Advocates Archives - The Community Cats Podcast

Advocates

July 29, 2016

Interview! Kara Holmquist, Director of Advocacy, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

“It’s hard and it’s messy and it’s not pretty, but when it works we can really change policies that impact so many animals.” A veteran advocate for animals, Kara talks about her involvement in several game-changing initiatives — a license plate program and tax check-off — that created funding sources […]
June 24, 2018

Kitten Season is Here, and More than Ever, We Need to Communicate

So kitten season is here in full force around the country. Based on my sampling of what I am hearing from listeners, it appears that this summer is worse than past summers. I am hearing about areas with a 10% increase in kittens, and shelters in the southeast and southwest […]
July 1, 2018

Birds and Cats-Is It Really a Big Issue to You?

I recently have been having a lot of conversations around the issue of birds and cats and how they impact one another.  I have to be honest — I really didn’t think of this as that “hot” of a topic while working on TNR, adoptions and spay/neuter for owned cats […]
November 11, 2018

Getting to the Goal with the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance

This week’s guest blog post comes to us from Dr. Diana Newman, who serves as the clinic administrator for Companion Cats (Battle Creek, Michigan) and the Eaton County (Michigan) Humane Society. She is also a board member for the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance (MPFA), and recently attended the MPFA “Getting […]
December 23, 2018

How Might a Recession Affect Your Nonprofit Organization?

Over the last month the stock market has been dropping substantially, and it’s quite possible that this will be the first year that the S+P 500 could show a decline. Everyone is very worried that we are going to enter into a recession. We have a lot of economic uncertainties […]
December 30, 2018

How Can I Help You in 2019?

Within the next couple of months, the Community Cats Podcast will have published 300 episodes and 150 blog posts, hosted 2 Online Cat Conferences, assisted over 50 small nonprofit organizations through the Community Cats Grants program, and offered several other webinars as a resource for anyone who wants to help […]
January 6, 2019

Still Stumped on Goals? Here Are Some Suggestions!

I continue to be obsessed by goal setting this year. So I will share one more post and then I promise to get back to more hands-on topics like trapping cats in cold weather, shelters, and cool programs that others are doing. I have found setting my own goals quite […]
January 13, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series Begins

Starting this week and continuing all year, we are doing a series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. During the second week of each month, we’ll share a different group’s answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption program. We hope you enjoy and are inspired by […]
January 20, 2019

Benefitting from Opportunity Zones?

You might have heard reference to Opportunity Zones in the news, but you’ve likely never really thought about how they might impact Community Cats. Opportunity Zones designations were created in 2017 as a way to encourage investment in communities that need job growth and support. This is a perk for […]
January 28, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: Laura Burns

This week, we are starting an occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we interviewed Laura Burns, president of Hub Cats, a community cat group working in Chelsea, Massachusetts. She is also president of Habitat for Cats, […]
February 4, 2019

FeLV+ Adoption Program Profile Series: Carver Scott Humane Society

Here’s the next installment in our series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs. We have heard about so many wonderful groups and programs that we’re declaring February to be Fe-Leuk February and running a […]
February 10, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Ohio Alleycat Resource

Here’s the next installment in our series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs. We have heard about so many wonderful groups and programs that we’re declaring February to be Fe-Leuk February and running a […]
February 17, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Five Acres Animal Shelter

Here’s the next installment in our series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs. We have heard about so many wonderful groups and programs that we’re declaring February to be Fe-Leuk February and running a […]
February 25, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Humane Society Naples

Here’s the next installment in our series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs. We have heard about so many wonderful groups and programs that we’re declaring February to be Fe-Leuk February and running a […]
March 3, 2019

Trapper Tips and Tricks Profile: Bryan Kortis, Neighborhood Cats

This week, we have the next installment of our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we interview Bryan Kortis, co-founder and National Programs Director of Neighborhood Cats, a leading community cat advocacy group with hands-on programs […]
March 10, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Central Missouri Humane Society

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we […]
March 18, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary

  Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization […]
March 25, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: Charlotte Fox

This week, we have the next installment in our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which profiles folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we bring you tips from Charlotte Fox, Field Coordinator at Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, DC. Charlotte has been trapping cats since […]
April 1, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Tree House Humane Society

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we […]
April 7, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: KC Pet Project

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we […]
April 14, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: Penny Leisch

This week, we have the next installment of our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we bring you tips from Penny Leisch, President of Catnip Casa Cat Refuge in Austin, Texas. If you have tips and tricks […]
April 21, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (Part 1)

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we should […]
April 28, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (Part 2)

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we should […]
May 5, 2019

The Community Cats Podcast Visits Meow DC

Bright and early on April 27th, I was in the nation’s capital setting up the CCP table at Meow DC. The event, held at the trend Dock 5 space at Union Market, benefitted the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) of Washington, DC. That name might ring a bell. Stacy has interviewed […]
May 19, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: C5’s Keith Williams

This week, we have the next installment of our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we bring you tips from Keith Williams, President and Founder of C5 (Community Cat Coalition of Clark County) in Las Vegas, Nevada, […]
June 3, 2019

The Community Cats Podcast’s Weekend at Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp NYC!

Over the weekend, cat campers gathered at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City for two days of education, fun, and camaraderie. We’ve been lucky enough to interview Christina Ha, the event’s founder and owner of Meow Parlour Cat Café, before this exciting event every year so we had a […]
June 15, 2019

Scott Giacoppo, Director of National Shelter Outreach, Best Friends Animal Society

“Across the board, [TNR]’s working. We have yet to find a place where it’s not working.” Listen to Episode #304 Now   Scott Giacoppo (previously interviewed by Stacy on CCP Episode 25) has been involved in animal welfare since 1989. Among other roles, he has worked as an animal control […]
June 23, 2019

Rabies Vaccination and Microchip Clinics – Why You Need Them in Your Community

Many of you know that I am part of a small volunteer group in Chelsea, Massachusetts that, with the help of fundraising and a local foundation, is committed to making life better for cats and dogs in the community. The group, HubCats Chelsea, offers free spay/neuter services for owned, stray […]
July 1, 2019

Are You Ready for Kitten College?

