The Community Cats Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Will Zweigart, Flatbush Cats Sep 17, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Stacy sits down with Will Zweigart, founder of Flatbush Cats, a nonprofit focused on reducing the outdoor cat population in central Brooklyn, New York through TNR and rescue work. Flatbush Cats teaches TNR classes and offers support and resources for trappers. They are also launching a mobile spay/neuter clinic pilot program to support low-income residents, a project done in partnership with the Toby Project.

Stacy & Will talk about the work Flatbush Cats does and the organization's goals. Will talks about how he has been inspired by Stacy's Community Cat Pyramid, which helped him think about how important getting to the root of the overpopulation problem is. As Will puts it, "There's got to be a way to turn the water off, instead of just scooping buckets out of the basement."

Flatbush Cats is well known for their visual documentation of the work they do, and Will shares some of his tips and ideas on how best to use visual media. He discusses the idea of proactive fundraising by telling authentic stories and explains that platforms like Instagram help your supporters see exactly where their money is going.

To learn more about Flatbush Cats and see the extraordinary video of how Will and his partners got started, visit their website. You can also follow them on their very active Instagram.

Preston Tobery, Adaptive Tech and Consulting Sep 10, 2019

Show notes

Preston Tobery, an expert at "maker technologies" like 3D printing, is the founder of Adaptive Tech and Consulting, a small business that makes adaptive technologies for special needs animals. Preston came to this specific work through several remarkable interactions with the Kitten Lady (Hannah Shaw) and two of her foster kittens, Chloe and Badger. The success of the technology Preston designed to help Badger with his megaesophagus, the Mega Feeder 3000, convinced Preston that he should start a business. You can learn more about Preston's company and the devices he makes, including information on how to order, at the Adaptive Tech and Consulting website, or on their Facebookor Instagramsites. You can also check out Hannah Shaw's video of Badgerthat started it all!

Siri Zwemke, Author, Executive Director of Siamese Cat Rescue Center Sep 03, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Stacy talks with Siri Zwemke, author and founder/executive director of the Siamese Cat Rescue Center. The organization has been in operation for over twenty years, utilizing over 900 volunteers to save over 13,000 cats in that time. Siri has also just published a book, Rescue Meez, about her experiences running the nonprofit and rescuing cats over the years.

Siri and Stacy discuss how Siri came to start Siamese Cat Rescue Center, how decreasing shelter populations have affected breed-specific rescues, how SCRC works with breeders, and about some of the particulars of Siamese cats and their traits.

To learn more about Siri's new book, visit her Facebook pageor email her at rescuemeez@meezer.org. You can order the book from Amazon and other online bookstores. Learn more about Siamese Cat Rescue Center at their website.

Jayne Sage, Founder & Executive Director, Street Cat Hub Aug 27, 2019

Show notes

Jayne Sage began doing TNR when she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico around 2002. After TNRing over 70 cats in her own neighborhood, she began looking for ways to help in other areas of the city and before long, she was a major advocate for TNR citywide.

In this episode, Jayne and Stacy discuss how TNR advocates, working in conjunction with the city of Albuquerque, were able to decrease the city's feline euthanasia rate by 99% between 2009 and 2017. Some of this was accomplished through Best Friend Animal Society's community cat program, where Jayne worked for several years. After the program ended, she went on to found Street Cat Hub to continue the program's work.

To learn more, visit Street Cat Hub's websiteor email them at streetcathub@gmail.com. You can also check out The Impact of an Integrated Program of Return-to-Field and Targeted Trap-Neuter-Return on Feline Intake and Euthanasia at a Municipal Animal Shelter, anarticle by Dan Spehar and Peter Wolfe about the Albuquerque program's history and statistics.

I Am Moshow the Cat Rapper and "Double Duty" Aug 17, 2019

Show notes

In this special episode, Stacy talks with Moshow the Cat Rapper about teaming up with Arm and Hammer's "Double Duty" campaign. Moshow wrote and created a song and video for the campaign, and if it gets two million views on YouTube by October 31, 2019, Arm and Hammer will donate $10,000 to ACCT Philly and to the Cat Adoption Team in Oregon.

In addition to chatting about the Double Duty campaign, Moshow talks very personally with Stacy about the loss of his beloved cat Tali and how he is handling his grief. Moshow also has lots of plans for the rest of 2019 and 2020. To find out more about Moshow and what he has going on, check out his website - iammoshow.com.

Betsy Banks Saul, Founder of Petfinder and Heal House Call Veterinarian (Part 2) Aug 13, 2019

Show notes

In the second part of this two-part episode, Stacy talks more with Betsy Banks Saul, this time about her new business venture, a franchise of house-call veterinary practices called Heal House Call Veterinarian. Betsy began thinking about this idea around 2013, and her top priority was to increase the quality of life for animals and for their people—including their veterinarians.

