The Community Cats Podcast

“I always tell everyone, ‘Even if you don’t like animals, you can still help. If you don’t have what it takes, you can still help.’” This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Melody Kwan, aka Melocat, a cat rescuer and re-homing volunteer based in Hong Kong. Through her network of volunteers, Melody is able to get cats to their ideal homes. She also lives with her 9 rescued and adopted cats in her 555 sq ft apartment. In her discussion with Stacy, Melody explains how she’s able to keep her house clean and her cats happy, calm, and comfortable. She talks about the unique systems she has in place that help her save time and create a better lifestyle for both cats and humans. She emphasizes that “vertical space beats floor space”. She’s currently developing a course to help others create the same ecosystem in their own lives. Melody also provides insight into what life is like for community cats in Hong Kong and outlines some of the chall

“Fear free is all about educating people to understand their cat’s emotional needs, which are deep and complex.” This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy speaks with Mikkel Becker, a certified trainer and behavior consultant, that serves as the lead trainer for Fear Free Pets and Fear Free Happy Homes. She is also the co-author of From Fearful to Fear Free In her conversation with Stacy, Mikkel talks about her experience training cats through using positive reinforcement and encouragement. She explains why she believes they can be trained more easily than dogs and how training is based in every day interactions with our cats. Mikkel speaks in depth about Fear Free, which was founded upon the mission of preventing and alleviating fear, anxiety, and stress in pets. She talks about the benefits of utilizing Fear Free programs. One of these programs is Fear Free Shelters, which is a free program available to rescues and shelters. Mikkel also provide

“Keep following your dreams. Keep following your heart. Keep going to where you’re led to go because it’s a life worth living when you’re following your heart.” This episode is sponsored in part by Dr. Pussum's Cat Nip, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. After dropping out of film school and being kicked out of his aunt’s house, Caleb Curtis found himself without a home. Rather than staying at a homeless shelter, he opted to get a bicycle and learn how to tour. Along the way, he found two-month-old Marilyn Monroad, and over the next 8 years, the pair would cycle over 12,000 miles across 32 states In his conversation with Stacy, Caleb talks about how he got into touring and sheds some light on what life is like on the road for Marilyn. He discusses some of the lessons that he learned during his first year of running Calico Cats and touches on some of his long-term goals for the brand. Caleb also provides insight on how he funds these trips, along with the type of content that he produces. One of his projects includes

“It’s very important to try to be diplomatic and to try to understand their point of view. . . . You have to be understanding.” This episode is sponsored in part by Dr. Pussum's Cat Nip, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Angela Campbell, a USA Today best-selling author in the romantic suspense genre. Her book series, The Psychic Detective, heavily features rescue pets as supporting characters. In addition to writing professionally, she serves on the board of directors for Feline Lifeline. In her conversation with Stacy, Angela talks about her experiences as an author and a board member. She shares her preferred method of trapping, along with some helpful TNR tips and tricks. She also strongly encourages TNR training for those interested in trapping (as opposed to trial and error). Angela believes that a crucial component of TNR is in how we interact with the community, and she stresses the importance of learning to work with them. “When you are calm, understanding, and polite, a lo

“Let’s ensure that we’re starting the conversation from that place of all of the things we have in common and real compassion and understanding for why community members might be confused around these issues.” This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy converses with Caitlin Quinn, who has been the Director of Operations for HeARTs Speak since 2015. HeARTs Speak develops resources that help shelter animals to be seen and find homes, ultimately transforming public perceptions of pet adoption, shelters, and animals in need. Caitlin discusses her role and shares the backstory of how she got involved in marketing. She highlights some of the communication challenges present in the community cat field and explains how those involved in the community cat field are often largely unaware that these problems exist. She conveys the importance of communication with others in the community that aren’t involved in caring for the community cats. “We’re so close to the issue

“[Pets] are empathy machines, and they can sense how we’re doing without us having to say anything. Often our pets will know how we’re doing before we do, and they’ll connect in that way.” This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Daniel Maigler, a licensed clinical social worker, who also serves as the Mental Health Advisor for Paws for Patrick, which is a nonprofit organization that connects young people with mental health issues to animals. Daniel provides insight into his role with Paws for Patrick, the array of services that the organization provides, and the inspiration behind this organization’s creation. Daniel discusses the benefits of emotional support animals, and clarifies the differences between a service animal, a therapy animal, and an emotional support animal (“ESA”). He talks about the process of obtaining an ESA letter, as well as the benefits and limitations that this letter has. Daniels touches on some of the trends involving E

“I think it’s great to bring that lens of diversity and inclusion to anything you’re working on.” This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Stacy speaks with Emily Miethner, who is the co-founder of Travel Cat, which produces products used to travel safely with your cat, including backpacks and harnesses. The company, founded in 2017, has become a global 7-figure e-commerce brand with 60,000 customers in 75 countries. In her conversation with Stacy, Emily shares information about Travel Cat’s founding, marketing, and grant program, Forever Home Heroes. As a serial entrepreneur, she has focused on community building, social media, and digital marketing. Emily discusses what it means to be a strong digital marketer and stresses the importance of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). She reminds us that the “love of cats has no bounds” and emphasizes the importance of inclusion of people from all backgrounds that love cats. To learn more about Travel Cat, visit their website or Ins

