The Community Cats Podcast

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Ep226 - Sandy Rees Dec 09, 2017

Show notes

Interview! Sandy Rees, Founder and Chief Encouragement Officer - Get Fully Funde

"I've always felt deep in my soul that I'm here to help lots of people. I have a sensitive heart and can't stand to see anyone suffer."

Sandy helps non-profits and charities who have been used to nickel and dime fundraising work on getting to six or seven figures on their bottom line! She shows her students how to find ideal donors and connect with them through authentic messaging.

Because one of the greatest challenges for our listeners is fundraising, Sandy has many answers that we need to do the jobs we are trying to do for our community cats!

Sandy fell into this career by accident and didn't go to school or classes that teach non-profit management. There really weren't any around! But she went on a tour at a local rescue mission and ended up asking lots of questions. She was soon asked to join their board and a year later, joined their resource development office.

Soon, she jumped into fundraising and never looked back! Surprisingly, she was able to apply a lot of corporate marketing from her earlier career into her new one and she soon blossomed.

In 2005 she started Get Fully Funded and was able to pick specific clients that she loved and connected with. From farm animals to dogs and cats, Get Fully Funded can cover it!

The bottom line is that people are passionate about helping animals, but don't know how to raise money to help. So she retrains her clients to turn fundraising into something that makes people want to help. She gets donors excited!

She also believes in working by the 1/10/1000 Rule.

Plan ONE fundraising event a year and do it really well!
Get TEN grants a year. Stop leaving grant money on the table. These types of grants are out there so apply!
Build your donor base up to about 1,000 donors. This will set yourself up for sustainable fundraising long-term. It's also good because if you lose one donor, you'll be able to weather storms through a base of stability.

Sandy also talks about ARF club, which focuses on small organizations and training opportunities for these places. They are able to work together with all animal welfare groups through private Facebook groups and other Q&A sessions where they can connect and collaborate.

Learn more at http://getfullyfunded.com/arf-club/ and arfclub.com.

Ep225 - Cameron Moore Dec 02, 2017

Show notes

Interview! Cameron Moore, Program Manager, Million Cat Challenge

"Hurricane Irma's reach was intense for shelters across Florida, but it will only help us to plan for future incidents."

Cameron is a return guest (head to Episode 61 for information on how she got started in the business) that is here today to discuss the hurricane relief efforts in Florida.

Cameron worked with Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program to do pre and post-storm assessments for a majority of the 155 shelters in Florida. Volunteers were responsible for contacting shelters before the storm to find out what may be needed, evacuation plans and how to distribute supplies.

This also parlayed into working with shelters to get pre-storm animals out to safety so the shelter would have room for post-storm animals that would need a place to go. When it came time to moving these animals before the hurricane hit, it proved challenging because carriers were in short supply, gas was drying up because of the mass exodus out of Florida and traffic was so horrible it took hours to travel anywhere. It was a real eye-opener on how to operate things in the future.

However, they were able to get 73 animals out of a shelter and into safety before the storm even touched the ground.

Cameron stresses the importance of having a plan in place before the storm. It's key. She also stresses how important shelters are who aren't in the eye of the storm, because they can be in a position to take animals that need to be relocated. The key is never to be in a position where shelters have to euthanize pre-storm animals in order to make room for post-storm animals.

Overall, things went well and it caused a funding collaborative to come together in order to work smarter together for future events. Thanks to Petco and other charities, there are plans to set up a centralized website with a grant application to help post-storm shelters.

Cameron also discusses how to potentially approach hurricane season differently in the future, and how she loved seeing the increase in people being able to take their pets with them who were evacuated to other areas. It only makes it easier on a family and a shelter.

Here's the link to the transport best practices webinar series. aspcapro.org/webinar-series-companion-animal-transport-best-practices

Ep224 - Jim Tedford Nov 25, 2017

Show notes

Interview! Jim Tedford, President and CEO for the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators, SAWA

"Our role is to make connections between people who need relief versus the members we know who can provide relief."

Jim is a returning guest who has been actively engaged in the animal welfare movement for over 30 years. He was involved in the professional association of leaders in animal welfare and control, along with the National Council of Pet Population, a subsidiary of SAWA. More specifics of Jim's work, check out Episode 199!

Today we discussed SAWA's experience in assisting the recent hurricane victims across the country. Their main role is to mobilize a network of professionals. Currently, there are around 1,100 members around the U.S. SAWA works to bring them together to provide the help when and where it's needed.

Work starts before a natural disaster hits, and remains long after for hurricane relief. Another big goal is to make sure people don't get in the way of themselves and cause more harm than good. Many times organizations offer to help and show up before any requests have been made. This can cause people to get in the way of themselves and create more work than needed.

SAWA is currently working hard to make sure that Texas and Florida are able to provide the shelter space and resources for the animals that have been displaced and have needed rescuing. Jim also discusses how it's been moving animals from Point A to Point B, as far as paperwork, immunizations, diseases, etc.

Overall, it's important to note that when dealing with disasters, the real strength is in the network and that is exactly where SAWA shines.

For more information, head over to sawanetwork.org.

Ep223 - Matt Michaelson & Calvin Bohn Nov 18, 2017

Show notes

Interview! Matt Michaelson and Calvin Bohn, Co-Founders of Smalls

"58% of cats are overweight, and 28% of those are considered obese. This is up 7% since just 2011 and something clearly needs to change."