Just about a week ago now, CCP partnered with the National Kitten Coalition (NKC) to hold the first-ever online kitten conference. We had twelve fantastic speakers with a lot of incredible information. There were many nuggets of cool information, but one thing that I found especially intriguing was the “Kitten […]
July 8, 2019

Foster Program Profile Series: Siamese Cat Rescue Center

Today’s blog is the first installment of a new series: the Foster Program Profile Series, in which we ask foster program directors a series of questions about their program and then share their answers with you. This week, we’re talking to Siri Zwemke of Siamese Cat Rescue Center. We hope […]
July 15, 2019

Guest Post: Saving the Aggressive Cats

Today’s post comes from guest blogger Allison Hunter-Frederick, a pet blogger, cat consultant, and cat trainer. Allison is also mom to three rescue cats. This post originally appeared on Allison’s blog site, Lincoln Pet Culture. We thought it was so great that we reached out to Allison to ask if we […]
July 22, 2019

San Francisco Feral Kitten Frenzy

Last week I read an article about some policy changes at the San Francisco SPCA and San Francisco Animal Care and Control regarding their policies on trapping feral mother cats and kittens. In a nutshell, the groups “have instituted a new policy that allows the mothers and kittens to stay together […]
July 28, 2019

Community Cat Centers – What Do You Think?

This article about the work that LeBron James has done in the Akron, Ohio public school system has me thinking hard about where animals fit into this new generation of thinking about community. Some of you know that my daughter Rachel is interested in education and has been working at […]
August 8, 2019

Thoughts on the News: Declawing Banned in NY & Humane Alliance and St. Hubert’s Merge

The last couple of weeks of July were very busy in the animal welfare world. Best Friends Animal Society had one of their biggest conferences, Alley Cat Allies had a big event in Texas, and Brandon Zavala put on a new event, the Silicat Valley Cat Convention, in San Jose, CA. […]
August 21, 2019

Holy Smokes Batman! There Are Kittens in Massachusetts!

Reports have been coming in from many Massachusetts rescuers and trappers saying that this year’s kitten season is the worst one “eva” (=ever in Boston-speak). I decided to email some of the larger shelters in the state to see what might be going on. I definitely came across some themes. […]
August 29, 2019

Fall Outreach—What Is That?

As we approach Labor Day Weekend, I find this is a good time to begin to think about fall and your plans for reaching out into your community. Summer always seems to be a more reactive time in our business. We are loaded with kittens, lots of emergencies, incredible adoptions, […]
September 26, 2019

In the News: Interesting Stories that Could Impact You and Your Cats

This week, I’m sharing a round-up of some recent cat-related news stories that you might have missed. Town in Australia is Limiting the Number of Cats in a Home to Two! I just don’t understand why people think that limiting the number of cats in a home is going to […]
October 3, 2019

PetSmart Charities Gives $3 Million to Meals on Wheels in a Partnership to Help Keep Pets in Homes with the Elderly

PetSmart Charities recently announced one of their largest donations to date: $3 million to Meals on Wheels (MOW) to assist and provide support to the elderly served by the organization’s programs. Many seniors have pets and many of them stay isolated and in their homes because they don’t want to […]
October 10, 2019

No-Kill vs. SCS Theory

There are many organizations and individuals that feel that having the goal of being “no-kill” is too polarizing. Back in the 1990s, the “no-kill” label drew a line between different types of behavior for organizations, as back then, many organizations did euthanize for space constraints. But now the case is […]
October 17, 2019

Rescue Rebuild and National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). The statistics are just startling. The DVAM website tells us that, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, over two million men and women are affected by domestic violence each year in the United States. They also note the following shocking statistics: […]
October 29, 2019

Colleen Bray, Director, Boone County (KY) Animal Shelter

“We’ve really been able to look at the numbers and … show that [TNR] is working.” Listen to Episode #323 now Colleen Bray, Director of the Boone County Kentucky Animal Shelter, has seen a lot of change with regards to cats in her time in animal welfare. She has worked […]
November 5, 2019

Sally Williams, Brodie Fund and Feline Fine Project

“Let’s move that needle. Let’s change the statistics.” Listen to Episode #324 now Sally Williams, who previously chatted with Stacy on CCP Episode 104, is a cat behaviorist and the founder and director of the Brodie Fund. She joins Stacy to talk about her newest effort, the Feline Fine Project, […]
November 12, 2019

Dr. Kimberley Khodakhah, Veterinarian, Mentor, Wellness & Success Coach

“When you put 220% in, you leave yourself very little time to recharge.” Listen to Episode #325 now Dr. Kimberley Khodakhah (better known as “Dr. K.”) runs Vetopia, a mentoring, wellness, and coaching business serving veterinarians. With 23 years of experience as a veterinarian herself, Dr. K. knows the business […]
November 19, 2019

Isa Peraza-Martinez, ASPCA Community Cats Outreach Manager

“You need the buy-in from your community — and the support.” Listen to Episode #326 now Isa Peraza Martinez began her career at the APSCA as an animal caregiver at the organization’s adoption center. Today, she serves as Community Cats Outreach Manager. In this role, she delivers monthly TNRM (trap-neuter-return-monitor) […]
November 26, 2019

Ashley Morrison, Foster Caregiver & Cat Advocate

“You realize that you’re making a difference and it’s helping you just as much as it helps them.” Listen to Episode #327 now Ashley Morrison is an independent kitten foster home and cat advocate in Washington state. She has fostered over 300 cats and kittens over the past four years. […]
December 10, 2019

Valerie Sheppard, Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

“We are here to help the industry succeed.” Listen to Episode #329 now Valerie Sheppard, Director of Professional Development & Credentialing at the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA), joins Stacy to discuss what the AAWA is all about these days, including details on their Learning Center. Valerie created the […]
December 17, 2019

Lizz Whitacre, Pawlytics

“We’re really excited about the ability to share these resources so that, as a community, we can have a much bigger impact on the feral cat community.” Listen to Episode #330 now In this episode, Stacy is joined by Lizz Whitacre, founder and CEO of Pawlytics, a technology solution to […]
December 24, 2019

