The Community Cats Podcast

“I thought about it from a small business . . . [or] nonprofit standpoint of here are some of the basics to help you at least upstart and continue marketing, especially if you’re on a shoestring budget.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy speaks with Laurren Darr, founder of Left Paw Press and the Pet Fashion Guild and author of the Pet Business Marketing Almanac. In her discussion with Stacy, Laurren talks about her involvement in managing her son’s racing career. She talks about the “Racing for Rescues” initiative, which entails delivering supplies to the pet shelters in the cities where he races. Laurren also talks about the Pet Business Marketing Almanac, which is a marketing planning tool for pet businesses or businesses wanting to incorporate pet themes in their marketing. She discusses the inspiration behind this book. Additionally, Laurren touches on social media, where she emphasizes the importance of consistency. To learn more about Laurrenn a

“The presence of cats is really beneficial to humans and that especially holds true in an urban setting where you have a lot of rats.” This episode is sponsored in part by TervaPet, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy speaks with Sheila Massey, president and founder of Hard Hat Cats and former guest of the show (CCP Episode 98). Hard Hat Cats, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, places working cats with organizations seeking non-toxic rodent control. In her discussion with Stacy, Sheila talks all about Hard Hat Cats and the working cats that inspired her to found this organization. These former community cats are rescued from the New York City public animal shelter and placed with organizations that provide food, shelter, healthcare, and TLC in exchange for the cats’ expertise and a poison-free work environment. Sheila describes how she matches the cats with the right site and touches on the integration process as well. This program, she explains, is a win-win-win for the cats, the employe

“I think we need to teach young people more that animals need to be treated with the same respect you treat a person." This episode is sponsored in part by TervaPet, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. Meet Anne Montgomery, former sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, author, and amateur sports official. Anne currently works as an author and has published several fiction novels in various genres, including historical fiction and mystery/suspense. In her discussion with Stacy, Anne talks about all things cats, from breeding to veterinary care costs. She talks about her introduction to TNR and touches on some of the issues that arise in its absence. Anne stresses the necessity of effective communication and teaching to enlighten the public on the importance of TNR and animal welfare. Additionally, Anne discusses her work experience and explains how it has impacted her approach to animal welfare. She strongly encourages all listeners to “give a black cat a chance.” She also discusses her work as an a

“There are so many possibilities for organizations where this money could go." This episode is sponsored in part by TervaPet, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy talks with Sally Williams, the founder, and president of Mission Meow and former guest of the show (CCP Episodes 104 and 324). Sally was also the founder and executive director of the now-retired Brodie Fund, an organization that raised money to provide financial assistance to families with pets fighting cancer. Sally reflects on her time with the Brodie Fund and the difficult decision to close the organization. She celebrates the organization’s accomplishments, which included over 70 grants and over $200,000 distributed, and explains how it inspired her to found Mission Meow. Mission Meow works to increase the level of charitable donations for small feline-centric nonprofits, including TNR groups, to help create meaningful change for cats in need. Sally describes the specifics of this program, which entails recruiting businesses f

“Because they’re so territorial, it’s hard to introduce a new cat regardless of where they came from into a new cat household.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com and Maddie's Fund. In this special episode, Stacy chats and co-hosts with Molly DeVoss, a Certified Feline Training and Behavior specialist, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Fear Free Certified Trainer. Molly is also the founder of Cat Behavior Solutions and host of Cat Talk Radio, where she addresses cat behavioral issues. In Stacy and Molly’s conversation, they discuss all things cats, including cat behavior, community cats, declawing, TNR and return-to-field programs, and the veterinary shortage. Molly highlights the importance of acclimating “working cats” (or barn cats) to their new environment and the engagement required to keep these cats safe. She also touches on distinguishing and identifying behavioral issues from medical issues that would require veterinary care. To learn more about Molly’s work or to listen to her pod

“I’m hoping by changing people’s perspective on what play looks like and giving them really concrete suggestions on how they can improve their play technique that more cats will get the play they deserve.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com and Maddie's Fund. On today’s episode, Stacy talks with Dr. Mikel Delgado, an Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Cat Behavior Consultant. Dr. Delgado is the co-owner of Feline Minds, a cat behavior consulting group, co-author with Jackson Galaxy of the 2017 book, “Total Cat Mojo” and the author of the forthcoming book “Play with Your Cat!”. In her conversation with Stacy, Dr. Delgado talks all about cat behavioral issues, which she saw were increasingly prevalent throughout and following the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. She provides some helpful tips on addressing behavioral issues, litter boxes, and more. Dr. Delgado discusses some of the limitations of her practice, the veterinary shortage, and the importance of having an established relationship wi

“Shar[ing] our skills and work[ing] in the best way that we individually can with our skills has been really helpful in allowing us to help more animals.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy connects with Anne Levin, Executive Director of Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition and founder of the Brooklyn Cat Cafe, a non-profit cat cafe that serves as an adoption center and community space working to reduce animal homelessness through education, TNR, and outreach. In her conversation with Stacy, Anne discusses the current landscape of community cats in New York City. She touches on how the lack of protection for community cats inspired her efforts in the cat welfare field. Anne talks about the origins of the Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition and the Brooklyn Cat Cafe. She explains how the cafe setting allows the cats to be situated in a more comfortable compared to adoption events. Anne explores some of the challenges these organizations and cat c

