The Community Cats Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ashley Morrison, Foster Caregiver & Cat Advocate Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

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 few short weeks."

To learn more about the work Ashley does, visit her website, or follow her (as Youngest Old Cat Lady) on Instagram,Facebook, and YouTube.

Isa Peraza-Martinez, ASPCA Community Cats Outreach Manager Nov 19, 2019

Show notes

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 community cats or need support, you can email Isa directly. If you are interested in the Spanish translation of Stacy's Community Cat Pyramid, click here.

Dr. Kimberley Khodakhah, Veterinarian, Mentor, Wellness & Success Coach Nov 12, 2019

Show notes

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 excited she is about her veterinary outreach programs, which she believes are a great way for veterinarians to reignite their passion for the profession.

To learn more, visit the Vetopia webpage, email Dr. K., or follow her on Facebook.

Sally Williams, Brodie Fund and Feline Fine Project Nov 05, 2019

Show notes

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, Boone County (KY) Animal Shelter Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

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 opportunities it offers Kentucky groups.

Anna Skaya, Basepaws Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

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 is "way more than just a cat genetic company; we are a feline health company."

To learn more, visit the Basepaws website and check them out on social media to see what other people are saying. If you're interested in seeing if your kitty qualifies for free testing, visit Basepaw's Research page. And be sure to sign up for their blog to learn more about upcoming research needs.

Chelsea White, Comedian and Host of "Show Me Your Kitty" Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

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, CAWA, Division Manager, Greenville (SC) County Animal Care Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

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, Chirrups & Chatter Cat Behavior Consulting and Education Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

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 just don't have the education to do their best." Through Chirrups and Chatters, she hopes to change that.

Tabitha and Stacy discuss low-stress, feline-friendly cat handling in-depth, and they touch on the concept of clicker training cats, including how it can helpful in a shelter environment.

To learn more about Tabitha and the work she does, visit the Chirrups & Chatter website, or follow Chirrups & Chatter on Facebook or Instagram. Tabitha is always happy to share resources and encourages listeners to follow her to learn more about upcoming events, including a fearful kitten webinar coming up in September.

For those interested in learning more about low-stress handling, Tabitha suggests checking out Fear Free, the Low Stress Handling University, International Cat Care, and the American Association of Feline Practitioners websites. Tabitha also recently wrote this article about feline-friendly handling. You can also view a video of feline-friendly handling techniques here.

To learn more about clicker training cats, visit Jackson Galaxy's Cat Pawsitive program for shelters.

Jenny Hart, Travel Writer & Cat Mom Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

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 learn more, you can visit Jenny and Rajah's website, or follow their adventures on Instagram. You can also read this recent Wall Street Journal article featuring Rajah and Jenny.

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