So if you’re doing something where they’re feeling engaged with that fun, I think it’s a better experience for people to bond with a cat.” This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Mario Abore returns to the show (he previously appeared on CCP Episode 338). Since 2014, Mario, through his company, Square Paws, has been creating stunning and unique creations and habitats for cats and people to enjoy. His work spans a range from making single cat towers to outfitting cat cafes and animal shelters. In his conversation with Stacy, Mario provides an update on some of his new projects, including his incredible work with the Ladew Cat Sanctuary in Oyster Bay, New York. He discusses the inspiration behind this project, as well as the designing and construction process of this and some of his other projects. He and Stacy also have an in-depth conversation about TNR, including a discussion about different traps, techniques, and baits. Sterling also shares his approach to tra

On trapping in tight locations...“We put a spotter up on the slope who could watch the whole thing and give us a signal when to drop the traps.” This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. This week, The Community Cats Podcast is excited to bring you part two of a special audio version of Drop Trap: A Trapper’s Best Friend Presented by The Neighborhood Cats. If you want to watch this presentation's recording - complete with videos, visuals, and great examples of many of the scenarios and equipment discussed - you can check it out on our YouTube channel by clicking here. What will you learn this week? Advanced skills like how to catch many cats at once in your drop trap, the "drop trap 360", plus a couple of unusual bait hacks to attract tough-to-trap queens and toms.  Join Neighborhood Cats, co-designers of the first commercially available drop trap, as they discuss how to use this invaluable tool and improve your trapping efficiency. You can learn more about Bryan Kortis and Neighb

“Because they (cats) are less afraid of drop traps, you don't need them to be as hungry to trap them... ” This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. This week, The Community Cats Podcast is excited to bring you a special audio version of Drop Trap: A Trapper’s Best Friend Presented by The Neighborhood Cats. If you would like to watch the recording of this presentation - complete with videos, visuals, and great examples of many of the scenarios and equipment discussed - you can check it out on our YouTube channel by clicking here. What will you learn this week? Are you trying to catch the last cat in your colony who isn’t fixed? Got a wily feral who just won’t go into a box trap, no matter how much you spend on roasted chicken? How about catching a litter of kittens all at once—with their mom? All these tough trapping situations and more can be solved if you know how to use a drop trap! Join Neighborhood Cats, co-designers of the first commercially available drop trap, as they discu

“It’s important that we learn to work together or learn not to work against one another.” This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, “Trap King” Sterling Davis returns to the show to share some of the projects he has been working on since the pandemic. Sterling, a former rapper turned trapper and TNR advocate was previously on the show on CCP Episode 243 and Episode 360. One of the new projects that he and Stacy discuss is his new podcast, Same Team Podcast, that he co-hosts with Shannon Jackson (mom to internet superstar cat, Smush), which focuses on “fixing the fixers”. During the pandemic, Sterling expanded his focus to healing the fractured relationships among some of the rescuers and rescue organizations. One of the podcast’s segments, titled “Smush the Beef”, has these rescuers and/or rescue organizations coming together to settle their differences and try to find positive solutions. Sterling discusses some of his past projects, including Tabby Dates and Pawj

“I think it all comes from being compassionate and coming to them from a place of empathy [and] understanding.” [on dealing with community members] This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Stacy speaks with Angéline Fahey, who is the Community Cat Program (“CCP”) Manager at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. The CCP provides trapping assistance, guidance, resources, and education for several counties in Southern Arizona. It also hosts weekly trapping events and hosts regular Zoom meet-ups, where members of a larger coalition of community cat trappers and advocates can discuss ways to improve the quality of outdoor cats’ lives. Angéline discusses her role as the CCP Manager, which involves frequent interaction with the public regarding community cats. She discusses the type of calls that she receives and how she responds to them. She stresses the importance of spreading awareness about community cats, which includes breaking racial barriers. Angéline also talks about the CCP’

“We’re trying . . . [to] demonstrate that this can be done, done effectively with great results, and . . . exemplify this to every town, because my ultimate belief is that there should be TNR in every town.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with Joe Federico, co-founder, and director of Stray Paws Animal Haven. After over two decades as a restaurant owner, Joe decided to leave the industry to embark on a journey driven by his passion for animal welfare. After moving to Southern California, he noticed an abundance of stray and feral cats in his neighborhood, and his search for a solution to their suffering and overpopulation of neighborhood cats brought him to the nonprofit organization FixNation, where he was a full-time volunteer for 8 years. Seeing the need for more capacity, Joe decided to establish Stray Paws Animal Haven in 2018, along with co-founder Melissa Bento. The organization, based in Los Angeles, California, focuses on

