The Community Cats Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Rick DuCharme, Founder of RLD Consulting LLC Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

Rick DuCharme has worked for many years as a no-kill advocate, working on the Mayor's Task Force for Animal Control, founding First Coast No More Homeless Pets, and now founding RLD Consulting LLC, which works to help organizations working to save animals. Rick specializes in access to veterinary care, spay/neuter clinics, nonprofit startups, and more.

Stacy and Rick discuss his journey from the business space to the nonprofit world, trends in animal welfare as a result of COVID-19, the vet shortage and how to use vets more efficiently, as well as ahow to retain vets already working in nonprofit, working together with groups across the welfare space, and advice for nonprofits starting up. They also chat about Rick's work with Dr. Micheal Blackwell from the University of Tennessee and what they're doing to help provide access to veterinary care to low income pet owners.

To learn more about RLD Consulting LLC, visit their website or contact Rick directly by email. Rick has been on the show before, listen to Episode 46 here.

Lisa Wysocki, Co-director Fido Fixers Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

Lisa got involved in animal welfare through volunteering at shelters. She first began transporting animals from high-kill areas in the south, but then shifted her focus to the root of the problem: access to spay and neuter services.

From that was born Fido Fixers, a nonprofit providing low-cost spay/neuter for dogs and cats with mobile clinics in underserved areas. With their seven mobile clinics, they partner with local groups which operate the clinic and provide the vet.

Stacy and Lisa talk about the logistics of working with local groups, the vet shortage, and how the spay/neuter clinics can expand to cover wellness, vaccines, and microchips as well.

Learn more about Fido Fixers on their website, though to contact them, use their email. You can also find them on Facebook.

Christi Metropole, Founder of Stray Cat Alliance Jul 27, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

Christi Metropole, founder of the Stray Cat Alliance shares with Stacy how she got started with TNR in the 90s and how trapping her first cat at her apartment complex gradually blossomed into a movement. They chat about how cats have historically been left out of the animal movement,

The Stray Cat Alliance provides trapping education, trap depots, help for spay/neuter surgeries, advocacy, help and education around unweaned kittens, and empowers community members to make the world better for cats. Stacy and Christi also talk about the history of TNR in Los Angeles and the barriers to TNR that the Stray Cat Alliance and other organizations have worked hard to overcome.

To learn more about the Stray Cat Alliance, to find resource, or to join one of their trainings, go to their website.

Becky Mossor, Registered Vet Tech, Executive Director Human Animal Bond Association Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

Becky Mossor is a registered veterinary technician and the executive director of the Human Animal Bond Association. She and Stacy talk about the differences between certified vet techs, on the job trained veterinary assistants, the challenges veterinarians have been facing during COVID, and ideas to better address the shortage of vets.

Stacy and Becky also talk about the importance of the human-animal bond, which is at the core of the Human Animal Bond Association. The association brings together pet professionals and pet parents to elevate and educate on the benefits of the human-animal bond, to support research on this topic, and to offer resources and support to veterinarians, pet parents, and communities.

To find out more, visit the Human Animal Bond Association website. You can find Becky on Instagram and you can listen to her podcast Making Sense of Pets wherever you get your podcasts.

Michelle Fern, Host of Podcast Cattitude Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

This week the script is flipped and Stacy is the one being interviewed by Michelle Fern, who hosts the podcast Cattitude on Pet Life Radio. They chat about how Stacy got her start in animal welfare and the origins of the Community Cats Podcast, what they've both seen in animal welfare during COVID-19, how TNR is a grassroots movement, the veterinary shortage in the US, and more.

Michelle also shares a little about her background and how she got started with Pet Life Radio and the two shows she hosts, Cattitude and Best Bets for Pets, and her hopes for the future of animal welfare in the US.

You can find Cattitude here and listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Chloe DiVita and Jessica Shipman, Co-founders of All Pet Voices Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

This week Stacy interviews Chloe DiVita and Jessica Shipman, co-founders of All Pet Voices, a pet-focused media company that creates content for pet lovers in partnership with pet experts and brands. Their mission is to collaborate with other pet industry experts and bring people together to inspire, innovate, and take ideas to the next level.

