😸 Cat Tree Cleans Your Air—Plus Pets on Planes & Vet Burnout Stats

It’s Wednesday, May 28, and if coffee can’t get you over the hump, a hit of fresh pet intel just might. But first…

Quick warm-up: If your pet got a personalized license plate, what would it say? Hit reply—best vanity tag gets a shout-out in Sunday’s edition.

The Big Picture:

(Sources: BusinessWire.com¹ , TechNavio.com², investors.trupanion.com³)

Why these numbers matter: Care gaps + tech-savvy owners = a rush toward telehealth, tailor-made chow, and genetic insights—while behavioral health quietly becomes the next preventive-care battleground.

Pet Tech & Innovation

LG’s AeroCatTower: Purr Station × Air-Scrubber

CES 2025’s most “why-didn’t-they-think-of-that” gadget is LG’s AeroCatTower—a two-tier cat tree that weighs your feline, logs its snooze time, warms the perch, and filters dander out of your air. 

The built-in scale beams weight and sleep data to the ThinQ app, while the purifier throttles down to library-quiet mode whenever a cat is lounging on top, then cranks up once they hop off. No price or ship date yet—but the smart-home crowd is already penciling it in next to robo-vacs and litter bots.

Why you care:

• Early warning system: Even a 1-lb swing in kitty poundage can flag kidney disease or hyper-thyroidism long before symptoms show.
  
  

• Double-duty hardware: One outlet, one footprint—great for apartment dwellers who’d rather not trip over a separate purifier and cat condo.
  
  

• Feline-friendly UX: Warm seat + lower airflow while occupied = happier, less skittish cats (your Zoom calls thank you).

Bottom line: Smart litter boxes told us what came out; LG’s tower tells us what’s still inside—without adding more clutter to the living room.

Animal Industry

Debt, Burnout & Telehealth Whiplash—Key Plot Twists in AVMA’s 2025 Economic Report

The AVMA just released its 2025 Economic State of the Profession Report, a 100-page deep dive into the industry's vital signs. Here's your rapid-fire diagnosis:

• 🤑 Grad Debt Skyrocketing: New vets are crossing the stage dragging >$300,000 in student loans. This massive burden is giving corporate chains (with their fat sign-on bonuses) a serious hiring edge.
  
  

• 🚑 Relief Vets Rising, Burnout Too: Locum work jumped from 6% to 9.1% of the workforce. Good for flexibility, bad for well-being: these docs report the highest burnout in the field.
  
  

• 📉 Telehealth Hits a Wall: Clinic use of virtual care slid from 38% to 29.2%. Adding insult to injury? A quarter of practices (23.5%) still don't use any practice-management software.
  
  

• ⏰ Longer Hours, Same Old Capacity: Vets are working 10-hour average weekdays, but appointment slots are stuck at 13-14 per vet. This screams staffing crunch, not demand slump.
  
  

  The Prognosis? Expect:
  

  • Debt-driven Consolidation: Corporations will keep scooping up talent.
    
    

  • Efficiency Wars: AI scribes & inventory bots move to "must-have."
    
    

  • Mobile & Urgent Care Wins: Meeting clients where they are (digitally + physically) is key, without crushing staff.
    
    

  Translation for Pet Parents: The vet clinic landscape is reshuffling. Your vet's tech (or lack thereof) might soon dictate appointment times and even prices. Stay nimble!

Pet Stat-Of-The-Day

🍖 $3.6B — the size of the pet dietary-supplements market in 2024. Analysts peg a steady 5.6% CAGR through 2034 as “human-grade” wellness (think joint chews and probiotic sprinkles) migrates from smoothie bars to the dog bowl. Source: Global Market Insights

🛫 In-cabin critters: Virgin Australia will pilot pet-friendly flights later this year, letting cats and small dogs (≤ 8 kg carrier included) ride under the seat on select domestic routes—the first Aussie airline to try it. Source: 9 News

📡 Microchips 40% untraceable: Only about 6 in 10 microchipped pets have an up-to-date registration, leaving two-fifths of “chipped” wanderers effectively anonymous at the shelter door. Mark August 15’s Check the Chip Day on your calendar. Source: AVMA

Veterinarian’s Daily Pick

Summer-Trip Checklist: Flying Fur-st Class

Planning a getaway with whiskers in tow? Kiplinger’s 2025 travel guide lays out the latest airline fine print.

• Book the pet slot early. Most carriers cap in-cabin animals at 4–6 per flight.
  

• Health cert = boarding pass. Schedule a vet visit within 10 days of departure; some airlines shrink that to 5 days for internationals.
  

• Measure twice, buy once. Soft-sided carrier must fit fully under the seat (≈18″L x 11″W x 11″H on US carriers).
  

• Hydrate, then fast. Offer water pre-TSA, but skip the big breakfast to curb mid-air tummy rumbles.
  

• Prep a ‘delay kit’. Puppy pads, collapsible bowl, and a printed vaccine record live in your carry-on—delays happen.

Bonus tip: If your pet’s nervous, ask your vet about pheromone-sprayed carrier liners instead of sedatives (most airlines ban tranquilized pets).

Tails End: 2 Truths & 1 Lie

Alright, trivia tail-waggers—time to flex those fun-fact muscles again. Below are three eyebrow-raising statements about our furred (and feathered) friends. Two are 100% legit, but one is faker than a tennis-ball squeaker.

Can you sniff out the imposter?

Here are your three statements:

1. Basenjis don’t bark—they “yodel,” producing a unique baroo thanks to an oddly shaped larynx.
   

2. Scottish Fold cats’ signature floppy ears stem from a dominant gene that can also cause bone and cartilage issues in their joints.

3. Emperor penguins can fly short distances by trapping air bubbles in their feathers and launching themselves above the Antarctic ice.

Think you know which claim deserves the red card? Hit reply with the number you believe is the lie. Correct guessers score bragging rights and a shot at a surprise swag drawing in Sunday’s issue. Good luck! 😉

Paws and reflect: Got a question you want our vets to tackle? Hit reply. Until then, keep the treats crunchy and the walks adventurous—see you Sunday!

— The Knowledge Kennel Team 🐾