“These techniques are successful because they focus on what’s essential in the procedure . . . and [this] allows the surgeon to work more effortlessly and therefore more efficiently.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Stacy chats with Dr. June Long, who has been a high-volume spay/neuter surgeon for over six years. She was formally trained at the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance in 2016. Dr. Long routinely performs 30-40 surgeries daily and has performed over 27,000 sterilization surgeries. In her conversation with Stacy, Dr. Long details how she got into the high-volume spay/neuter field and provides a glimpse into what happens behind the scenes in spay/neuter clinics. She shares her thoughts on the need for high-volume spay/neuter services and on the veterinary workforce shortage. She also gives advice to veterinarians that are interested in the spay/neuter or shelter medicine field. Additionally, Dr. Long provides an overview of the Six Minute Spay, an online course

“Really my big thing in TNR is education and awareness; I want as many people to know about TNR as possible so that they can help save the cats.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Stacy chats with Cameron Greig, the Community Cat Coordinator for the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Cameron shares information about the specifics of HSHV’s Community Cat Program. To date, this program has served over 18,000 cats, averaging around 1,500 spay-neuter surgeries annually. Cameron talks about how he got into this field and how he has approached handling his position. He shares some of the strategies that the program employs. He also details a recent collaboration with the University of Michigan School of Information, where students performed a deep dive into HSHV’s Community Cat Program to figure out ways it could improve its efficiency and systems. Cameron discusses instances where he has had to deal with difficult property managers while TNR

“Just to make people aware: pet insurance is a very helpful tool; veterinary financing is a very helpful tool. When they’re combined, it creates a unique situation where they really piggyback and help each other.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Edwin Plotts is the Director of Marketing at Pawlicy Advisor. He is also involved with fostering and TNR in Chatham County, Georgia. Prior to moving to Georgia, he was a volunteer and foster with Flatbush Cats in Brooklyn, New York. In his interview with Stacy, Edwin describes the services of Pawlicy Advisor, which he likens to Priceline for pet insurance. This free resource assists pet owners in finding the right insurance so that they can afford veterinary costs. Edwin explains how there is no one-size-fits-all pet insurance and details how Pawlicy Advisor utilizes the Coverage Score and the Lifetime Pricing Score to rank the insurances most appropriate for the pet owner. He also more broadly explains pet insurance, i

“I think we probably overthink it sometimes. And sometimes it’s just a matter of trying different things to see what the cat seems to prefer or what eliminates the behavior that we’re trying to eliminate.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Kristen Levine is a nationally acclaimed pet expert and influencer with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Her early work with the SPCA led her to a lifelong career in the pet industry, advocating for pets and their parents on her blog and in the media. Through her blog, she helps pet parents provide the best care for every stage of a pet’s life. In her discussion with Stacy, Kristen shares some of her experiences in the pet industry and how she got into blogging. Many of the questions that she receives through her blog pertain to behavior. Kristen discusses her efforts in educating cat parents and raising overall awareness about fear, stress, and anxiety in cats, which includes founding the Pet Anxiety Awareness Even

“This is for when you’re really desperate to get the tomcat.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Drawing from over 20 years of experience working with feral cats, the folks at Neighborhood Cats have gathered together their favorite ways of catching the wiliest of felines. Join Neighborhood Cats' director of national programs, Bryan Kortis, as he offers a collection of helpful, problem-solving tips! Whether it's putting in a clear rear door, using Spam or KFC as bait, wrapping your trap with green garden netting, or training a cat to enter a trap, you're bound to learn something new to improve your trapping success! Links for Listeners View the full Trappers' Tips & Tricks video and slides on our Community Cat Care and Training page (just scroll to the bottom for recordings) or on YouTube. Learn more about Neighborhood Cats. If you enjoyed this episode, check out another great special episode, Colony Caretaking Tips & Tricks Part 1.

“What about the ones where you do all the basics - you do the feeding pattern, you withhold the food, you use the good traps, and all that - but they just won't go in?” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. Drawing from over 20 years of experience working with feral cats, the folks at Neighborhood Cats have gathered together their favorite ways of catching the wiliest of felines. Join Neighborhood Cats' director of national programs, Bryan Kortis, as he offers a collection of helpful, problem-solving tips! Whether it's putting in a clear rear door, using Spam or KFC as bait, wrapping your trap with green garden netting, or training a cat to enter a trap, you're bound to learn something new to improve your trapping success! Links for Listeners View the full Trappers' Tips & Tricks video and slides on our Community Cat Care and Training page (just scroll to the bottom for recordings) or on YouTube. Learn more about Neighborhood Cats. If you enjoyed this episode,

“The good thing about spay/neuter is one cat fixed: thousands saved. So you get one done, you can feel really good that night about what you’ve done. You don’t have to have these big huge numbers to make a difference in your community, in your neighborhood.” This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie’s Fund. Linda Chitwood is the volunteer director for the nonprofit charity Homeless Animals Relief Project (“HARP”), located in Senatobia, Mississippi. HARP’s mission is to reduce cat suffering and overpopulation by providing free or very low-cost spay/neuter surgery to those with low income or caring for community cats. Since its inception in 1997, HARP has fixed over 20,000 cats. After moving from Memphis to rural Mississippi, Linda encountered a community without any animal welfare programs and she was compelled to take action. In her conversation with Stacy, Linda shares some of her experiences from her 25 years in animal welfare work and in operating a small nonprofit. Linda als