Around this time, Betsy found herself frustrated and saddened by the fact that her own pets' veterinarians seemed less than happy, and didn't have the time to do the work they wanted to do. She started thinking about how hard it is to be creative and do creative problem solving when you're stressed out. She soon posed this question to herself: "How could we change the trajectory of veterinary medicine in the United States?"

The answer was Heal House Call Veterinarian. The model is driven by the idea that if your vet isn't happy, they can't deliver the best medicine—and everything rolls downhill from that idea.

To learn more, visit the Heal House Call Veterinary website—and if you are or know of a veterinarian who might be interested in working with Heal House, email Betsy.

Betsy Banks Saul, Founder of Petfinder and Heal House Call Veterinarian (Part 1) Aug 06, 2019

Show notes

Betsy Banks Saul, a co-founder of Petfinder, and founder of a new business venture, Heal House Call Veterinarian, has been working with animals since she was a teen. She has a background as a park ranger, with an interest in forestry. In the first part of this two-part episode, she talks with Stacy about the path that lead her from that world into developing the Petfnder.comsoftware with her ex-husband in 1996.

Since that time, Betsy estimates that Petfinder.comhas had over two million adoptions annually. It was purchased by Discovery Communications in 2006, and then by Nestle Purina in 2013, and is one of the most successful interest businesses out there. Betsy and Stacy discuss how Petfinder came to be, and they also delve into the topic of compassion fatigue, including a discussion about Bartonella and why, if you work in the veterinary or animal sheltering fields, it may be important to get tested for it.

Learn more about Petfinder and its current programs at Petfinder.com. To learn more about Bartonella, including the testing options Betsy discusses in the podcast, visit Galaxy Diagnostic's website.

A Brief Programing Note Aug 03, 2019

Show notes

Some of the content you enjoy will be releasing at on a different day of the week. Starting in August, the podcast will be released on Tuesdays instead of Saturdays. (However, being available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Sticher or wherever you listen to podcasts, means that you can listen whenever you'd like!) Meanwhile, the blog will be posted on Thursdays instead of Mondays. We hope this change makes it more convenient for everyone to learn how to turn their passion for cats into action.

Dr. Rachel Geller, Certified Cat Behavior & Retention Specialist Jul 27, 2019

Show notes

Stacy is once again joined by Dr. Rachel Geller, who has previously appeared on CCP Episode 18 and Episode 146. A certified Humane Education Specialist and Cat Behavior & Retention Specialist, Rachel is celebrating the launch of her new book, Saving the World One Cat at a Time.

Rachel tells Stacy that she hadn't really entertained the idea of writing a book until the Boston Globe featured an article about her work. Shortly afterward, Nancy West, a Globe columnist, contacted Rachel to ask if she wanted to write a book with her. The book is an "as told to" book, meaning that Nancy West interviewed Rachel and then wrote the book. The information and stories, many of which are deeply personal, are all Rachel's, but, as Rachel puts it, Nancy "really brought my work to life."

Stacy & Rachel discuss what that work entails, and how Rachel is doing a lot of work with shelter staff and volunteers to help keep cats in the homes they love by addressing behavior problems before they reach a crisis point. Stacy and Rachel discuss the top issues Rachel see in her works, why Rachel is "100% against declawing," and the five things that Rachel feels are the most important tools you need to have a happy cat.

To learn more, check out Saving the World One Cat at a Time on Amazon. A portion of the sales proceeds will be donated back to cat shelters. You can also reach out to Rachel directly at drrachelgeller@gmail.com.

Amanda Jones, Founder and CEO of Sunshine Kitty Catfe Jul 20, 2019

Show notes

Amanda Jones, a lifelong cat lover and self-described "totally sane cat lady," talks with Stacy about opening the Sunshine Kitty Catfe in St. Petersburg, Florida this fall. They get into the details of how the café will operate, as well as how Amanda came to be interested in cat cafes.

At the age of 8, Amanda had her first experience as a "cat whisperer," in which she charmed a stray kitten at her father's office into coming to her. That kitten became Amanda's first pet cat of her own, and a lifetime of love for cats was born. Amanda eventually went on to work as a veterinary assistant, but after visiting a cat café in Seattle, she had an inkling of what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

Currently working as a nurse (for people), Amanda tells Stacy that she always feels wonderfully calm and peaceful when she visits a cat café. In addition, she feels a real sense of community with other cat lovers, and it is exactly this feeling she plans to bring to Sunshine Kitty Catfe. Opening and operating a cat café is Amanda's way of bridging her love for helping animals with a way to make a difference in people's lives.

To learn more, you can visit Sunshine Kitty Catfe's website. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram, or you can reach out to Amanda directly at sunshinecitycatfe@gmail.com.

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