The Community Cats Podcast

“How do you manage TNR on a much larger scale...as more of a program manager?” This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In today's podcast, we are proud to bring you part one of the audio version of "Mobilizing the Community to Make TNR Happen Presented by Neighborhood Cats". So many cats, so few trappers… and veterinarians… and holding space… and transporters. If you live in a well-populated urban or suburban area and you’re trying to use TNR to address your city or town’s entire free-roaming cat population, you’ll need a lot of help! How do you mobilize the public to trap the cats in their backyards, get hands-on involvement, attract volunteers, and gain community support? In parts one and two (coming July 11th) of this Learn from the folks who started the community TNR program in New York City and helped other municipalities organize their programs as well. We’ll go over training the public, providing support services, tracking success, gaining publicit

“There’s a lot of people that really need a cat and they don’t realize they do. So if I can marry up those two, I think that’d be a really great thing.” This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. On this episode, Stacy chats with Justin Donne, founder of The Kitty Boss. This company provides the tools to pick, pamper, and protect your practically perfect pussycat for a lifetime of unconditional love. In his conversation with Stacy, Justin describes the 3 P’s (Pick, Pamper, and Protect) key to the mission of The Kitty Boss. He touches on what inspired him to found The Kitty Boss and previews his upcoming book. Justin also discusses his podcast, The Kitty Boss, where he dives into the world of cats with experts in the field. Dr. Rachel Geller, a frequent collaborator with the CCP and former guest on the show, is a recurring guest on his podcast. Additionally, Stacy recently appeared as a guest on his podcast. To learn more about Justin and The Kitty Boss, visi

“You don’t have to be a cat person to support TNR.” This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. On this episode, Stacy chats with Dawn Benefiel, the executive director of Indy Neighborhood Cats (“INC”), a nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for free roaming cats through TNR. INC also provides colony care,spay/neuter resources, and medical care to community cats. In her conversation with Stacy, Dawn talks all about trapping and TNR. She describes mass-trapping, which involves trapping 20 or more cats, evaluating trap sites, and managing colonies. Dawn also discusses her earlier blog post on the CCP website, which explores mass-trapping techniques. Dawn describes some of the initiatives of INC, along with her efforts in founding a TNR program at the local municipal shelter. She also discusses INC’s partnership with Friends of Indianapolis Dogs Outside, and some of the challenges the organization has enc

“This brings us to one of the hot-button issues happening right now in return-to-field...what about friendly cats?” This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In today's podcast, we are proud to bring you the audio version of "Return-to-Field & Targeting: The Community Cat Program Presented by Neighborhood Cats". In part two of this special episode, your host, Bryan Kortis, will help you learn what return-to-field and targeting are and how can we use them to save lives and reduce the number of cats living on our streets. He will give details about these approaches, the policies behind them, and the mechanics of how they work. Plus find out how Return-to-Field and targeted TNR can be combined to achieve dramatic, sustainable reductions in both euthanasia and intake at open-admission shelters. To learn more about Neighborhood Cats, you may visit their website. If you'd like to watch this presentation, you can hop on over to our YouTube channel to check it

“How do you organize a TNR program on a very large scale and get the best results...” This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, we are proud to bring you the audio version of "Return-to-Field & Targeting: The Community Cat Program Presented by Neighborhood Cats". In part one of this special episode, your host, Bryan Kortis, will help you learn what return-to-field and targeting are and how can we use them to save lives and reduce the number of cats living on our streets. He will give details about these approaches, the policies behind them, and the mechanics of how they work. Plus find out how Return-to-Field and targeted TNR can be combined to achieve dramatic, sustainable reductions in both euthanasia and intake at open-admission shelters. To learn more about Neighborhood Cats, you may visit their website. If you'd like to watch this presentation, you can hop on over to our YouTube channel to check it out. To download handouts mention

“The National Kitten Coalition believes that every kitten deserves a chance to survive and thrive.” This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Nancy Peterson, Board Member of the National Kitten Coalition and Neighborhood Cats and former Community Cats Program Manager at the Humane Society of the United States. In her conversation with Stacy, Nancy describes the advocacy efforts of the National Kitten Coalition, an organization that strives to increase kitten survival rates through the power of education. She highlights several of the many useful resources that the National Kitten Coalition provides, including its Kitten Nursery Manual. Nancy also previews the upcoming 2023 Kitten Conference, presented by the National Kitten Coalition in partnership with CCP, which is scheduled for June 9-11, 2023. Additionally, she addresses kitten nurseries, veterinary burnout, and her experience as a veterinary technician. To learn more

“I firmly believe that spay-neuter is an essential element of access to care.” – Dr. Weedon This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with veterinarians Dr. Robert Murtaugh and Dr. Robert Weedon. Dr. Murtaugh is a veterinary specialist based in Austin, Texas and a candidate for the next president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (“AVMA”). Dr. Weedon, a frequent conference guest and former guest of the show (CCP episodes 361 and 383) is a high-volume spay/neuter surgeon with TLC PetSnip in Lakeland, Florida. In their conversation with Stacy, Dr. Murtaugh and Dr. Weedon discuss the current state of the veterinary field, including some of the challenges, such as the veterinary shortage and lack of access to care. Dr. Murtaugh describes how the AVMA is addressing these issues through advocacy and legislative initiatives and outlines ideas for future initiatives to overcome these challenges. Additionally, Dr. Murtaugh a

