in feline health that are changing—and saving—lives. Steve shares the deeply personal story of his cat Ricky, whose diagnosis with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) sparked a decades-long mission to fund critical research through the EveryCat Health Foundation. What began as heartbreak has led to hope, including the development of a promising drug that can reverse heart enlargement in cats when caught early. The conversation then turns to one of the most historically devastating feline diseases: FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). Once considered a death sentence, FIP is now treatable thanks to years of persistence, research funding, and global collaboration. Steve walks us through the science, the setbacks, and the stunning breakthrough that has saved countless kittens—and even contributed to antiviral treatments used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond the science, this episode highlights the evolving human-cat bond, the importance of understanding feline behavior, and why we are truly living in the \"era of the cat.\" Whether you're a shelter professional, foster caregiver, or devoted cat owner, this conversation will leave you informed, inspired, and hopeful about the future of feline welfare. Press Play Now For: The surprising origin story of a piano-playing cat that changed everything How one cat's diagnos…","meta_description":"\"I'm announcing that FIP is no longer considered fatal… and I looked up to see tears in the eyes of veterinarians around the world.\" This episode is spons…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2019,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-community-cats-podcast-743149/episodes/ep-658-the-cat-health-breakthrough-no-one-thought-was-possible-with-steve-dale-pet-journalist-and-renowned-advocate/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-community-cats-podcast-743149/ep-658-the-cat-health-breakthrough-no-one-thought-was-possible-with-steve-dale-pet-journalist-and-renowned-advocate.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}