John Boone, Wildlife Biologist at Great Bay Bird Observatory

“We tried very hard to focus objectively on the questions that we’re asking and accept the answers that we’re getting …” Listen to Episode #331 now   John Boone, a wildlife biologist previously interviewed on CCP, joins Stacy to discuss new research on how we can use the tools we […]
December 31, 2019

Julia Grosz, Cat Hustler

“Marketing is not adoption counseling … [it’s] the highlight reel.” Listen to Episode #332 now   This episode is sponsored by Dr. Elsey’s Veterinarian Formulated Quality Products for Cats, makers of “litter we’re so confident you’ll love, your first purchase is on us.” Learn more! Julia Grosz earned the nickname […]
January 7, 2020

Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project

“We know that this is the wrong thing to do to cats. No matter where you are, it’s the wrong thing.” Listen to Episode #333 now   This episode is sponsored by Dr. Elsey’s Veterinarian Formulated Quality Products for Cats, makers of “litter we’re so confident you’ll love, your first […]
January 14, 2020

Hasara Lay, Catexplorer

“Cats are capable of more than we give them credit for.” Listen to Episode #334 now   In this episode, Stacy speaks with Hasara Lay, founder of Catexplorer, a community, movement, and lifestyle brand for people who explore the world with their cats. Hasara, who is located in Australia, began […]
January 21, 2020

A Best of CCP Episode! Dr. Sara Pizano, DVM, Team Shelter USA

“Ending euthanasia doesn’t take years, and it doesn’t take millions of dollars.” Listen to Episode #335 now   Stacy sits down with Dr. Sara Pizano (a previous CCP guest on Episode 56, Episode 171, and Episodes 246 and 247) to discuss Dr. Pizano’s new book, The Best Practice Playbook for […]
January 28, 2020

A Best of CCP Episode! Will Zweigart, Flatbush Cats

“Five to ten years from now, I want to be able to look at my neighborhood … and say that we’ve made a measurable impact.” Listen to Episode #336 now   In this episode, Stacy sits down with Will Zweigart, founder of Flatbush Cats, a nonprofit focused on reducing the […]
February 4, 2020

Interview! Jeff Parks, Author of You Know Your Cat Loves You Because…

“I wanted it to be a book that was full of joy.” Listen to Episode #337 now   Jeff Parks, a comedy writer by trade, wasn’t introduced to the world of cats until he was in his 30s, but once he was, there was no going back. He quickly turned […]
February 11, 2020

Interview! Mario Arbore, Square Paws

“It’s always great to see cats enjoying our work.” Listen to Episode #338 Now   Mario Abore, the founder and owner of Square Paws, a cat furniture design company, sits down with Stacy to talk about how Square Paws came to be. Mario, an architect by trade, designs all the […]
February 18, 2020

Dr. Andy Kaplan, The Toby Project

“I’ve always been passionate about saving lives. That’s just who I am as a vet.” Listen to Episode #339 Now   In this episode, Stacy speaks with Dr. Andrew Kaplan, the veterinarian behind New York City’s The Toby Project. Andrew has been an animal advocate since he was a child. […]
February 25, 2020

Britney Fox Hover, Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society

“Whenever we can try to keep cats and people together, we do.” Listen to Episode #340 Now   Britney Fox Hover, the shelter director at the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) in Salisbury, Massachusetts, began at MRFRS as a volunteer in 2009. In addition to now running the group’s […]
March 10, 2020

Debbie Chatenever, community cat caretaker

“Going out and helping those cats gave me reason to want to get up and get dressed and go outside.” Listen to Episode #342 Now   In this episode, Stacy chats with community cat caretaker Debbie Chatenever, who walks several miles each day to feed the community cats in her […]
July 9, 2020

Webinar Review: How Gateway Pet Guardians Uses Community Programming During COVID-19

Today’s guest post comes to us from Emma Gabbert, Digital Content Specialist Intern at Whisker Media. Last month, Jamie Case and Janet Alderson from Gateway Pet Guardians (GPG) in East St. Louis, Illinois (just across the river from St. Louis, Missouri) hosted a webinar called Keeping Families Together: Pivoting Community Programming […]
July 16, 2020

What to Know about Feline Leukemia — and How to Learn More

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Feline Leukemia (FeLV) is the number one viral killer of cats. The virus weakens the immune system, leaving cats vulnerable to other diseases. Most diagnosed cats have an expected life span of three […]
July 23, 2020

Introducing Your New Kitten to the Family: Older Cats, Dogs, and Children

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. It’s kitten season and you may be thinking about bringing a new kitten into your family. Or maybe you stopped by the shelter for some entirely different purpose, or even “just to look”—and […]
August 13, 2020

Recent Study Identifies Key Indicators in Building High-Impact Community Cat Programs

Today’s guest post comes to us from Anna Murrin of Metro Denver CAT. Cat homelessness and overpopulation are problems that face animal welfare groups and the communities they support across the country. Addressing such a widespread problem is daunting when the data is incomplete. Metro Denver CAT is a program created […]
August 20, 2020

Anyone Can Trap! How to Get Involved with Your Local TNR Program

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs can be a wonderful way to deal with community cat population issues. It is important that community/feral cats get spayed/neutered and vaccinated so that their colonies don’t grow exponentially. In […]
August 27, 2020

Reasons Not to Adopt?

