The Community Cats Podcast

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network and Doobert.com. In part one of the Colony Caretaking webinar Bryan Kortis explores the bond between the cat and caretaker. He covers best practices such as feeding patterns, types of food, and nutritional content for the value of the food offered. He talks about what caretakers can do so as not to disturb neighbors or create a neighborhood nuisance at the feeding site. Bryan explains the variables like weather and wildlife (feral chickens? Yep!) that must be factored into both a trapping session and the colony’s well-being. Feeding stations and locations are covered as well as the specific needs that caretakers face with winter feeding, watering, and care. Session Presenters: Susan Richmond Executive Director, Neighborhood Cats Bryan Kortis National Programs Director, Neighborhood Cats Notes: View the video Download the handouts Learn more about Neighborhoodcats.org. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and view more of their content on Vimeo. Be sure to fo

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network and Doobert.com. As Kristen Bell is to sloths, so Jon Dunn is to cats. Senior Specialist of Communications and Host of the Best Friends Podcast by Best Friends Animal Society, Jon just really loves cats. He joins Stacy for his first-ever podcast sitting in the guest chair and answers questions instead of asking them. Jon and Stacy talk about TNR and how the mindsets around community cats have evolved. They touch on reunification challenges faced by cats and current conversations about how and who is able to adopt. Jon offers some insight into what it takes to have a successful podcast and how BFAS, as an organization, embraced podcasting as a timely communication vehicle to launch its first episode in April of 2020. Listen and subscribe to Best Friends Podcast. You can also follow Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook, Instagramand YouTube. Quick Notes: Jon mentioned VeganGR.com, his Grand Rapids, Michigan guide to vegan life.  

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network and Doobert.com. What started out as one man’s system to record and coordinate his own animal transport work has since transformed into an online software platform, custom-built for animal rescuers. Chris Roy and Stacy talk about the creation of Doobert.com and the recent re-build which added new modules and optimized it for mobile use. Chris and Stacy discuss his podcast, The Animal Innovations Show,  which explores innovations that are helping people to help animals. The podcast incorporates video, live stream, and IGTV to make it more interactive. While re-connecting, they examine barriers created by the “nonprofit mentality,” designing scale-able animal welfare programs, and using technology “for what it is good for.” Chris makes some predictions on what the next 3-5 years will look like for cats, based on the trends he’s seen as a result of COVID. Dive into the world of Doobert.com and subscribe to the Animal Innovations Show hosted by Chris Roy. You ca

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network and Doobert.com. Dr. Jaquie Rand is currently using research to tackle issues around community cats and the criminalization of Trap, Neuter, Release practices in Australia. After navigating significant resistance for over a year and a half, she was able to launch a research project to negate arguments about disease spread by cats, the impact of cat predation on native wildlife, and the benefits of sterilization. In the midst of COVID, data collection turned to neighborhood surveys which revealed paradigm-shifting data that challenged notions about the human element in the community cat equation. Stacy and Dr. Rand discuss barriers that are faced by cats' owners⸺especially those with limited financial resources⸺to access spay and neuter procedures. They chat about the value of research in finding possible solutions, prioritizing municipal support based on need, and educating stakeholders to make TNR a more viable option. To learn more, visit the Australian Pe

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network and Doobert.com. A few notes played on a toy piano by his showstopping cat Ricky, changed Steve Dale’s understanding of cat behaviour, forever. Steve Dale began to “clicker train” Ricky the Devon Rex and the two became an inseparable duo. They continued to work together and began dispelling myths about what cats can be through public appearances and media spots. Steve discusses Ricky’s diagnosis of feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and shares the legacy he created for Ricky by establishing the Ricky Fund for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Research. Stacy and Steve chat about Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return (TNVR) for community cats and benefits to the emotional and physical health of Fear Free™ practices. The Ricky Fund was established through Winn Feline Foundation, now Everycat.org and has raised over $200,000 for HCM research. Research from the Ricky Fund for HCM Research has produced a simple cheek-swab test to determine genetic predisposition for HCM a

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network and Doobert.com. Emily discovered the joy that adventuring brought to cats—and their people—when she and her husband took their own cat with Cerebellar Hypoplasia outside for enrichment. From catio to stroller, to harness training, Emily and Stacy chat about the best steps to take when preparing your cat to go adventuring outside. Emily talks about pet tracking devices and which features she recommends especially for cats. For the holiday season, Emily offers tips on traveling with cats and adventure cat gift ideas. Adventure Challenge is a list of different tasks for human and cat adventure teams. Teams that complete the tasks are entered in a drawing to win a prize. To join the adventure, as well as find resources on how to bring your cat with you, visit Emily’s website and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network and Doobert.com. Seven years into her work in veterinary clinics and with animal welfare organizations, Sarah Swanty learned a fact that devastated her. Of any 10 cats that were admitted to the local shelter, only four would make it out. A 60% euthanasia rate for cats drove Sarah to co-found Fort Collins Cat Rescue in 2006 which merged with Animal House Rescue in 2020 to become Animal Friends Alliance. Stacy and Sarah discuss the highs and lows of starting a cat rescue, the necessity of adding a low-cost spay/neuter clinic, and the organic growth that lead to merging two organizations. Sarah outlines the impact that spay and neuter have had on adoption and transport programs at Animal Friends Alliance in relation to regional animal homelessness. To learn more about Animal Friends Alliance visit their website follow them on facebook and instagram, or call (970)484-8516.

