Q&A with a CCP Listener

We recently received a wonderful note from a CCP listener, Sarah Hollars, who was kind enough to reach out and let us know how much CCP has touched her life.

Not only do we love hearing from our listeners, we also love sharing their stories with our community so that we can all be inspired to help even more cats in the future—and perhaps even make a career out of it, like Sarah has!

In her original email, Sarah wrote, “I began listening to your Community Cats podcast when I first began trapping almost two years ago and was the person who was able to reunite Taco the cat with the information I gained from the last Online Community Cat Conference you hosted.”

She went on to write, “I am thrilled to say I applied for and was chosen as the New York City Animal Care Center Community Cat Coordinator…. I am really looking forward to making a well-planned impact on the lives of Community Cats in the New York City area and just wanted to thank you.

Without your podcast and conference I would not have learned as much and as quickly as I did and I am so thankful for all of the different voices you have introduced me to in the Community Cat world.”

Stacy reached out to Sarah to find out more, and we’re thrilled to be able to share this Q&A session with you:

How did you get involved with Community Cats?

I walk my dogs around the neighborhood and end up talking to a lot of my neighbors in the process. One neighbor was lamenting that the cat she fed was pregnant yet again and she didn’t know what to do. The woman across the street had promised to help, but hadn’t, and she couldn’t bear to see the kittens get hit or disappear again as they had in the past. I thought, “That’s simple—I will just call someone and they will come take care of the problem.”

I did some research online, left messages, and emailed . . . but only got crickets back. I didn’t want to fall into the same category as the neighbor across the street, so I researched a bit more and found out about TNR and the free services available to me in NYC via the ASPCA. I took a very interesting TNR course at a Queens branch library through the Mayors Alliance for NYC Animals and got certified.

I somehow bumbled through the system with the help of Kathleen O’Malley and was able to check out my first trap for the cat that was no longer pregnant, but now with three kittens. I worked with the neighbor to train the cat to eat near and then in the trap and on the appointed day the neighbor walked to morning mass, I set the trap, and the door quickly shut behind the hungry cat. While the cat was at her TNR appointment, I tried to catch her kittens, who lived on the roof of a shop. When I caught those kittens I caught the addiction to trapping. I felt completely empowered and so excited.

What did you know when you first started out?

I didn’t know anything, which is ridiculous as my sister is a veterinarian focusing specifically on shelter medicine. I had grown up on a farm in Southeastern Oregon so I knew cats lived outside and inside, but I had no idea what was happening in cities. Finding out about TNR was frankly rather difficult and bumpy, but once I knew about it, suddenly I was privy to a whole new system/world. It was completely overwhelming and fascinating all at once.

How did you find out about the Community Cats Podcast and Conference?

I discovered the Community Cats Podcast in a moment of desperation. I didn’t know any other trappers at the time, except the people I had tried to corner at the Glendale ASPCA pick up times . . . needless to say they weren’t very receptive to my advances. I love podcasts and thought maybe there is one about trapping. Shortly after finding the podcast, I began binging episodes while trapping. It gave me a sense of community before I had one. I found out about the Conference through the podcast.

How did the Podcast and Conference help you over the last couple of years?

The Podcast made me feel like I had a huge community of people who had come before and knew a lot more than myself. I really enjoyed the diversity of the speakers and was surprised when I found nuggets of helpful information in speakers I never would have chosen to listen to if left to my own devices.

What were your favorite podcasts or which ones stand out in your memory the most?

One of my favorite episodes was the interview Mary Peng, CEO & Founder, International Center for Veterinary Services. I love hearing about how TNR and animal care works in other countries and am always interested in learning more about the history of TNR.

If someone is interested in starting out helping community cats, what recommendations would you give them?

I think I would recommend they first take a TNR course, either in person or online if they are in a rural area without a TNR system in place. I would make sure the person knows there is a difference between TNR and rescue and that they can be mutually exclusive; that they can stick to TNR without feeling badly if they can’t do the rescue bit for financial or emotional reasons. Finally I would make sure they remember to always be mindful of what is best for the cat and what the cat wants, not to impose human desires on cats who do not want or need homes.

Thanks so much for reaching out to us to let us know what a difference CCP has made in your life, Sarah. We are thrilled to hear about your new position, and we thank you for everything YOU do for community cats!

Listeners, how has CCP made a difference for you? What is your story of getting involved with community cats? Shoot us an email and let us know. We always love to hear from you.