This week’s guest post comes to us from Liz Pease, former Executive Director of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, who was featured on CCP Episode #51. Last week, while putting together the CCP e-news, I was struck by the video that we shared from the new group Companions and Animals […]
September 3, 2020

Transports for Shelters and Volunteers

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Dale’s volunteer name tag at Animal Friends Alliance (AFA) in Fort Collins, Colorado reads “Cat Chauffeur.” He is one of a dedicated group of volunteers that helps to transport animals to AFA from […]
September 10, 2020

The Ever-Changing World of Facebook Marketing: What You Need to Know

Today’s guest post comes to us from Emma Gabbert, Digital Content Specialist Intern at Whisker Media. When social media took off in the 2010s, businesses and nonprofits were excited to get their brand on social media platforms. It’s fair to say that at the time, no one could foresee the […]
September 17, 2020

Planning for Emergencies

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Photos are courtesy of Krista and of Isabel Betsill of Colorado. The sun today is red. The sky, an orangey-black. Ash is drifting down from the sky like snow. It’s so dark it […]
September 24, 2020

Caring for Your Feral Working Cat

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast.  Employing a feral working cat at your barn, warehouse, vineyard, garden center, or workshop serves the dual purpose of controlling the rodent population and helping a feral cat find a safe place to […]
October 1, 2020

Programs for Pet Retention

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast.  This week I spoke to Anna, Community Pet Resource Manager at Animal Friends Alliance (AFA), a guaranteed adoption shelter in Colorado, about programs that support pet retention or shelter intake prevention. If you’ve […]
October 8, 2020

The Kansas Law that Keeps FeLV+ Cats from Being Adopted

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast.  Kansas State Law 47-624 sounds pretty reasonable. Under the Kansas Statutes for Livestock and Domestic Animals, the law pertains to “any domestic animal affected with any contagious or infectious disease.” These animals are […]
October 29, 2020

Announcing a New Collaboration!

We’re excited to announce a new collaboration between the Community Cats Podcast and the United Spay Alliance! The mission of the United Spay Alliance is “to make affordable, accessible, and timely spay/neuter services available nationwide.” They support this mission by engaging “with a national network of state and local spay/neuter […]
December 1, 2020

Best of 2020 – Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project

“We know that this is the wrong thing to do to cats. No matter where you are, it’s the wrong thing.” Listen to Episode #380 now   This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and KittySift. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Conrad, who founded The Paw Project in 1999, joins […]
January 21, 2021

We Can Do Better Than Lethal Control of Outdoor Cat Populations

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. As cat lovers, we hate seeing stories about communities employing lethal removal techniques to combat feral cat populations. But it isn’t distressing only because we hate the idea of cats being hunted and […]
January 28, 2021

The Bluegrass Cat Project

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. This week I chatted with Dr. Sara Pizano, founder of Team Shelter USA, LLC, about her work with the Bluegrass Cat Project and the recent grant they received from the Joanie Bernard Foundation. […]
February 4, 2021

Feline Fix by Five

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Fix cats by five months? To those of you working in a shelter setting, this idea might not make a lot of sense, as you’re probably already spaying and neutering kittens by 8 weeks […]
February 18, 2021

Center for Contemporary Sciences:
Working Toward an Alternative to Animal Testing

If you read our last book review post, you’ll remember one of my favorite books was Our Symphony with Animals by Aysha Akhtar. The book came out in 2019 and since then, Dr. Akhtar has been busy advocating for animals. She founded the Center for Contemporary Sciences, a foundation that […]
June 2, 2021

The Whole Kit and Caboodle: TNR of Kittens

This week’s guest post is authored by Nancy Peterson of The National Kitten Coalition. Best TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) practices involve trapping the entire colony of cats at the same time, although there are times when this is not possible. When there are kittens to be trapped, there are additional considerations. You will be […]
May 31, 2022

Special Episode! Trappers’ Tips & Tricks Part 1 with Bryan Kortis, Director of National Programs, Neighborhood Cats

“What about the ones where you do all the basics – you do the feeding pattern, you withhold the food, you use the good traps, and all that – but they just won’t go in?” Listen to Episode #458 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and […]
June 2, 2022

You’ve Come a Long Way, Kitten!

Contributed by: The National Kitten Coalition Get your kitten-fix during the Online Kitten Conference, June 10-12! Proudly presented in partnership with The National Kitten Coalition. Learn more and register here. For all of you in animal welfare, especially those caring for kittens, THANK YOU! Despite the seemingly never-ending line of […]
June 7, 2022

Special Episode! Trappers’ Tips & Tricks Part 2 with Bryan Kortis, Director of National Programs, Neighborhood Cats

“This is for when you’re really desperate to get the tomcat.” Listen to Episode #459 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie’s Fund. Drawing from over 20 years of experience working with feral cats, the folks at Neighborhood Cats have gathered together their favorite ways […]
July 27, 2023

A Feline Forward Business Model: The Community Cat Clinic in Woodstock, GA

Story submitted by Kristen Petrie, Tech Tabby, The Community Cats Podcast. When it comes to caring for our feline friends, the Community Cat Clinic in Woodstock, GA, stands out as a beacon of hope and compassion. This unique veterinary clinic has begun to make waves in the community for its […]
August 31, 2023

Unveiling the Flatbush Veterinary Clinic: Tackling Cat Overpopulation in Brooklyn, New York

Story submitted by Kristen Petrie, Tech Tabby, The Community Cats Podcast. I was delighted to visit the bustling heart of the Flatbush neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, to check out the exciting development of the Flatbush Veterinary Clinic. The brainchild of the Flatbush Cats organization, this new vet clinic will surely […]
December 1, 2023

Conference Reviews of The Ohio Community Cat Summit and CARE’s The Gathering

It’s been a busy fall at The Community Cats Podcast! Both Stacy, our venerable host, and Kristen, our technical tabby, have been speaking at or attending events. Here’s a quick summary of their experiences. From Stacy: On November 4th I had the honor of being the kickoff speaker at the […]
December 28, 2023

Preparing for Winter: Shelter and Care for Outdoor Cats, Especially Seniors

As the chill of winter approaches, our thoughts turn to outdoor cats, particularly those without a dedicated home or owner. For those who face cold, hard, and long winters, now is the perfect time to start thinking about winterizing outdoor cat shelters. In this article, we’ll explore how to prepare […]
February 22, 2024

Strategies To Help Community Cats If You’re Doing All The Work Yourself

What do you do when it seems you are the only person willing to help community cats in your neighborhood? Maybe you helped trap a few cats in your backyard, your neighbor saw you doing this, and now you are the cat rescuer in town? I think we can all […]
July 29, 2016

Interview! Kara Holmquist, Director of Advocacy, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

“It’s hard and it’s messy and it’s not pretty, but when it works we can really change policies that impact so many animals.” A veteran advocate for animals, Kara talks about her involvement in several game-changing initiatives — a license plate program and tax check-off — that created funding sources […]
June 24, 2018

Kitten Season is Here, and More than Ever, We Need to Communicate

So kitten season is here in full force around the country. Based on my sampling of what I am hearing from listeners, it appears that this summer is worse than past summers. I am hearing about areas with a 10% increase in kittens, and shelters in the southeast and southwest […]
July 1, 2018

Birds and Cats-Is It Really a Big Issue to You?