In this special episode, Pam Johnson-Bennett, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and best-selling author, joins Stacy to discuss how Covid has changed cat behavioral concerns and her participation in the ARM & HAMMER™ Feline Generous program. This year, the program will host the ‘Unsung Heroes’ Awards which will recognize the most inspiring staff and volunteers at cat welfare organizations; those who have gone above and beyond to help “purrfectly impurrfect” shelter cats. Pam discusses how winners will be chosen in a variety of categories and details how $30,000 will be awarded to the winning shelters, plus each unsung hero will receive an award and a year’s supply of ARM & HAMMER™ cat litter. This program holds a special place in Pam’s heart as they serve the same kinds of cats she meets in her practice and who, in a shelter environment, are often hard to adopt to forever homes.  If you would like more information or would like to nominate an unsung hero, you may visit the Feline Generous website. To

This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network and Doobert.com. Home Heart Vets was founded in 2017 by two cat-loving Veterinarians passionate about improving end-of-life care for cats in New York City, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. Stacy and Dr. Birse discuss the emotional toll of practicing Veterinary medicine as well as the rewarding aspects of the profession, counseling owners in making end-of-life decisions for their pets, and advocacy around humane euthanasia. Dr. Birse outlines some common signs of end-of-life stages in cats across different conditions and illnesses. Resources about end-of-life and the decision-making surrounding it can be found on the HomeHeart website and they offer free consultation phone calls to help guide pet parents in the process. To learn more about Dr. Birse and HomeHeart Vets, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. Beginning her life as a dog person, Allison talks about the value of using dog training methods to benefit cat behavior modification, and vice-versa. After losing her first companion cat in 2014, Allison focused on making cats lives better through behavior as a labor of love. Volunteering with Husker Cats changed Allison’s idea of a “feral” cat and inspired her passion for working with community and companion cats. Allison and Stacy chat about how environment, body language, and building a cat’s confidence are all factors that directly affect the emotional life of cats. Allison identifies cat aggression, due to miscommunication and fear, as a common issue that she works with. She tells Stacy,“I love the teaching aspect. I love seeing the people grow and love seeing the changes in the cats.” To learn more about cat behavior visit: Allison Helps Cats LLC. Follow her on Facebook and keep up with the life and times of Rainy, her therapy c

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. If dogs and cats could choose a psychiatrist it would be Dr. Nicholas Dodman. With a drive for advocacy, a gift for research, and a never-say-quit treatment philosophy, it is no surprise that he is one of the world’s most noted veterinary behaviorists. Co-founder of the Center for Canine Behaviour Studies, Dr. Dodman describes himself as a “secret cat person,” as well. In this episode, Dr. Dodman and Stacy chat about enrichment for indoor cats and how clicker training with cats positively enhances their relationship with their people. Dr. Dodman takes us through behavioral conflicts that are common in cats and some that are uncommon—like separation anxiety.  He outlines how pharmaceutical solutions treat behavioral issues like territorial spraying, pica, and compulsive behavior (OCD) in cats. To learn more about Dr. Dodman’s current and previous work, visit the Center for Canine Behavior Studies online, and for feline-specific content

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. Dr. Kelly Diehl left private practice as a Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist to join the Morris Animal Foundation which funds research that benefits animals directly. Dr. Diehl and Stacy discuss the Happy, Healthy Cat campaign which continues to shape protocol around low-stress housing in shelters today. Dr. Diehl relates some surprising common ground uncovered in a study about bird people v. cat people and gives us a preview into an ongoing study that looks at the effects of chronic inflammation in feline behavior and cognitive health. To learn more, visit the Morris Animal Foundation website for information on studies, webinars, and videos. Find out about their FIP initiative and how the foundation determines which projects to fund. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Kristen Hassen is the Maddie’s American Pets Alive! Director overseeing Human Animal Support Services (HASS) and serves as a board member of the National Animal Care & Control Association. Kristen describes HASS as the result of almost 1,000 animal welfare professionals coming together to recognize that the current animal services system is broken. Focusing on community-driven services as opposed to traditional shelter-driven services, HASS defines itself as a collaborative project to reimagine animal services to keep families together. In this episode Stacy and Kristen touch on how fostering benefits the physical and mental health of cats as opposed to the stress encountered in conventional shelter stays. They also discuss a surprising reaction to a recent statement issued by the National Animal Care & Control Association and how community cat programs create a more humane existence for animals, and animal control officers. To keep up with Kristen Hassen and all things Human Animal Support Services,