“There were so many ways that this little being helped to bring us closer together, to teach us about love, to teach us about unconditional love.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Cheryl Richardson, the author of several books and audio programs, including her recent audiobook How to Survive the Loss of a Pet, which helps listeners navigate the journey of grief, acceptance, and renewal after a pet passes. In her conversation with Stacy, Cheryl discusses the strong bond that we have with our pets and how they can play such major roles in our lives. She describes how her late cat, Poupon, taught her about love and how, towards the end of his life, the most profound act of love was to let him go as gently as possible. Cheryl discusses her book “How to Survive the Loss of a Pet”, and talks about how her role is that of a grief coach. She emphasizes the importance of giving yourself space to grieve and explains how each person handles grief diffe

“There’s still a disconnect between the grassroots groups (that are primarily doing trap-neuter-return) and the larger shelters (that are involved in return-to-field) and we need to get to a point where those two parts of the system are working together.” This episode is sponsored in part by TevraPet and Maddie's Fund. On this episode, Stacy chats with Bryan Kortis, Programs Director at Neighborhood Cats, who frequently collaborates with the CCP in running the Neighborhood Cats TNR Certification Workshops. In his discussion with Stacy, Bryan talks about the rise of the community cat coordinator position in shelters. He provides a preview of the 6th Annual Online Cat Conference, which will take place from January 27th through January 29th, 2023. This conference, Bryan explains, will further explore the community cat coordinator position. Bryan discusses the increasingly popular return-to-field programs. He describes the differences between these programs and trap-neuter-return programs and discusses the collab

“I would tell people: stay open, learn, [and] keep learning.” This episode is sponsored in part by TevraPet and Maddie's Fund. On today’s episode, Stacy chats with Dr. Kelly Deihl, the Senior Director of Science and Communication at Morris Animal Foundation and a prior guest of the show (CCP Episode 425). In her conversation with Stacy, Dr. Deihl discusses the foundation’s Happy Healthy Cat Campaign. She explores the initiatives and research campaigns that the foundation has undertaken, including one that looks at non-surgical spay-neuter options. She also provides a preview of an ongoing study that is looking at the effects of chronic inflammation, and cognitive behavior and health. Dr. Deihl shares her perspective on the veterinary shortage and how she believes we should address it. She also discusses her podcast through Morris Animal Foundation, where she explores animals scientific and research issues. To learn more about Morris Animal Foundation, visit their website, Instagram, or Facebook. Dr. Deihl’s p

“I think the best way to rescue the most cats is through TNR.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert and Maddie's Fund. Meet Esmeralda Alvarez, a TNR advocate and cat foster who performs TNR on a weekly basis. Her efforts began back in 2015, and she strongly believes that TNR is a social justice issue. In her conversation with Stacy, she discusses the importance of TNR and explains how its performance saves future generations of cats. Esmerelda also discusses the many difficult choices that trappers encounter, such as deciding whether to return or keep a trapped cat. She encourages trappers to make these decisions based on what is ultimately best for the cat. “I always tell people just listen to what the cat has to say and try to the best of your ability to remove your personal feelings . . . [and] to prioritize them over your feelings.” Additionally, Esmerelda touches on her participation in the recent film “Crazy Cat Lady”, which is a documentary that focuses on the feral cat crisis in Los Angeles an

“Nothing feels better than helping a pet get back to their family that loves them.” his episode is sponsored in part by Doobert and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Corinne Bourgoin, who serves as the Operations Coordinator at the MSPCA Boston Adoption Center. Her efforts have resulted in a program that has a feline reclaim rate that is eight times the national average of these programs. In her discussion with Stacy, Corinne explains how the MSPCA reunites lost pets with their owners. She details what goes on behind the scenes once a stray cat is brought in. She stresses that in order to have a successful program, there needs to be an organizational mindset shift. Corinne discusses some of the challenges in differentiating lost cats from neighborhood cats; she also provides some helpful tips on how to effectively distinguish these cats. Additionally, she talks about low-cost spay/neuter programs and TNR. To learn more about the MSPCA, visit their website. To get in touch with Carin, you can em

“Once you get one cat, you can’t stop getting cats. It’s an addiction like none other." This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert and Maddie's Fund. Meet Brian Vermeire and Kristina Hughes, stand-up comedians and entrepreneurs based in Los Angeles. The pair grew weary of the sight of cat trees and decided to take action to create more aesthetically pleasing cat furniture. Together, they developed the Feline Frame Ensemble, which combines a cat shelf with a portrait frame. In their conversation with Stacy, Brian, and Kristina describe some of the features of the Feline Frame Ensemble, which include interchangeable frames and customizable artwork. They also discuss some of the lessons that they have learned as avid listeners of the Community Cats Podcast. Additionally, Brian discusses his company OneBite Creative, which provides website design, logo design, social media branding, and graphic services. He stresses the importance of having an up-to-date website and one that is periodically updated. He also exp