I recently have been having a lot of conversations around the issue of birds and cats and how they impact one another.  I have to be honest — I really didn’t think of this as that “hot” of a topic while working on TNR, adoptions and spay/neuter for owned cats […]
November 11, 2018

Getting to the Goal with the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance

This week’s guest blog post comes to us from Dr. Diana Newman, who serves as the clinic administrator for Companion Cats (Battle Creek, Michigan) and the Eaton County (Michigan) Humane Society. She is also a board member for the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance (MPFA), and recently attended the MPFA “Getting […]
December 23, 2018

How Might a Recession Affect Your Nonprofit Organization?

Over the last month the stock market has been dropping substantially, and it’s quite possible that this will be the first year that the S+P 500 could show a decline. Everyone is very worried that we are going to enter into a recession. We have a lot of economic uncertainties […]
December 30, 2018

How Can I Help You in 2019?

Within the next couple of months, the Community Cats Podcast will have published 300 episodes and 150 blog posts, hosted 2 Online Cat Conferences, assisted over 50 small nonprofit organizations through the Community Cats Grants program, and offered several other webinars as a resource for anyone who wants to help […]
January 6, 2019

Still Stumped on Goals? Here Are Some Suggestions!

I continue to be obsessed by goal setting this year. So I will share one more post and then I promise to get back to more hands-on topics like trapping cats in cold weather, shelters, and cool programs that others are doing. I have found setting my own goals quite […]
January 13, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series Begins

Starting this week and continuing all year, we are doing a series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. During the second week of each month, we’ll share a different group’s answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption program. We hope you enjoy and are inspired by […]
January 20, 2019

Benefitting from Opportunity Zones?

You might have heard reference to Opportunity Zones in the news, but you’ve likely never really thought about how they might impact Community Cats. Opportunity Zones designations were created in 2017 as a way to encourage investment in communities that need job growth and support. This is a perk for […]
January 28, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: Laura Burns

This week, we are starting an occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we interviewed Laura Burns, president of Hub Cats, a community cat group working in Chelsea, Massachusetts. She is also president of Habitat for Cats, […]
February 4, 2019

FeLV+ Adoption Program Profile Series: Carver Scott Humane Society

Here’s the next installment in our series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs. We have heard about so many wonderful groups and programs that we’re declaring February to be Fe-Leuk February and running a […]
February 10, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Ohio Alleycat Resource

Here’s the next installment in our series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs. We have heard about so many wonderful groups and programs that we’re declaring February to be Fe-Leuk February and running a […]
February 17, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Five Acres Animal Shelter

Here’s the next installment in our series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs. We have heard about so many wonderful groups and programs that we’re declaring February to be Fe-Leuk February and running a […]
February 25, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Humane Society Naples

Here’s the next installment in our series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs. We have heard about so many wonderful groups and programs that we’re declaring February to be Fe-Leuk February and running a […]
March 3, 2019

Trapper Tips and Tricks Profile: Bryan Kortis, Neighborhood Cats

This week, we have the next installment of our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we interview Bryan Kortis, co-founder and National Programs Director of Neighborhood Cats, a leading community cat advocacy group with hands-on programs […]
March 10, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Central Missouri Humane Society

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we […]
March 18, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary

  Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization […]
March 25, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: Charlotte Fox

This week, we have the next installment in our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which profiles folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we bring you tips from Charlotte Fox, Field Coordinator at Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, DC. Charlotte has been trapping cats since […]
April 1, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Tree House Humane Society

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we […]
April 7, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: KC Pet Project

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we […]
April 14, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: Penny Leisch

This week, we have the next installment of our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we bring you tips from Penny Leisch, President of Catnip Casa Cat Refuge in Austin, Texas. If you have tips and tricks […]
April 21, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (Part 1)

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we should […]
April 28, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (Part 2)

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs.  We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we should […]
May 5, 2019

The Community Cats Podcast Visits Meow DC

Bright and early on April 27th, I was in the nation’s capital setting up the CCP table at Meow DC. The event, held at the trend Dock 5 space at Union Market, benefitted the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) of Washington, DC. That name might ring a bell. Stacy has interviewed […]
May 19, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: C5’s Keith Williams

This week, we have the next installment of our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we bring you tips from Keith Williams, President and Founder of C5 (Community Cat Coalition of Clark County) in Las Vegas, Nevada, […]
June 3, 2019

The Community Cats Podcast’s Weekend at Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp NYC!

Over the weekend, cat campers gathered at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City for two days of education, fun, and camaraderie. We’ve been lucky enough to interview Christina Ha, the event’s founder and owner of Meow Parlour Cat Café, before this exciting event every year so we had a […]
June 15, 2019

Scott Giacoppo, Director of National Shelter Outreach, Best Friends Animal Society

“Across the board, [TNR]’s working. We have yet to find a place where it’s not working.” Listen to Episode #304 Now   Scott Giacoppo (previously interviewed by Stacy on CCP Episode 25) has been involved in animal welfare since 1989. Among other roles, he has worked as an animal control […]
June 23, 2019

Rabies Vaccination and Microchip Clinics – Why You Need Them in Your Community

Many of you know that I am part of a small volunteer group in Chelsea, Massachusetts that, with the help of fundraising and a local foundation, is committed to making life better for cats and dogs in the community. The group, HubCats Chelsea, offers free spay/neuter services for owned, stray […]
July 1, 2019

Are You Ready for Kitten College?

