The Community Cats Podcast

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 into a “cat person,” and became intrigued by the ways in which cats show their affection. Finding mostly scientific answers, he began using his comedy background to come up with funny ways cats show their love that wouldn’t be found in any official studies. Soon, he decided to pursue the idea as an illustrated book and began working with a co-writer and illustrator. Jeff and Stacy discuss the results of this work, the book You Know Your Cat Loves You Because … The Sweet, Silly, and Scientific Ways Our Cats Show Us How Much They Love Us and Jeff goes into detail about how the book came to be. He tells Stacy that he wanted to write a positive book that didn’t just play on the typical stereotypes of cats being aloof. The book has had a great response, and Jeff hopes it brings joy to everyone who reads it. To learn more, you can visit the You Know Your C

In this episode, Stacy sits down with Will Zweigart, founder of Flatbush Cats, a nonprofit focused on reducing the outdoor cat population in central Brooklyn, New York through TNR and rescue work. Flatbush Cats teaches TNR classes and offers support and resources for trappers. They are also launching a mobile spay/neuter clinic pilot program to support low-income residents, a project done in partnership with the Toby Project. Stacy & Will talk about the work Flatbush Cats does and the organization’s goals. Will talks about how he has been inspired by Stacy’s Community Cat Pyramid, which helped him think about how important getting to the root of the overpopulation problem is. As Will puts it, “There’s got to be a way to turn the water off, instead of just scooping buckets out of the basement.” Flatbush Cats is well known for their visual documentation of the work they do, and Will shares some of his tips and ideas on how best to use visual media. He discusses the idea of proactive fundraising by telling

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 Animal Shelters. The book is a result of the more than 100 assessments Dr. Pizano has done at shelters around the country as a Team Shelter USA consultant. She realized that the shelters she was working with were all struggling with the same issues. More importantly, she realized that the solutions needed to decrease euthanasia rates were always the same—so she decided to write this playbook so that those solutions can be used by anyone, anywhere. Dr. Pizano’s number one tip, which she shares in this interview with Stacy, is that your shelter space should be used only for animals with no other options. Dr. Pizano discusses with Stacy her belief that there should be no stray hold periods for cats, and her strong belief in Return-to-Field. She and Stacy go on to discuss the best ways to talk to your elected officials, and what kind of d

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 exploring with her cat as a child and never stopped. When she and her husband adopted two rescue cats, she started Catexplorer as a repository for information on training cats to be explorers, but it has since expanded into more of an online community for those who like to explore with their cats. Hasara also hosts the Catexplorer podcasts, where she interviews Catexplorers about their adventures and cat experts for pro advice. A Catexplorer, as Hasara explains it, is “either the human or the feline that are exploring together.” She talks with Stacy about determining whether your cat is a good candidate for being a Catexplorer and some basic steps to work on to get your cat comfortable exploring. Hasara discusses harnesses and cat backpacks, as well as the selection process for the items Catexplorer sells

In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Conrad, who founded The Paw Project in 1999, joins Stacy to discuss the organization’s mission to end declawing in the U.S. & Canada, using education, research, and legislation. The Paw Project is made up completely of veterinarians and the group compiled the evidence, drafted the legislation, composed the language of the legislation, built the coalition of support, and obtained the representatives for every law prohibiting declawing in the U.S. Stacy and Dr. Conrad discuss the surprising way Dr. Conrad became interested in ending declawing and educating people everywhere on its devastating effects on cats. “Declawing is a misnomer,” Dr. Conrad tells Stacy. “It is really more appropriately called de-knuckling. It is the amputation of a toe bone.” They discuss the behavioral issues of biting and litter box avoidance that declawed cats have been shown to be prone to, and they talk about the organization’s new “Claw-Friendly” certification for veterinary practices that do not pe

Julia Grosz earned the nickname “Cat Hustler” due to her ability to match cats and adopters through strategic copywriting and social media use. So it was only natural that when she developed her skills into a teachable set of cat marketing practices, she would name her organization Cat Hustler. The nonprofit specializes in creative marketing for shelter cats and also hosts community-building events like The Acatemy, a cat conference “for rescuers, by rescuers.” The next Acatemy will be held January 17–19, 2020 in the Washington DC area, and the cost is $180 for whole weekend. (Be sure to listen to the whole podcast to get a special 15% off discount code for CCP listeners!) The Acatemy started as Julia’s way of trying to make sense of loss after the death of a beloved cat, and it has since grown into a way to try to bring more rescuers together to get face time with each other, and to bring awareness about TNR to different kinds of cat rescuers. The Acatemy, Julia tells Stacy, is her way of doing for others wh

