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CatCog: Cat Science & Psychology

CatCog: Cat Science & Psychology

Written by: Adam Gill
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About this listen

 CatCog is the podcast for people who don’t just love their cats—they want to understand them.

Hosted by Adam, a psychologist who treats feline behavior with the seriousness it deserves, we decode the "why" behind the meow. We skip the fluff and generic tips to dig into the actual science: How does their vision work? Why do they really zoom at 3 AM? And how can we use biology to give them a longer, happier life?

Join Adam and his cat, Moon, as they translate complex research into a user’s manual for your favorite predator.Cat Cognition Biological Sciences Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • Why Cat Drooling Is NOT Like Dog Drooling

    Why Cat Drooling Is NOT Like Dog Drooling
    Jan 26 2026
    Your cat's drool carries a completely different message than your neighbor's slobbery golden retriever. Here's how to decode what your cat's saliva is really telling you.

    In this episode, we break down the biology of cat drooling - and why it's almost never "normal" the way it is for dogs. You'll learn that cats have a salivary gland unique to felines (dogs and humans don't have it), and that their drool is controlled by two separate nervous systems that produce completely different types of saliva.

    We cover the difference between "contentment drooling" - that happy, watery drool when your cat is kneading your lap - and pathological drooling that signals pain, nausea, or toxin exposure. By the end, you'll have a simple framework to diagnose your own cat's drooling in under 60 seconds.

    We also dig into dental disease, the number one cause of drooling in adult cats. By age three, most cats show early signs of periodontal disease. And a condition called feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) affects up to 10% of cats with pain so severe that full dental extraction is often the only solution - with 70-80% of cats showing substantial improvement afterward.

    https://blog.catcognition.com/why-is-my-cat-drooling/

    🎬 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatCog
    📖 Read the full research: https://blog.catcognition.com/
    🧮 Try our free cat age calculator: https://catcognition.com/calculators/
    📊 Explore cat statistics: https://catcognition.com/statistics/
    🏆 Take the cat science quiz: https://catcognition.com/quiz/
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    6 mins
  • When Do Kittens Actually See You?

    When Do Kittens Actually See You?
    Jan 16 2026
    The first time your kitten opens their eyes, they can't actually see you. For the next few weeks, you're nothing but a warm blur - a presence, a feeling. But somewhere around week four, everything changes. You finally come into focus.

    In this episode, we decode the complete science of kitten vision development - from sealed eyelids to the moment they truly see you for the first time. Spoiler: "eyes open" is just the beginning of a much longer journey.

    Most sources tell you kitten eyes open between days 7 and 14. What they don't explain is why your kitten still can't see clearly for weeks afterward. The answer involves three invisible barriers: a vascular network covering the lens, photoreceptors that need time to mature, and neural pathways that take months to fully wire.We explore the landmark 1984 Braastad study that revealed something counterintuitive: kittens raised in complete darkness actually open their eyes FASTER than kittens raised in light. We also discuss Nobel Prize-winning research by Hubel and Wiesel that established the critical importance of visual input during early development - proving that if kittens don't receive visual input during a specific window, they never develop normal vision.

    https://blog.catcognition.com/when-do-kittens-open-their-eyes/

    🎬 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatCog
    📖 Read the full research: https://blog.catcognition.com/
    🧮 Try our free cat age calculator: https://catcognition.com/calculators/
    📊 Explore cat statistics: https://catcognition.com/statistics/
    🏆 Take the cat science quiz: https://catcognition.com/quiz/
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • Ozempic for Cats Is Here (But You Can't Buy It Yet)

    Ozempic for Cats Is Here (But You Can't Buy It Yet)
    Jan 2 2026
    Why is your cat ALWAYS hungry? It's not greed - it's biology. Scientists just started the MEOW-1 clinical trial for OKV-119, an implant that could end feline obesity. But you don't have to wait. In this video, I explain the evolutionary reason your cat won't stop eating, and share 2 natural methods to trigger the same satiety response - without the drug.

    https://blog.catcognition.com/glp1-drugs-cats-okv119-meow1-trial/

    🎬 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatCog
    📖 Read the full research: https://blog.catcognition.com/
    🧮 Try our free cat age calculator: https://catcognition.com/calculators/
    📊 Explore cat statistics: https://catcognition.com/statistics/
    🏆 Take the cat science quiz: https://catcognition.com/quiz/
    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
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