Rephonic
Artwork for The Deal with Animals with Marika S. Bell

The Deal with Animals with Marika S. Bell

Marika S. Bell
Animal Welfare
Animal Communication
Animal Behavior
Dog Training
Animal Advocacy
Dogs
Human-Animal Connection
Dog Behavior
Chickens
Sex and Animals
Animal Reproduction
Human Intervention
Aggression
Emotional Connection
Animal Consciousness
Mother Cow
Ethics
Predation Behavior
Veganism
Animals

Humans interact with animals every day of our lives: diet, wildlife, clothes and even medicines, are all intersections we often don’t think about. This is a podcast about the interactions and connections between humans and non-human animals. Our mission is to make research more accessible to the public while sharing the voices and lived experience of our human connection with animals.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes168Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Deal with Animals with Marika S. Bell

Latest Episodes

Episode 5 looks outward: how to apply the psychology of eating animals, behaviour‑change research, and cross‑disciplinary insights to build a more effective, culturally aware, globally relevant animal‑advocacy movement. The episode argues that progre... more

Episode 4 examines the tension and opportunity where animal-advocacy goals and research on the psychology of eating animals overlap, drawing on conversations from the PHAIR conference. Researchers and advocates discuss credibility, bias, conflicts of... more

Episode 3 shifts from frustration to forward motion. This episode looks at the strategies that genuinely help people change — not the ones we wish worked, but the ones supported by evidence. Researchers and advocates unpack how small, well‑designed i... more

Adults don’t simply lose empathy for animals — they learn out of it. This second episode of the PHAIR Mini-series: traces how early openness narrows into adult resistance. Researchers describe the developmental arc: children begin with flexible, gene... more

First episode in a five‑episode series recorded at the Psychology of Human–Animal Intergroup Relations (PHAIR) Conference, exploring how beliefs, identity, childhood perception, and social norms shape human–animal relationships. Across conversations ... more

Special Bonus Content Episode - Sneak Preview from Patreon!

This special bonus‑preview episode shares three curated clips from past conversations — deeper dives, tangents, and moments that didn’t make it into the main show. You’ll hear Scott Giacopp... more

Episode 5 of Series 16: The Captivity Conversation - Transcript

Amber reveals what happens when an animal’s entire life is shaped around the profitability of her reproductive system, and what it means to rethink captivity from the inside out.

Gues... more

Episode 4 of Series 16: The Captivity Conversation Transcript

Dr. Culum Brown's insights challenge our assumptions about agency underwater and ask us to reconsider what captivity means for animals whose intelligence we’ve long underestimated.

Gues... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Bitey End of the Dog
The Bitey End of the DogMichael Shikashio CDBC
The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion
The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
Animal Behavior Conversations: The Podcast of The ABMA
Animal Behavior Conversations: The Podcast of The ABMAShane Gorbett, Board of Directors, The Animal Behavior Management Alliance

Recent Guests

Tobias Linnart
Advocate emphasizing collaboration across disciplines
Advocacy and education communities
Episode: 150. Building the Future of Animal Advocacy: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference
Joshua Rotman
Researcher advocating for environment-enabled behavior change
Academic and advocacy circles
Episode: 150. Building the Future of Animal Advocacy: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference
Matt Ruby
Researcher studying thinking about eating animals
FAIR/Research Community
Episode: 149. The Science/Advocacy Tension: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference 4/5
Tobias Leenaert
Longtime vegan advocate, co-founder of ProVeg International, author of How to Create a Vegan World
ProVeg International
Episode: 147. Why Adults Get Stuck: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference 2/5
Brooke Haggerty
Executive Director of Faunalytics
Faunalytics
Episode: 147. Why Adults Get Stuck: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference 2/5
Matthew Ruby
Senior lecturer in psychology
Latrobe University
Episode: 147. Why Adults Get Stuck: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference 2/5
Chris Hopwood
Professor of personality psychology
University of Zurich, FAIR Society
Episode: 147. Why Adults Get Stuck: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference 2/5
Antonia Gefahrt
Social psychologist at the University of Salzburg
University of Salzburg
Episode: 146. How We Learn to See Animals: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference ep. 1/5
Katja Liebal
Behavior biologist and comparative psychologist
Radboud University (implied through work), Global Children and Nature Project
Episode: 146. How We Learn to See Animals: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference ep. 1/5

Host

Marika S. Bell
Host with expertise in animal behavior and welfare, focusing on ethics, captivity, and public engagement.