Stacy, Chloe, and Jessica discuss how they help small businesses and nonprofits share their story in a way that helps them connect with their audience, the best ways to grow that audience, and some of the best tech tools for staying organized.

You can find out more about All Pet Voices on their website and join their Facebook group BlogPaws Community for tools and resources for nonprofits and small businesses.

Juli Cialone and Marla Valentine, Rock N' Rescue Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

Juli Cialone and Marla Valentine of Rock N' Rescue chat with Stacy this week about their unique approach to cat rescue. Juli is the co-founder and executive director of Rock N' Rescue with a background in professional photography. Marla is a social worker in long term care with over 25 years of experience.

Rock N' Rescue, located in South Salem, NY, partners with shelters to match cats' temperaments to their adopters with a focus on placing animals into homes where there is a therapeutic need. They have a strong support system for adopters, resulting in low rates of return. They also do a lot of community outreach with Girl Scouts, high schools and middle schools, as well as bringing kittens to local nursing homes and assisting with occupational therapy.

To find out more about Rock N' Rescue, visit their website. They can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.

Andee Bingham, Founder of Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

This week's guest is Andee Bingham, founder of Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance in North Carolina. Andee noticed a need for a more specialized organization that could focus on neonates and support shelters that weren't equipped to care for them. Then she realized she was someone who could start that organization and Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance was born. Her program has a team of highly trained fosters and they work to support shelters by filling the gaps shelters have in neonatal kitten care, as well as helping shelters to build up their own program and foster network.

Andee and Stacy chat about different kinds of fosters and how people find the kinds of kittens they're passionate about, what to do if you find a kitten outdoors, and Andee gives out some advice for those starting and running nonprofit organizations.

You can find Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance on their website, and on Facebook and Instagram.

Rita Reimers, Feline Behavior Consultant and Podcast Host Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com.

In this episode, Stacy talks to Rita Reimers, a cat behavior consultant, writer, and podcast host. Rita writes a column for Catster Magazine and the Litter Genie website, and hosts the Pet Life Radio show 19 Cats and Counting with Linda Hall. She is also a cat rescue volunteer and cat owner (sharing her home with 19 cats!).

Stacy and Rita discuss common behavior issues such as litter box problems and how to introduce new cats into your household. They also touch on the differing mentalities around spay/neuter and letting your cat outside that exist around the country, the importance of targeting owned cats as well as community cats with spay/neuter programs, and the problems surrounding owner surrenders.

You can find out more about Rita on her website, and you can listen to her podcast here. To read her column and join a community of cat lovers, subscribe to Catster Magazine.

Special Rebroadcast - Pam Johnson-Bennett, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and Author Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

Originally broadcast as a special episode for National Cat Day, in this episode, we celebrate by talking with Pam Johnson-Bennett, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and best-selling author. Pam and Stacy discuss how Pam started her career and why we need to "think like a cat," as well as her latest project with ARM & HAMMER Cat Litter's "Purrfectly Impurrfect" campaign. The campaign is kicking off on National Cat Day to shed light on cats who may be passed by for adoption because of their age, appearance, or misunderstood personality. From October 29–November 30, anyone can nominate a "purrfectly impurrfect" shelter cat. Pam and two other cat experts will be selecting three winners, and each winning shelter will receive $10,000 from ARM & HAMMER Cat LItter, plus Pam's counseling services. Pam tells us not to wait to nominate a purrfectly impurrfect cat, as the first 100 nominations will receive $100 worth of ARM & HAMMER Cat Litter! And she also reminds us that if you can't adopt, you can still help spread the word. When it comes to helping community cats, everything we do matters. Happy National Cat Day! To learn more and to nominate a purrfectly impurrfect shelter cat, go to felinegenerousstories.com and use #FelineGenerous #Contest to follow the conversation.

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