“Willow’s mission is to show that black cats are adorable, fun, and magical and they need to be loved just as much as any other cat.” This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. On this episode, Stacy speaks with Linda Malik, author of Willow’s Tale, a children’s picture book about the adventures of a black cat named Willow. In her discussion with Stacy, Linda describes the inspiration behind this story and why she chose to publish a children’s picture book. She discusses the unfair stigma surrounding black cats and the importance of dispelling this fallacy at a young age. Linda talks about Willow’s additional projects, including an upcoming second book and an animated series. This animated series was produced by autistic animators (link to prior episode), who she believes are similarly unfairly stigmatized. Linda strongly encourages anyone looking to adopt to consider black cats. To learn more about Linda’s work and Willow’s Tale, visit her website or Instag

“It’s empowering to realize that you can actually make a difference just by making different choices in the things that you do every day.” This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. On this episode, Stacy chats with Ashley Byrne, Associate Director of Campaigns for PETA. PETA, short for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is the largest animal rights organization in the world with more than 9 million members and supporters globally. In her discussion with Stacy, Ashley explains how PETA’s philosophy centers on the notion that animals exist for their own purposes, not for human purposes. She describes some of PETA’s recent campaigns, which strive to change the way people think about animals. Ashley also talks about PETA’s Mobile Clinic, its 24-hour cruelty hotline, and Beauty Without Bunnies, a searchable database of companies that don’t test on animals. She stresses the importance of knowing where your products come from. Additionally, Ashley descri

“Don’t say, I wish somebody would help them. Go out and do it.” This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy speaks with individual animal rescuer and advocate, Nancy Robison. After receiving help to TNR the cats outside her home in Long Island, NY, Nancy made it her personal mission to gather all the information she could on low-cost or free services for animals, including spay/neuter and TNR resources. She shares those resources whenever she has the chance, to minimize obstacles and help even more people get the help they need.  Today, Nancy works with two local organizations and continues to support TNR efforts in Long Island. She also works closely with caregiver and rescuer, Cathy Moore, in upstate New York to provide as much help as she possibly can. Stacy and Nancy talk about the role of individuals in animal rescue, and stepping up when something needs to be done. They talk about compassion, and how it impacts our approach to ani

“We are passionate about cats. That’s what we live for. If we can help other companies, other nonprofits that are helping pet parents do things that we don’t do directly, I think that’s a great way to support pet parenting overall, especially for cats.” This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy interviews Yvethe Tyska, Vice President of Marketing for H&H Group, whose mission is to make millions of people and their pets healthier and happier. The H&H Group houses many brands, including Zesty Paws pet supplements. Yvethe talks about the recent support Zesty Paws gave to the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, covering all adoption and related fees during the grand opening of their new cat facility in September 2022. She recalls what it was like to be a cat parent or cat lover in Orlando when the Pet Alliance’s former cat facility caught fire in 2021, and how the community came together to support the organization and see it back on

“That’s the cool thing. Some of these older groups are closing, but we have a whole new crop of young women who are starting rescues and taking over.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy sits down with Janet Vormittag, founder and publisher of Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals, and author of multiple books about animals, including You Might Be a Crazy Cat Lady If…(volumes 1 & 2) and Cat Women of West Michigan: The Secret World of Cat Rescue. Janet shares a few of her favorite stories from her career as a reporter, writer, and animal advocate. She talks about the euthanasia numbers for her community, and how drastically things have improved over the past 15 years. Stacy and Janet chat about her most recent book, Cat Women of West Michigan, and the incredible women who are making the community a better place for cats. Janet highlights a few of the women readers will encounter in the book, including women who start rescues, women wh

“We have to honor the cat’s wishes…we have to honor the community cat who wants to be outside and have a safe, happy life there.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with KJ McGill, Kitty Correspondent for the nationally syndicated show, Pet Pals TV, and author of the book, Raised by Cats: Behind the Mic and the Meows. Stacy and KJ talk about her work with cat-focused groups in Indianapolis, and how she has used her platform as a radio personality to promote positive stories about cats, and the people and organizations helping them. KJ talks about the importance of community education, and the positive impact of collaboration and support between TNR organizations, cat rescues, and animal services in Indianapolis. KJ talks about her book and her hope that sharing her own story with cats will help others have a better story with their own cats. Stacy and KJ talk about compassion fatigue and burnout, and KJ’s belief that at the end of the day, we’re a