John Boone, a wildlife biologist previously interviewed on CCP, joins Stacy to discuss new research on how we can use the tools we have to manage cat populations more efficiently and more effectively. This particular study was conducted by a group of people connected with the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACC&D) and used computer modeling and simulation tools to predict the outcomes of various community cat management scenarios. John and Stacy discuss the methodology of the study in detail, including the new twists it involved, and what the outcomes were. To learn more, you can read the full paper published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, or view the story-map version on the ACC&D website. For groups with larger-scale TNR programs, John encourages you to email him so he can put you in touch with resources and people who can help with planning, setting up, and measuring your programs. This episode is sponsored by Dr. Elsey's Veterinarian Formulated Quality Products for Cats, makers o

In this episode, Stacy is joined by Lizz Whitacre, founder and CEO of Pawlytics, a technology solution to help rescues manage their paperwork and gain insights from their data. Pawlytics is also expanding into the TNR/community cats space in an effort to use technology, data, and innovation to drive lifesaving efforts for community cats. Stacy and Lizz discuss how Pawlytics came to be, and how its affordable fee structure operates. When Lizz got started working on this project, it seemed to her that all the available software was designed for large organizations. She wanted to come up with something that worked for small groups, and that was accessible to any and all potential users. To do this, her team interviewed over 400 smaller organizations to find out either why they hadn’t yet adopted data management software, or, if they had, what they did and didn’t like about it. The result is Pawlytics, a stripped-down, incredibly user-friendly piece of software that can still run all the typical reports you’ll ne

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 Learning Center when she joined the AAWA in 2018, and it offers a variety of webinars (live and recorded) and online classes, most of which are free. Valerie wanted to make sure people from anywhere could access learning opportunities anytime instead of only having access to them at conferences, which aren’t accessible to everyone. The AAWA is a membership-based organization, but many resources, including the Learning Center, are not limited to members. Members are anyone in the animal welfare world who sees themselves as a leader or emerging leader. The organization’s goal is to help animal welfare professionals advance their careers and be the best they can be to help save more lives. The AAWA is also excited to announce its latest webinar series, which

Meagan Larrea is a cat mom and cat lover who works as a civil engineer by day. The rest of the time, she runs Joy 4 Cats, a growing project that puts together toy and treat baskets for shelters to give away to new adopters. The program began in the fall of 2018 when Meagan heard about a local shelter with an overflow of adult cats looking for homes. As a creative way to help, Meagan created adopter baskets to bring joy to cats and to give people an incentive to adopt—and it worked! Since then, Meagan has become a major advocate for ways to keep cats healthy and happy, and Joy 4 Cats has begun helping a number of shelters around the U.S. While not yet a 501©3, Meagan plans to become one in the future. She requests donations from cat care companies, and her baskets generally contain $50-$75 worth of goodies for new adopters. Partner shelters have found the baskets very helpful in promoting adoptions, and Megan is always happy to help more shelters in need, no matter the group’s size or location—so feel free to

fostering, which she initially began doing through local shelters, she has discovered a deep passion for TNR and advocacy and now works independently to take in, care for, spay/neuter, vaccinate, and adopt out cats and kittens. Ashley got involved in fostering kittens after she lost her father to suicide, and she talks with Stacy about how much fostering helped her and her mom through the grieving process. Ashley is a big believer in the fact that fostering can be great for your mental health and notes that the kittens were “an amazing distraction.” Stacy and Ashley talk about Ashley’s social media presence and how that has evolved for her over the years. She uses social media to facilitate adoptions and to fundraise, and it was through social media that she was nudged toward becoming an independent foster home. Ashley encourages everyone to adopt locally and to consider fostering. As she puts it, “You can change one kitten or one cat’s life just by being willing to give them a space in your bathroom … for a

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) workshops, held in conjunction with several other organizations in New York City, and she serves as the primary point person for feral cat concerns from the NYPD. Isa and Stacy discuss what the TNRM workshops consist of, and how things have changed in New York City for community cats since 2011 when Isa began her work in the field. They also discuss a program Isa has developed in which area youth who are part of the NYPD Explorers program assist with building community cat shelters. In 2020, Isa hopes to translate the TNRM workshop into Spanish in order to reach even more caregivers and community members. If you live in the New York City area, you can get involved or register for a workshop at the ASPCA Pro Trap Neuter Return Certification page. If you have questions about comm

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 inside and out—including the fact that the animal medical field can come with incredible stresses and challenges. She mentors new and recent veterinary school graduates to help them develop skills and to facilitate success during their first few years of practice, and she also coaches established veterinarians who are experiencing burnout or feeling unsatisfied with their career. In addition to her coaching work, Dr. K. is known for her incredible skill and patience when it comes to working with frightened patients, especially cats. Dr. K. also coordinates several veterinary outreach programs, where vets, vet students, and vet techs travel to underserved communities to provide veterinary care. In this episode, Dr. K. and Stacy discuss what led Dr. K. to dive into the field of coaching, and how excit

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, which aims to educate cat guardians and offer solutions in order to get more cats in for annual veterinary exams each year. Sally shares with Stacy that 55% of owned cats don’t see a vet annually and 9% will never see a vet in their lifetime. The Feline Fine Project aims to change these statistics. Sally and Stacy talk about why so many cats don’t see a vet regularly, and about why annual exams are so important. Sally also offers some great tips on affording exams, and on getting cats used to carriers. To learn more about the Feline Fine Project, or about the Brodie Fund, contact Sally through the Brodie Fund website, or email her directly.