Just about a week ago now, CCP partnered with the National Kitten Coalition (NKC) to hold the first-ever online kitten conference. We had twelve fantastic speakers with a lot of incredible information. There were many nuggets of cool information, but one thing that I found especially intriguing was the “Kitten […]
July 8, 2019

Foster Program Profile Series: Siamese Cat Rescue Center

Today’s blog is the first installment of a new series: the Foster Program Profile Series, in which we ask foster program directors a series of questions about their program and then share their answers with you. This week, we’re talking to Siri Zwemke of Siamese Cat Rescue Center. We hope […]
July 15, 2019

Guest Post: Saving the Aggressive Cats

Today’s post comes from guest blogger Allison Hunter-Frederick, a pet blogger, cat consultant, and cat trainer. Allison is also mom to three rescue cats. This post originally appeared on Allison’s blog site, Lincoln Pet Culture. We thought it was so great that we reached out to Allison to ask if we […]
July 22, 2019

San Francisco Feral Kitten Frenzy

Last week I read an article about some policy changes at the San Francisco SPCA and San Francisco Animal Care and Control regarding their policies on trapping feral mother cats and kittens. In a nutshell, the groups “have instituted a new policy that allows the mothers and kittens to stay together […]
July 28, 2019

Community Cat Centers – What Do You Think?

This article about the work that LeBron James has done in the Akron, Ohio public school system has me thinking hard about where animals fit into this new generation of thinking about community. Some of you know that my daughter Rachel is interested in education and has been working at […]
August 8, 2019

Thoughts on the News: Declawing Banned in NY & Humane Alliance and St. Hubert’s Merge

The last couple of weeks of July were very busy in the animal welfare world. Best Friends Animal Society had one of their biggest conferences, Alley Cat Allies had a big event in Texas, and Brandon Zavala put on a new event, the Silicat Valley Cat Convention, in San Jose, CA. […]
August 21, 2019

Holy Smokes Batman! There Are Kittens in Massachusetts!

Reports have been coming in from many Massachusetts rescuers and trappers saying that this year’s kitten season is the worst one “eva” (=ever in Boston-speak). I decided to email some of the larger shelters in the state to see what might be going on. I definitely came across some themes. […]
August 29, 2019

Fall Outreach—What Is That?

As we approach Labor Day Weekend, I find this is a good time to begin to think about fall and your plans for reaching out into your community. Summer always seems to be a more reactive time in our business. We are loaded with kittens, lots of emergencies, incredible adoptions, […]
September 26, 2019

In the News: Interesting Stories that Could Impact You and Your Cats

This week, I’m sharing a round-up of some recent cat-related news stories that you might have missed. Town in Australia is Limiting the Number of Cats in a Home to Two! I just don’t understand why people think that limiting the number of cats in a home is going to […]
October 3, 2019

PetSmart Charities Gives $3 Million to Meals on Wheels in a Partnership to Help Keep Pets in Homes with the Elderly

PetSmart Charities recently announced one of their largest donations to date: $3 million to Meals on Wheels (MOW) to assist and provide support to the elderly served by the organization’s programs. Many seniors have pets and many of them stay isolated and in their homes because they don’t want to […]
October 10, 2019

No-Kill vs. SCS Theory

There are many organizations and individuals that feel that having the goal of being “no-kill” is too polarizing. Back in the 1990s, the “no-kill” label drew a line between different types of behavior for organizations, as back then, many organizations did euthanize for space constraints. But now the case is […]
October 17, 2019

Rescue Rebuild and National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). The statistics are just startling. The DVAM website tells us that, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, over two million men and women are affected by domestic violence each year in the United States. They also note the following shocking statistics: […]
October 29, 2019

Colleen Bray, Director, Boone County (KY) Animal Shelter

“We’ve really been able to look at the numbers and … show that [TNR] is working.” Listen to Episode #323 now Colleen Bray, Director of the Boone County Kentucky Animal Shelter, has seen a lot of change with regards to cats in her time in animal welfare. She has worked […]
November 5, 2019

Sally Williams, Brodie Fund and Feline Fine Project

“Let’s move that needle. Let’s change the statistics.” Listen to Episode #324 now Sally Williams, who previously chatted with Stacy on CCP Episode 104, is a cat behaviorist and the founder and director of the Brodie Fund. She joins Stacy to talk about her newest effort, the Feline Fine Project, […]
November 12, 2019

Dr. Kimberley Khodakhah, Veterinarian, Mentor, Wellness & Success Coach

“When you put 220% in, you leave yourself very little time to recharge.” Listen to Episode #325 now Dr. Kimberley Khodakhah (better known as “Dr. K.”) runs Vetopia, a mentoring, wellness, and coaching business serving veterinarians. With 23 years of experience as a veterinarian herself, Dr. K. knows the business […]
November 19, 2019

Isa Peraza-Martinez, ASPCA Community Cats Outreach Manager

“You need the buy-in from your community — and the support.” Listen to Episode #326 now Isa Peraza Martinez began her career at the APSCA as an animal caregiver at the organization’s adoption center. Today, she serves as Community Cats Outreach Manager. In this role, she delivers monthly TNRM (trap-neuter-return-monitor) […]
November 26, 2019

Ashley Morrison, Foster Caregiver & Cat Advocate

“You realize that you’re making a difference and it’s helping you just as much as it helps them.” Listen to Episode #327 now Ashley Morrison is an independent kitten foster home and cat advocate in Washington state. She has fostered over 300 cats and kittens over the past four years. […]
December 10, 2019

Valerie Sheppard, Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

“We are here to help the industry succeed.” Listen to Episode #329 now Valerie Sheppard, Director of Professional Development & Credentialing at the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA), joins Stacy to discuss what the AAWA is all about these days, including details on their Learning Center. Valerie created the […]
December 17, 2019

Lizz Whitacre, Pawlytics

“We’re really excited about the ability to share these resources so that, as a community, we can have a much bigger impact on the feral cat community.” Listen to Episode #330 now In this episode, Stacy is joined by Lizz Whitacre, founder and CEO of Pawlytics, a technology solution to […]
December 24, 2019