Top Science Podcasts

Hidden Brain
Hidden BrainHidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
Something You Should Know
Something You Should KnowMike Carruthers | OmniCast Media
Radiolab
RadiolabWNYC Studios
StarTalk Radio
StarTalk RadioNeil deGrasse Tyson
Science of Perception Box
Science of Perception BoxUnlikely Collaborators | Pod People
Big Ideas Lab
Big Ideas LabMission.org
Science Friday
Science FridayScience Friday and WNYC Studios
Health Optimization Medicine Podcast
Health Optimization Medicine PodcastHealth Optimization Medicine and Practice

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

149. The Science/Advocacy Tension: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference 4/5
Q: What does it look like in practice for academics to engage with the public and with advocacy groups?
It involves partnerships with advocacy organizations, designing interventions and policies, and ensuring findings are interpreted and reported objectively to maintain trust while accelerating real-world impact.
149. The Science/Advocacy Tension: PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference 4/5
Q: Can researchers be advocates without losing the trust of the public?
The guests discuss balancing advocacy with objectivity, noting conflicts of interest and the need for transparency about biases, while emphasizing practical collaboration to make research more accessible and useful for advocates.
144. Engineered for Exploitation with Amber Canavan (S16)
Q: How accurate are cage-free and free-range labels in reflecting the birds' actual living conditions?
Labels like cage-free often mean little in practice, as birds are still kept in overcrowded sheds with minimal outdoor access, and the marketing creates a misleading perception of freedom that hides ongoing welfare issues.
144. Engineered for Exploitation with Amber Canavan (S16)
Q: What do you think most people would be genuinely surprised to learn about the egg production process?
The most shocking reality is that the harm starts long before hens are visible in a cage-free setting—genetic manipulation and intensive selective breeding drive production, leading to severe health issues and a life spent primarily on a reproductive treadmill.
142. Creating a Multispecies Community with Animal Welfare Scientist, Lauri Torgerson-White (S16)
Q: What three practical steps should someone take first if they want to start a sanctuary?
1) Do thorough research to understand the scale and implications; 2) Prepare for substantial ongoing financial needs and fundraising; 3) Learn animal welfare science and husbandry to keep animal numbers low enough for individualized care.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on the human-animal relationship, exploring how interactions with animals shape society, ethics, science, and daily life. Recent episodes span captivity, welfare, and sanctuary design; primate care and ethics; humane training; animal communication; and the cognitive and social lives of birds and reptiles. The host frequently chats with researchers, practitioners, and advocates who bring practical guidance, ethical frameworks, and firsthand experiences, making complex topics accessible for a broad audience. A standout throughline is a commitment to animal welfare and scientific transparency, often challenging traditional norms and encouraging listeners to rethink how they connect with non-human life. The show tends to blend... more

Where can I find podcast stats for this podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to this podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does this podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for this podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for this podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for this podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does this podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers this podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. The Bitey End of the Dog
2. The Ezra Klein Show
3. The Daily
4. Animal Behavior Conversations: The Podcast of The ABMA
5. Fenzi Food For Thought

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 5 years ago and published 168 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact this podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for this podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for this podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for this podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of this podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Tobias Linnart
2. Joshua Rotman
3. Matt Ruby
4. Tobias Leenaert
5. Brooke Haggerty
6. Matthew Ruby
7. Chris Hopwood
8. Antonia Gefahrt

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days