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 in many roles in the field, and she joins Stacy to share not only her own shelter’s success stories but also the cumulative success of the northern Kentucky region. In 2011, Boone County Animal Shelter had a cat live release rate of 26.5%. In the fall of 2012, they began an animal control-administered TNR program, and by 2013, their cat live release rate had gone up to 46%. By 2015, they were TNRing every cat colony they could find, and in 2018, they achieved an incredible 94% live release rate for the 1,135 cats they took in that year. To learn more about Boone County Animal Shelter, you can visit their website (which is under construction at the time of this podcast), or you can email Colleen directly. Colleen also recommends visiting the Kentucky Animal Care and Control Association’s website to learn more about that organization and the training op

Anna Skaya, the CEO of Basepaws, joined Stacy last year on CCP Episode 213, and now she’s back to update Stacy on everything that has happened in the past year—including a successful appearance on Shark Tank! Basepaws is a simple, at-home DNA test for your cat that can give you an idea of the breeds your cat has in its DNA, and if your cat is a carrier for certain genetic diseases. According to Anna, Basepaws is laser-focused on cats, and the Basepaws test represents the first time that so many genetic tests for cats have been combined into one—and that such testing has been made affordable. Anna and Stacy also discuss feline nutrition, and how genetic testing will affect the personalization of nutrition as more and more data is gathered. There is a lot of research happening at Basepaws, and your cat may even qualify for free testing and reports, depending on breed and health conditions. One of the issues Basepaws is particularly passionate about is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). As Anna puts it, Basepaws

Chelsea White is a host, writer, producer, comedian, and cat enthusiast. She currently hosts the Bravo digital series “Adulting by Bravo,” a weekly Facebook live talk show called “What a Delight with Chelsea White,” and the dating podcast “Ghosted Stories.” She is also the creator and host of the “cat-pawsitive” web series “Show Me Your Kitty.” In this CCP episode, Stacy talks with Chelsea about how she came up with the concept for “Show Me Your Kitty,” and Chelsea describes some of her favorite moments from the show. You can learn more—and watch!—on the show’s website, or search for Chelsea White on YouTube. Note from Chelsea: not all shows are safe for watching at work or with the kids!

Shelly Simmons has worked for Greenville County Animal Care, the largest open-admission shelter in South Carolina, for twelve years now. She sits down with Stacy to talk about how, in the last four years, through the implementation of a variety of community cat programs, the shelter’s cat intake has decreased from 9,000 cats annually to under 3,000 a year. Most of this was accomplished by offering free spay/neuter for all community cats in Greenville County. A county resolution supporting community-wide TNR and a 2016 grant from the PetCo Foundation helped kick the program off. By focusing on giving the community the resources to help fix the overpopulation problem themselves, Shelly feels they have put together a truly sustainable program—and the great statistics that she shares with Stacy prove that it is also a successful one. Visit the Greenville County Animal Care Service website to learn more. You can also email Shelly directly at misimmons@greenvillecounty.org.

Tabitha Kucera, a presenter at this past January’s CCP Online Cat Conference, joins Stacy to discuss low-stress cat handling, clicker training, and more. Tabitha is a registered veterinary technician and a certified cat behavior training consultant. She is also certified in feline-friendly handling by both Fear Free and the Low-Stress Handling University. Tabitha has her own company, Chirrups & Chatter Cat Behavior Consulting and Education, along with a dog-related company, Positively Pawsitive Dog Behavior Consulting and Training. Tabitha knew early on in her life that she wanted to be a veterinary technician. Once she became one, however, seeing cats euthanized for behavioral and other reasons were deeply troubling to her. Tabitha felt, and continues to feel, that cats are often stereotyped and used as scapegoats—even by cat lovers—making it harder for them to get the help they need to stay in their homes. Tabitha feels that “Humans aren’t really set up for success for cats. They love their cats; they j

Jenny Hart, a Brooklyn-based travel writer and mom to cat Rajah, is quickly becoming a cat travel expert. Soon after adopting Rajah as a kitten, it became clear to Jenny that he needed more stimulation than life in a New York City apartment could provide. Jenny began training Rajah to walk on a harness and leash shortly thereafter. Since then, the pair has traveled together on planes, trains, and in cars to nine U.S. states and Washington, D.C., with more travel ahead in their future. In this episode, Jenny talks with Stacy about her must-have cat travel supplies, including a cat backpack and travel litter box. They discuss whether cats are the pet of the Millennial generation, as well as the positive impact that safe outdoor time can have on feline behavioral concerns. In addition, Jenny gives some tips on staying in hotels and rental properties with cats, and the frustration that so many “pet-friendly” establishments are really just dog-friendly—something that she and Rajah are working hard to change. To le