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. Suzi Langer is a vet tech with a soft spot for specially-abled cats. Just a few hours into fostering her first cat with Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH), a neurological condition that affects balance and coordination, she was hooked. Now Suzi and her kitty, Bifford, are on a mission to educate people and advocate for cats with this non-progressive condition. Stacy and Suzi discuss muscle memory, busting stigmas around specially-abled pets, and the unexpected benefits of adopting a cat with CH. Suzi’s website provides resources and tools to make veterinary visits and everyday life more friendly for kitties with CH and their people. Get to know Suzi’s self-described “blended house of misfit toys,” including Bifford, on  Instagram, Facebook, or her website.

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. Mandy Evans has spent over a decade as the executive director of Better Together Animal Alliance—formerly Panhandle Animal Shelter—in Ponderay, Idaho, and hosts the podcast People are animals too, Darnit! When Better Together experienced an increase in owner surrenders, the Home to Home program was born. As a result the shelter saw an astounding 33% decrease in owner surrenders and Mandy knew it was something that needed to be shared with other shelters. In this episode, Stacy and Mandy discuss big programming changes that shift perspectives on traditional sheltering mindsets. Mandy also shares tips on executive director longevity, creating a board of directors that doesn’t favor fear, and the future of sheltering as she sees it. Hear more from Mandy Evans on her podcast, People are animals too, Darnit! Find out about the Home to Home program by visiting their website. Check out the Better Together Animal Alliance Website or follow th

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. Hannah Senser is the cat foster manager for Ruff Start Rescue. RSR is a foster-based rescue with a network of 1,000 active foster homes instead of a brick-and-mortar shelter. Overseeing up to 300 cats/kittens and their foster families across the state of Minnesota, Hannah tells us it is vital that she can “manage a mean spreadsheet.” Stacy and Hannah discuss empowering fosters, removing barriers faced by adopters, the challenges of working in a rural community, and the impact of COVID-19 on Ruff Start Rescue’s fostering and adoption programs. Learn more about Ruff Start Rescue at their website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. In 2017, Caron Tuttle answered a call for fostering help from a local rescue group in Pleasanton, Texas. Intending to foster one kitten, Caron left the shelter that day with five very sick kittens and one mama cat. Shortly thereafter, she and four friends founded Atascosa Animal Allies. Atascosa Animal Allies has since grown to provide a robust TNR program and a subsidized monthly spay and neuter clinic for community-owned pets. Stacy and Caron discuss the importance of sterilization in community cat populations and the value of inviting the community to take an active part in the process. To find out more about Atascosa Animal Allies, visit their website. You can also connect with them via email or follow them on Facebook.

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. Michelle Major is a USA Today best-selling author of romance novels. She is passionate about animals and fosters kittens and promotes her local shelter in her free time. Her newest book, The Last Carolina Sister, the third book in the Magnolia Sisters trilogy, has a focus on animal sheltering as the protagonist, Meredith, runs an animal shelter.  Stacy and Michelle talk about bringing the challenges of working in animal welfare into a pop culture setting like a novel, how Michelle uses her platform to promote animal welfare, and her tips for building a social media following.  You can buy The Last Carolina Sister on Michelle’s website, and you can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagramto keep up with author news as well as pet and foster news. [divider height="10" style="default" line="default" themecolor="1"]

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. We all know cats are great at hiding pain, but what if there was a way to monitor your cat’s pain just by taking a photo of her face? That is the goal of Sylvester AI’s new app Tably. Today Stacy is talking with Sanja Massey of Sylvester AI about the app and the implications for cat health as it continues developing. The Tably app uses the Feline Grimace Scale, a medical study that identified 5 facial cues that indicate whether a cat is in pain. The app reads those cues from a photo. Sanja shares some success stories from the app’s development and how the app can be used by veterinary clinics to monitor how a cat is doing after a surgery or treatment. You can find them in the app store as Tably, online on the Sylvester AI website, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. Basel Nassar is an entrepreneur with many years of experience creating products designed to boost human digestive health. He has recently made the switch to pet digestive health with his company Boss Nation Brands. Boss Nation creates raw pet foods that act as full nutritional meals, as well as treats full of healthy supplements. Boss Nation also has a charity platform called Boss Cares which partners with local charities to support different initiatives such as TNR, animal training, and adoption. Stacy and Basel discuss the best ways to transition your pet to raw foods and the health benefits he’s seen in his own pets. Basel also shares his best advice for entrepreneurs and how to cultivate the right team by developing and training people who have the right attitude, instead of trying to hire the perfect candidate. To find out more about Boss Nation’s pet foods, visit their website.