John Boone, Wildlife Biologist at Great Bay Bird Observatory

“We tried very hard to focus objectively on the questions that we’re asking and accept the answers that we’re getting …” Listen to Episode #331 now   John Boone, a wildlife biologist previously interviewed on CCP, joins Stacy to discuss new research on how we can use the tools we […]
December 31, 2019

Julia Grosz, Cat Hustler

“Marketing is not adoption counseling … [it’s] the highlight reel.” Listen to Episode #332 now   This episode is sponsored by Dr. Elsey’s Veterinarian Formulated Quality Products for Cats, makers of “litter we’re so confident you’ll love, your first purchase is on us.” Learn more! Julia Grosz earned the nickname […]
January 7, 2020

Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project

“We know that this is the wrong thing to do to cats. No matter where you are, it’s the wrong thing.” Listen to Episode #333 now   This episode is sponsored by Dr. Elsey’s Veterinarian Formulated Quality Products for Cats, makers of “litter we’re so confident you’ll love, your first […]
January 14, 2020

Hasara Lay, Catexplorer

“Cats are capable of more than we give them credit for.” Listen to Episode #334 now   In this episode, Stacy speaks with Hasara Lay, founder of Catexplorer, a community, movement, and lifestyle brand for people who explore the world with their cats. Hasara, who is located in Australia, began […]
January 21, 2020

A Best of CCP Episode! Dr. Sara Pizano, DVM, Team Shelter USA

“Ending euthanasia doesn’t take years, and it doesn’t take millions of dollars.” Listen to Episode #335 now   Stacy sits down with Dr. Sara Pizano (a previous CCP guest on Episode 56, Episode 171, and Episodes 246 and 247) to discuss Dr. Pizano’s new book, The Best Practice Playbook for […]
January 28, 2020

A Best of CCP Episode! Will Zweigart, Flatbush Cats

“Five to ten years from now, I want to be able to look at my neighborhood … and say that we’ve made a measurable impact.” Listen to Episode #336 now   In this episode, Stacy sits down with Will Zweigart, founder of Flatbush Cats, a nonprofit focused on reducing the […]
February 4, 2020

Interview! Jeff Parks, Author of You Know Your Cat Loves You Because…

“I wanted it to be a book that was full of joy.” Listen to Episode #337 now   Jeff Parks, a comedy writer by trade, wasn’t introduced to the world of cats until he was in his 30s, but once he was, there was no going back. He quickly turned […]
February 11, 2020

Interview! Mario Arbore, Square Paws

“It’s always great to see cats enjoying our work.” Listen to Episode #338 Now   Mario Abore, the founder and owner of Square Paws, a cat furniture design company, sits down with Stacy to talk about how Square Paws came to be. Mario, an architect by trade, designs all the […]
February 18, 2020

Dr. Andy Kaplan, The Toby Project

“I’ve always been passionate about saving lives. That’s just who I am as a vet.” Listen to Episode #339 Now   In this episode, Stacy speaks with Dr. Andrew Kaplan, the veterinarian behind New York City’s The Toby Project. Andrew has been an animal advocate since he was a child. […]
February 25, 2020

Britney Fox Hover, Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society

“Whenever we can try to keep cats and people together, we do.” Listen to Episode #340 Now   Britney Fox Hover, the shelter director at the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) in Salisbury, Massachusetts, began at MRFRS as a volunteer in 2009. In addition to now running the group’s […]
March 10, 2020

Debbie Chatenever, community cat caretaker

“Going out and helping those cats gave me reason to want to get up and get dressed and go outside.” Listen to Episode #342 Now   In this episode, Stacy chats with community cat caretaker Debbie Chatenever, who walks several miles each day to feed the community cats in her […]
July 9, 2020

Webinar Review: How Gateway Pet Guardians Uses Community Programming During COVID-19

Today’s guest post comes to us from Emma Gabbert, Digital Content Specialist Intern at Whisker Media. Last month, Jamie Case and Janet Alderson from Gateway Pet Guardians (GPG) in East St. Louis, Illinois (just across the river from St. Louis, Missouri) hosted a webinar called Keeping Families Together: Pivoting Community Programming […]
July 16, 2020

What to Know about Feline Leukemia — and How to Learn More

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Feline Leukemia (FeLV) is the number one viral killer of cats. The virus weakens the immune system, leaving cats vulnerable to other diseases. Most diagnosed cats have an expected life span of three […]
July 23, 2020

Introducing Your New Kitten to the Family: Older Cats, Dogs, and Children

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. It’s kitten season and you may be thinking about bringing a new kitten into your family. Or maybe you stopped by the shelter for some entirely different purpose, or even “just to look”—and […]
August 13, 2020

Recent Study Identifies Key Indicators in Building High-Impact Community Cat Programs

Today’s guest post comes to us from Anna Murrin of Metro Denver CAT. Cat homelessness and overpopulation are problems that face animal welfare groups and the communities they support across the country. Addressing such a widespread problem is daunting when the data is incomplete. Metro Denver CAT is a program created […]
August 20, 2020

Anyone Can Trap! How to Get Involved with Your Local TNR Program

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs can be a wonderful way to deal with community cat population issues. It is important that community/feral cats get spayed/neutered and vaccinated so that their colonies don’t grow exponentially. In […]
August 27, 2020

Reasons Not to Adopt?

