04/10/2026 Frisky Friday

·23 min·2 clips

Sammy Dix explains how to use a flower ring to see if a mother cat is secretly caring for her kittens.

The episode is an interview format where host PJ, filling in for Meg, speaks with Sammy Dix from Santa Rosa County Animal Control. It begins with a discussion of kitten season, advising people to observe kittens and use a flower ring test to see if the mother is nearby. Sammy explains that if kittens are in distress, call animal services. The conversation shifts to preventing overpopulation through spaying and neutering, mentioning low-cost clinics and a TNR program that has fixed over 600 feral cats this year. Sammy reveals the shelter's current animal count is 203, the lowest since 2022, with 103 dogs and 100 cats, partly due to fosters. She emphasizes the importance of fosters and volunteers in helping animals decompress from shelter stress. Next, they cover what to do if you find a stray animal, including posting on local apps and calling animal control, with specific phone numbers provided. Sammy highlights the value of microchips and keeping information updated. After a break, they discuss after-hours animal control operations, noting only one officer is on call for the entire county, prioritizing emergencies like dog attacks. Sammy mentions two new officers, Butcher and Spratt, who are military veterans. The episode touches on Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week and provides trapping tips for feral cats. Later, Sammy gives summer safety tips for pets, such as providing shelter and checking pavement heat. She also talks about the shelter's social media, wish list donations, and fostering opportunities, ending with contact details.

As heard by us

A practical local-radio guide to kitten season and after-hours animal-control calls.

Kitten season gives this Friday edition of Pep Talk a clear local-service purpose: helping listeners know what to do when they find a kitten and cannot see its mother.

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Why you'd press play

You find a kitten, pause before you scoop it up, and learn why watching for mom may be the kinder move.

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