Podcast Summary: “Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt on Family, Faith, and the Healing Power of Animals”

Making Space with Hoda Kotb – November 12, 2025

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt conversation, Hoda Kotb sits down with author and animal advocate Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt to discuss the life lessons she inherited from her renowned family, her deep connection with animals, the ups and downs of motherhood, and how faith and compassion shape her day-to-day life. Katherine shares stories from her new book Cat and Brandy, illustrating the transformative power of animals in her journey toward resilience and healing. The discussion is warm, candid, and rich in both wisdom and humor, offering practical insights for parents, animal lovers, and anyone interested in finding strength in everyday life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Motherhood, Family Roles, and Oldest Child Dynamics

• First-Time Travel Without Her Daughters
  Katherine describes her first trip away from her daughters, bringing only her youngest son, Ford, and her meticulous preparations to leave them feeling safe and secure.

  “I left Chris [her husband] with, like, a manual.” (03:39)

• Embracing Responsibility as the Eldest
  Katherine relishes her role as the oldest child, countering the narrative that it’s a burden.

  “I love the responsibility. I love the role. I love being in charge. …I have, I don’t look at it as a burden at all.” (05:08)

• Strict Schwarzenegger Upbringing
  She shares how her parents, especially her father, instilled chores and discipline (“If we didn’t clean up after ourselves, our belongings went into the fire.” 06:41) and how she plans to pass on those values.

2. Animal Advocacy and Emotional Connection

• Finding Calm with Animals
  Katherine explains how her relationship with animals, especially horses and her beloved Brandy, offered solace during tumultuous times in her teenage years.

  “Being in their presence gives you this calm and peace that most of us can’t find anywhere else.” (08:13)

• Barn as Safe Space
  The barn was her retreat from high school drama, the pressures of her father’s political life, and changing family dynamics.

  “It was a place I could step out of all that and just be myself.” (09:26)

3. Healing, Grief, and the Power of Animals

• Loss of Brandy
  The passing of her horse Brandy was a profound loss, one of the most traumatic of Katherine’s life.

  “Brandy was, like, my best friend… the first love of your life. …It was definitely the most traumatizing experience of my life.” (13:50)

• Processing Grief with Children
  Katherine recently lost another horse, Cinco, and she narrates the delicate, honest way she discussed this with her young daughters, allowing them to imagine what heaven might be like for their beloved animal.

  “They used their imagination to really create a world where Cinco… could just be young and run around and eat whatever he wanted.” (34:06)

4. Parenting Philosophies and Navigating Fear

• On Encouraging Bravery Without Pressure
  Katherine touches on how her mother struck a balance between pushing her toward courage and allowing her to heal after falling off a horse:

  “She wasn’t like, you have to compete. …I just took my time getting comfortable around the horses, and that’s really what I did with Brandy.” (12:37)

• Handling Fear in Parenting
  When her own daughter fell from a horse, Katherine supported her through the fear:

  “We slowly worked her way back up on the horse again.” (15:38)

• Nighttime Worries as a Mom
  She describes the universal parental anxieties about whether she’s handling situations “properly,” accentuated by the flood of advice on social media.

  “I think it’s always like, you know, when I made my daughter sit at the dinner table, did I handle that properly?” (16:32)

5. Family Traditions, Relationships, and Counseling

• Sunday Dinners and the Schriver “Table”
  Weekly gatherings at her mother Maria Shriver’s home bring together people from diverse backgrounds and prompt lively, meaningful conversations.

  “You never really know who you’re going to [see]… could be a world leader, a politician, an actor, …or our neighbor.” (27:01)

• The Value of Counseling
  Katherine credits premarital counseling and ongoing therapy for helping her and Chris Pratt navigate differences in background and parenting style:

  "We still do couples therapy today… it’s really taught us a way of communicating and understanding one another.” (21:17)

6. Faith, Gratitude, and Daily Practices

• Central Role of Faith
  Prayer and faith shape her day and family life.

  “Every morning I wake up and I pray right away. …Same thing right before I go to sleep.” (25:26)

• Table Prayers and the Importance of Ritual
  Both Katherine and Chris bring traditions from their own backgrounds to their household.

7. Mental Health & Self-Care: Making Space

• Healing Practices
  Katherine relies on Transcendental Meditation, regular therapy, movement, and quality time with family and animals to care for her mental health.

  “Transcendental Meditation… changed me in so many different ways that I would say to anybody who’s questioning it, it’s an amazing thing to have in your life.” (38:53)

• Advice from Maria Shriver

  “Be gentle with yourself. Give yourself grace. You’re doing great.” (40:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I love the responsibility. I love being in charge. …It fits me so perfectly.” – Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt (05:08)
• “Being in their [animals’] presence gives you this calm and peace that most of us can’t find anywhere else.” – Katherine (08:13)
• “If we didn’t clean up after ourselves, our belongings went into the fire.” – Katherine recalling Arnold Schwarzenegger's strict house rules (06:41)
• “Brandy was, like, my best friend… it was definitely the most traumatizing experience of my life [to lose her].” – Katherine (13:50)
• “We slowly worked her way back up on the horse again.” – On helping her daughter overcome fear (15:38)
• “Prayer is a big part of our life and my life and our kids' lives.” – Katherine (25:26)
• “Transcendental Meditation… has been really incredible for me and allowed me to have a practice that I can find my inner calm and center myself.” – Katherine (38:53)
• “Be gentle with yourself. Give yourself grace. You’re doing great.” – Maria Shriver via Katherine (40:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Katherine’s Family Context – 01:08–03:23
• Leaving Her Daughters for the First Time – 02:59–04:02
• Oldest Sibling Dynamics & Family Chores – 04:02–07:16
• Relationship with Animals & Brandy the Horse – 07:59–09:26
• Coping with Fear & New Book (Cat and Brandy) – 10:30–12:37
• On Losing Brandy – 13:47–14:55
• Handling Her Own Daughter’s Fall from a Horse – 14:55–15:51
• Parenting Anxieties & Social Media Influence – 16:00–17:36
• Grit, Chores & Teaching Responsibility – 19:12–20:54
• Marriage, Therapy & Navigating Differences – 21:11–23:34
• Faith and Family Rituals – 25:11–27:51
• Maria Shriver’s Poetry & Family Vulnerability – 28:43–31:40
• Answering Kids' Difficult Questions & Grief – 32:50–36:59
• Daily Routines for Mental Health & Self-Care – 38:36–41:38
• Katherine’s Ideal Day – 41:38–42:53

Conclusion

This episode is a moving exploration of family, motherhood, and the enduring comfort found in faith and animals. Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt’s stories and reflections, peppered with humor and hard-won wisdom, encourage listeners to pursue compassion, embrace responsibility, honor grief, and create space for restorative rituals—both big and small—in their daily lives.