This week’s guest post comes to us from Liz Pease, former Executive Director of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, who was featured on CCP Episode #51. Last week, while putting together the CCP e-news, I was struck by the video that we shared from the new group Companions and Animals […]
September 3, 2020

Transports for Shelters and Volunteers

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Dale’s volunteer name tag at Animal Friends Alliance (AFA) in Fort Collins, Colorado reads “Cat Chauffeur.” He is one of a dedicated group of volunteers that helps to transport animals to AFA from […]
September 10, 2020

The Ever-Changing World of Facebook Marketing: What You Need to Know

Today’s guest post comes to us from Emma Gabbert, Digital Content Specialist Intern at Whisker Media. When social media took off in the 2010s, businesses and nonprofits were excited to get their brand on social media platforms. It’s fair to say that at the time, no one could foresee the […]
September 17, 2020

Planning for Emergencies

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Photos are courtesy of Krista and of Isabel Betsill of Colorado. The sun today is red. The sky, an orangey-black. Ash is drifting down from the sky like snow. It’s so dark it […]
September 24, 2020

Caring for Your Feral Working Cat

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast.  Employing a feral working cat at your barn, warehouse, vineyard, garden center, or workshop serves the dual purpose of controlling the rodent population and helping a feral cat find a safe place to […]
October 1, 2020

Programs for Pet Retention

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast.  This week I spoke to Anna, Community Pet Resource Manager at Animal Friends Alliance (AFA), a guaranteed adoption shelter in Colorado, about programs that support pet retention or shelter intake prevention. If you’ve […]
October 8, 2020

The Kansas Law that Keeps FeLV+ Cats from Being Adopted

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast.  Kansas State Law 47-624 sounds pretty reasonable. Under the Kansas Statutes for Livestock and Domestic Animals, the law pertains to “any domestic animal affected with any contagious or infectious disease.” These animals are […]
October 29, 2020

Announcing a New Collaboration!

We’re excited to announce a new collaboration between the Community Cats Podcast and the United Spay Alliance! The mission of the United Spay Alliance is “to make affordable, accessible, and timely spay/neuter services available nationwide.” They support this mission by engaging “with a national network of state and local spay/neuter […]
December 1, 2020

Best of 2020 – Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project

“We know that this is the wrong thing to do to cats. No matter where you are, it’s the wrong thing.” Listen to Episode #380 now   This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and KittySift. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Conrad, who founded The Paw Project in 1999, joins […]
January 21, 2021

We Can Do Better Than Lethal Control of Outdoor Cat Populations

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. As cat lovers, we hate seeing stories about communities employing lethal removal techniques to combat feral cat populations. But it isn’t distressing only because we hate the idea of cats being hunted and […]
January 28, 2021

The Bluegrass Cat Project

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. This week I chatted with Dr. Sara Pizano, founder of Team Shelter USA, LLC, about her work with the Bluegrass Cat Project and the recent grant they received from the Joanie Bernard Foundation. […]
February 4, 2021

Feline Fix by Five

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Fix cats by five months? To those of you working in a shelter setting, this idea might not make a lot of sense, as you’re probably already spaying and neutering kittens by 8 weeks […]
February 18, 2021

Center for Contemporary Sciences:
Working Toward an Alternative to Animal Testing

If you read our last book review post, you’ll remember one of my favorite books was Our Symphony with Animals by Aysha Akhtar. The book came out in 2019 and since then, Dr. Akhtar has been busy advocating for animals. She founded the Center for Contemporary Sciences, a foundation that […]
June 2, 2021

The Whole Kit and Caboodle: TNR of Kittens

This week’s guest post is authored by Nancy Peterson of The National Kitten Coalition. Best TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) practices involve trapping the entire colony of cats at the same time, although there are times when this is not possible. When there are kittens to be trapped, there are additional considerations. You will be […]
May 31, 2022

Special Episode! Trappers’ Tips & Tricks Part 1 with Bryan Kortis, Director of National Programs, Neighborhood Cats

“What about the ones where you do all the basics – you do the feeding pattern, you withhold the food, you use the good traps, and all that – but they just won’t go in?” Listen to Episode #458 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and […]
June 2, 2022

You’ve Come a Long Way, Kitten!

Contributed by: The National Kitten Coalition Get your kitten-fix during the Online Kitten Conference, June 10-12! Proudly presented in partnership with The National Kitten Coalition. Learn more and register here. For all of you in animal welfare, especially those caring for kittens, THANK YOU! Despite the seemingly never-ending line of […]
June 7, 2022

Special Episode! Trappers’ Tips & Tricks Part 2 with Bryan Kortis, Director of National Programs, Neighborhood Cats

“This is for when you’re really desperate to get the tomcat.” Listen to Episode #459 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie’s Fund. Drawing from over 20 years of experience working with feral cats, the folks at Neighborhood Cats have gathered together their favorite ways […]
July 27, 2023

A Feline Forward Business Model: The Community Cat Clinic in Woodstock, GA

Story submitted by Kristen Petrie, Tech Tabby, The Community Cats Podcast. When it comes to caring for our feline friends, the Community Cat Clinic in Woodstock, GA, stands out as a beacon of hope and compassion. This unique veterinary clinic has begun to make waves in the community for its […]
August 31, 2023

Unveiling the Flatbush Veterinary Clinic: Tackling Cat Overpopulation in Brooklyn, New York

Story submitted by Kristen Petrie, Tech Tabby, The Community Cats Podcast. I was delighted to visit the bustling heart of the Flatbush neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, to check out the exciting development of the Flatbush Veterinary Clinic. The brainchild of the Flatbush Cats organization, this new vet clinic will surely […]
December 1, 2023

Conference Reviews of The Ohio Community Cat Summit and CARE’s The Gathering

It’s been a busy fall at The Community Cats Podcast! Both Stacy, our venerable host, and Kristen, our technical tabby, have been speaking at or attending events. Here’s a quick summary of their experiences. From Stacy: On November 4th I had the honor of being the kickoff speaker at the […]
December 28, 2023

Preparing for Winter: Shelter and Care for Outdoor Cats, Especially Seniors

As the chill of winter approaches, our thoughts turn to outdoor cats, particularly those without a dedicated home or owner. For those who face cold, hard, and long winters, now is the perfect time to start thinking about winterizing outdoor cat shelters. In this article, we’ll explore how to prepare […]
February 22, 2024

Strategies To Help Community Cats If You’re Doing All The Work Yourself

What do you do when it seems you are the only person willing to help community cats in your neighborhood? Maybe you helped trap a few cats in your backyard, your neighbor saw you doing this, and now you are the cat rescuer in town? I think we can all […]
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