“We really believe in collaboration, not just in animal welfare but in human welfare.” This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert and Maddie's Fund. On today’s episode, Stacy chats with Marisa Hernandez, one of the co-founders of Ruff Haven, an organization that helps people encountering crisis situations remain united with their beloved pets. Marisa recognized the growing need for temporary crisis sheltering services in the community, which compelled her to take action. In her discussion with Stacy, Marisa discusses how she and several friends with unique backgrounds came together to create this organization. She discusses the specifics of the program, as well as the rapid growth of the organization. Marisa explains that Ruff Haven focuses on helping both pets and people. She stresses the importance of changing the mindset of judging homeless pet owners. Marisa talks about how COVID was beneficial in shifting the public’s mindset regarding these individuals and also details some of the challenges that Ruff

“I'd prefer to have cats in my yard instead of vegetables but other people might, justifiably, feel differently and that's perfectly fine...” This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. This is a special audio presentation of our free webinar Colony Caretaking Tips and Tricks presented by Neighborhood Cats. Join Bryan Kortis for part two of this unique webinar and find out how to deal with folks who don't like cats and keep your cats out of their yard, get health hacks to control worms and fleas, and the best ways to build cozy winter shelters. All that plus many more colony caretaking challenges will be addressed by the experts from Neighborhood Cats with their 20 years of experience dealing with all things community cat. If you would like to watch the video version of this webinar or download the handouts and slides referred to in the  podcast, just visit our Colony Cat Care Training and Education page and scroll down to the bottom for media and downloads for all our

“It starts off as you're their feeder but overtime they form a special relationship with you...” This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. This is a special audio presentation of our free webinar Colony Caretaking Tips and Tricks presented by Neighborhood Cats. Join Bryan Kortis for part one of this unique webinar and find out how to keep your colony cats healthy with good nutrition and hydration, establish feeding patterns, keep water from freezing or evaporating, and how to keep slugs, ants and more out of your kitties' food. All that plus many more colony caretaking challenges will be addressed by the experts from Neighborhood Cats with their 20 years of experience dealing with all things community cat. If you would like to watch the video version of this webinar or download the handouts and slides referred to in the  podcast, just visit our Colony Cat Care Training and Education page and scroll down to the bottom for media and downloads for all our free webinars.

“And, so I wrote a book that is for all of those people out there who just want to be who they are.” This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy talks with Winter Miller, an award-winning playwright living in Brooklyn. She recently published Not a Cat, a children’s picture book, inspired by the life of her extraordinary cat Gato. In her conversation with Stacy, Winter provides an overview of Not a Cat and explains what inspired her to write a children’s book. She also explains how writing helped her with the grieving process since her beloved Gato had recently passed away. Winter discusses some of the themes of the story, which include acceptance. Winter also talks about her work as a playwright, provides her thoughts on TNR, and discusses some of her upcoming projects. To learn more about Winter Miller, visit her website. Not a Cat can be found here. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also be interested in listening to Stacy's interview with D

“They are love engendering machines. They are love giving machines of an unconditional nature. That’s all they want to do, is love you.” This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Janice Cobb, the creator of Zinzie Pie’s Save My Pet ID Tag, which is an identification tag for pet owners customized with information about the owner, their pets, and trusted contact. The Save My Pet ID Tag can be made as a necklace, bracelet, or keychain. This product offers peace of mind and reassurance, that in an emergency, your pets will be attended to. In her conversation with Stacy, Janice talks about the inspiration behind this idea. She talks about some of the unique features of the Save My Pet ID Tag. She emphasizes the importance of being prepared and acting proactively. Janice also talks about cats in general and how she is able to keep her home stress free. To learn more about Zinzie Pie’s Save My Pet ID Tag, visit their website. If you enjoyed t

“How do we give tools to organizations so that they have revenue coming in on a regular basis?” This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Doobert.com’s Chris Roy returns to the show to share some of the projects he has been working on since the pandemic. Chris is a tech guy who loves solving problems for folks in animal welfare. It has been several years since Chris was on the show and he is eager to share what is new at Doobert.com.  Doobert Forward is a fundraising platform that works like Amazon Smile, but the percentage of the sale that is donated back to the organization is 5% vs less than 1% at Amazon Smile. Stacy asks Chris to share more details about the Case Management module and if it can help manage situations where a cat or litter of kittens might be turned away from one organization to be helped with another.  Each situation turns into a “Case” so that it can be transferred to other organizations therefore potentially ensuring that everyon

“We do, in those two worlds, share some goals. We can recognize that there might be suspicion or assumptions or disagreements about how well TNR works to manage populations but by working together, those two worlds can certainly make it better.” – John Boone This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy speaks with Valerie Benka the Director of Programs for Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (“ACC&D”), and John Boone, who serves on the Board of Directors at ACC&D and is the Research Director at the Great Basin Bird Observatory. The mission of ACC&D is to advance non-surgical sterilants and contraceptives for cats and dogs and to promote their global accessibility. The organization recognizes that some communities do not have the necessary resources for safe animal sterilization surgery and seeks to address this issue. In their discussion with Stacy, Valerie and John talk about the research and projects that ACC&D has conducte