Cat Only Practices, Why You Shouldn’t Scruff a Cat, & VPA’s

This week on Dr. Molly Says, I’m joined by veterinarian, feline medicine enthusiast, industry leader, and fellow “we have a lot of opinions about vet med” human… Dr. Jason Epstein.We get into everything from cat-only hospitals, corporate veterinary medicine, the future of feline care, and one of the biggest debates happening in veterinary medicine right now.Dr. Epstein shares his journey through general practice, leadership roles, startups, vaccine clinics, and why he’s now building cat-focused veterinary hospitals, because according to him… cats don’t belong in dog hospitals. (Yes, he said it.)We also get into:Why feline medicine deserves its own approachThe surprising problem with traditional mixed animal hospitalsCorporate vet med, leadership, and what happens when practices collapse overnightAccessibility, affordability, and the realities of modern veterinary careThe future of veterinary technicians and why they deserve WAY more supportThe controversial Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA) conversation happening in the U.S.Whether mid-level veterinary providers could help… or create bigger problemsPLUS: hot takes, conference friend lore, cat behavior misunderstandings, “spicy cats” vs moody monarchs 👑, and a surprisingly passionate discussion about veterinary education, legislation, and who should actually be writing healthcare policy.LOVE YOU GUYS 💛Timestamps:00:00:00 Welcome + meet Dr. Jason Epstein00:01:00 Marching band, clarinet discourse & veterinary origin story00:05:00 Early career, GP life & leadership transitions00:06:30 Corporate veterinary medicine + what happened with My Pets Wellness00:08:50 Affordable care, vaccine clinics & community medicine00:10:20 Why Dr. Epstein is building cat-only hospitals00:11:30 HOT TAKE: “Cats don’t belong in dog hospitals”00:13:00 Species-specific veterinary care: future or fantasy?00:15:00 What cats actually experience at the vet (and why it matters)00:20:00 Feline medicine gaps in veterinary education00:30:00 Cat-friendly care, environment & understanding feline behavior00:40:00 “Spicy cats” aren’t spicy… they’re cats00:41:30 The VPA conversation explained (without assuming you’ve been living on vet internet)00:44:00 Colorado, legislation & why this debate got very real, very fast00:50:00 Education pathways, supervision rules & big concerns about implementation00:57:00 Access to care vs quality of care — can both exist?01:00:00 Vet tech utilization, title protection & workforce challenges01:05:00 Where veterinary medicine might be headed next01:07:00 Final thoughts + why this is definitely not the last conversation we’re having about this---------------------------------------------------------------Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple:https://www.youtube.com/@drmollysayspod https://open.spotify.com/show/7xmKqrXGPJXpsbDbtCMgfe?si=17148ddc74604cb1 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-molly-says-podcast/id1800302028---------------------------------------------------------------Follow Dr. Molly:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysaysTikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysaysFollow the podcast:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysayspod/TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysayspod---------------------------------------------------------------