“Our whole lives are really to get the word out that this is the solution.” – Louise on TNR This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy talks with Louise Holton, Founder of Alley Cat Rescue, and Deborah Holzer, Development Assistant at Alley Cat Rescue. Louise founded National Cat Protection Association in 1997 as the nation’s first national cat protection association and an organization that advocates for all cats. In their conversation with Stacy, Louise and Deborah talk all about community cats. The pair touches on some of the campaigns spearheaded by Alley Cat Rescue. Debbie describes the Global Feral Fix Challenge, an annual initiative promoting the spaying and neutering of community cats. Louise highlights some of the resources available on the Alley Cat Rescue website, including the contact information for Cat Action Teams in each state. Louise and Deborah touch on how Alley Cat Rescue educates the general population about TNR. They also discuss veterinar

“I’m glad that there are organizations that . . . dispel the myth [about black cats].” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Marlene Sharp, a TV and film writer and executive and proprietor of Pink Poodle Productions. In her discussion with Stacy, Marlene talks all about her work in the animation industry and details some of her cat-related projects. She describes her recent experience at CatCon, as well as her collaboration with Linda Malik (author of Willow’s Tale). Additionally, Marlene describes her work as a mentor at the Center for Learning Unlimited, where she collaborates with students on the autism spectrum in the school’s animation program. She likens the unfair perception of black cats to the perception of those with autism. To learn more about Marlene and her work, visit Pink Poodle Productions. You can also connect with her through LinkedIn. During her interview, Marlene mentions the following organizations: Black Cat Holistic Resc

“I’ve always tried to make a difference. . .  I want to make a difference in the long run.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. On this special 500th episode of Community Cats Podcast, Stacy is joined by Dr. Jeff Young, star of Animal Planet’s Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet. Dr. Young is also the founder of Planned Pethood Plus, a low-cost spay/neuter clinic known for its mobile neutering clinics. In their conversation, Stacy and The Rocky Mountain Vet elaborate on the services provided by Planned Pethood. He also touches on the state of veterinary practice, including recent challenges and obstacles. Dr. Young emphasizes the need for TNR and strongly encourages all humane groups to have a TNR program. He explains the consequences that arise from failing to implement an effective program. Dr. Young also stresses that fixing your cat is “the most important thing you can do” in caring for them. To learn more about Dr. Young and his work, visit his Instagram or YouTube. Dr. Jeff: Ro

"There’s definitely a lot of good . . . that I’ve seen from the cat community on social media.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. On this episode, Stacy chats with Harris Baker, founder of Catfluence, a social media platform that promotes everything feline related. In their discussion, Stacy and Harris talk all about social media. Harris describes how rescue organizations and individuals can use social media to generate awareness about their efforts, and he strongly encourages all rescue organizations to have a social media presence. Harris touches on the importance of posting meaningful content, engaging with the community, and utilizing different social media platforms to reach every demographic. He also describes how to use hashtags to reach a larger audience and provides tips on attracting more followers. To learn more about Catfluence, visit their website, Instagram, or TikTok.

“If anything, we should be doing more to address the anxiety, fear, and stress [of community cats]” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy follows up with Tabitha Kucera, a registered veterinary technician, certified cat behavior training consultant, and former guest of the show (CCP Episode 319). Stacy and Tabitha discuss numerous cat health and behavioral issues. She provides tips on identifying whether a cat is in pain (which she created a handout for). Tabitha explains that a cat’s physical and mental health are often intertwined. She stresses the importance of minimizing anxiety and stress by employing Fear Free techniques, trap training, and cooperative care. Additionally, Tabitha talks about her podcast Tails from a Vet Tech, where she highlights, educates, and advocates for veterinary, shelter, and behavior animal professionals. She also previews her upcoming presentation for Community Cats Podcast’s 2023 Online Behavior Day on April 8. To learn mor

“Often times, providing people with the necessary items, the support, the kindness, [and] the caring – that can be the very important difference between a person keeping the cat and surrendering the cat.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie’s Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Dr. Rachel Geller, a cat behaviorist and prior guest of the show (CCP Episodes 18, 146, and 310), to discuss her new project, All Cats All the Time. This nonprofit is dedicated to promoting the adoption of cats and preventing their surrender and abandonment by providing free cat behavior counseling to cat animal shelters and cat owners. Dr. Geller describes the situations she often encounters as a cat behaviorist. She covers some of the most common behavioral issues, many of which will stem from declawing. She explains how removing a cat’s claws removes a layer of comfort, stresses out the cat, and causes sensitivity issues. Dr. Geller also touches on Fear Free and on her book, Saving the World, One Cat at

“You save yourself a lot of administrative time by being organized up front by setting up a system and a space to be organized.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy talks with Dara Sklar, the founder of Synced with Dara and producer of the Get Productive with G-Suite program. Dara’s work focuses on helping people streamline their work processes, which allows them to become as efficient and productive as possible. In chatting with Stacy, Dara talks all about Google Workspace (formerly G Suite). She describes how organizations and small nonprofit groups can utilize this set of communication and productivity apps to become more efficient. Dara also provides tips on managing passwords through LastPass and emails through filtering and archiving. She further discusses her program Get Productive with G-Suite, an online course that serves as a comprehensive, step-by-step, way of learning to use Google tools, apps, and integrations. To learn more about Dara and h