Matt, the Master Business Person, and Calvin, Head Chef, are taking a fresh look at feeding felines after seeing just how many cats are overweight, suffering from renal failure or urinary crystals. They realized just how big a difference real food can make for all cats and decided to start a new food company to help with these increasing issues.

Matt grew up with cats and dogs and always had a bit of a suspicion about the food he was feeding his pets. It just never quite smelled like food.

Calvin's interest in food began with human food. One of the big lessons he hopes that people wrap their head around is that the same truths for human food hold strong for cats, as well. What you eat has a big impact on your energy, day-to-day health and wellness, along with long-term health! While humans are on the bandwagon to work towards better eating, now it's time for our pets, too!

Feeding cats also needs to change through more specific feeding instructions, instead of just being based on weight or age. Smalls is working to revolutionize this area by receiving information about a client's cat and creating a specific CALORIE recommendation to feed per day. It lets owners know exactly what to feed their kitty, per day, instead of allowing a cat to free feed, since it's not really inline with a cat's natural predatory behavior.

Cats also get most of their hydration through their food and with dry food in today's market, that isn't possible. Cats tend to be chronically dehydrated, which can cause renal failure, obesity, urinary crystals, etc.

All food is freshly prepared, frozen and shipped to a client on a subscription basis. They are creating their own cooking classes and teaching people how to cook their own food at home. Smalls believes in transparency and want people to see how the food is prepared and what goes into it!

For more information about Smalls, and to order, head over to www.smallsforsmalls.com.

Ep222 - Adam Myatt Nov 11, 2017

Show notes

Interview! Adam Myatt, The Cat Man of West Oakland

"These cats are street smart, tough as nails, and have definitely scene some stuff, but they are our neighborhood cats and are softies at heart."

Cats have been taking over this amazing guy's life for the last 8 years! What started as a small photography hobby has turned into a life-changing endeavor, leading the Cat Man down a path that led to diving head first into cat rescue TNR and opening the first cat cafe in the United States.

Adam was actively playing in bands and worked in a recording studio and had a buddy who went on tour and started posting on Instagram with the hashtag #CatsOnTour. So when Adam, himself, went on tour, he kept the tradition alive and it just never stopped!

After posting photos for awhile, he had friends who were impressed and encouraged him to do something with them, but he was determined not to invest what little money had had into cat merchandise. But he decided to start a crowdfunding campaign to get things started. Before he knew it, he had people signing up for a calendar he created and it has been wildly successful in the years since!

The 2018 Calendar will be his 6th year selling through Kickstarter and he's now even working on a book & calendar pitch for 2019 that may take it even further!

Adam has been stunned by how many people have gotten onboard and ordered calendars and also is blown away by how much the community in West Oakland wants to get involved with cat rescue efforts when a cat is trapped. He is focused on doing more TNR in the community and making an impact on that side of things, rather than running an adoption center.

In a stroke of irony, the Cat Man won't be adopting any of his feline friends anytime soon. His roomie of over 12 years is allergic and having cats in his own home just isn't in the cards!

So how does he get such great pictures of these sweet feral cats? He gets down to their level, even if it means kneeling and laying down in the streets to capture their sweet faces. And of course, treats and catnip always help! Believe it or not, those great pics are all taken with just an iPhone! Because who wants to carry crazy photography gear around the streets of Oakland?!

Learn more and grab your own 2018 Cat Calendar at catmanofwestoakland.com.

Ep221 - Dr. Mike Greenberg Nov 04, 2017

Show notes

Interview! Dr. Mike Greenberg, Program Director for Target Zero

"We want to teach people to set goals, and then to use metrics to measure their progress towards them."

Dr. Mike Greenberg is the program director for Target Zero, a project that helps municipal shelters achieve live release rates of 90% or above for community cats. He is also the co-author of Every Nose Counts: A Guide to Using Metrics in Animal Shelters. Mike describes the book as a practical guidebook for the entire sheltering world and those who care for homeless animals, from volunteers to vets. Every Nose Counts argues for the utility of statistical metrics in predicting live release rate outcomes in shelters, and instructs on the implementation of metrics in the animal welfare world. The book is a marriage of Dr. Greenberg's professional experience in shelter medicine with his interest in data analysis and his passion for education other animal welfare professionals.

You can purchase your own copy of Every Nose Counts at sheltermetrics.org or on Amazon, where it is available in both hardcover and electronic formats.

Ep220 - Sarah-Jane Farrell Oct 28, 2017

Show notes

Interview! Sarah-Jane Farrell, Multi Sensory and Forensic Medical Intuitive

"The trust process is the first step in our ability to trust that we are enough. It is as ancient as humankind."

Sarah-Jane Farrell is a pragmatic psychologist who specializes in healing trauma through utilizing the animal relationships in our lives. Sarah-Jane grew up in Zimbabwe, where she always felt that animals understood her more than people did. She has always been struck by the animal ability to live in the present moment and only focus on necessities, whereas humans often "live from the head instead of the heart." To counter this habit, she encourages her clients to trust themselves and their natural instincts, as well as to observe and learn from the animals in their lives. Sarah-Jane has been fortunate enough to study the lions of the Zimbabwe savannah, and has learned much about interdependence and intergenerational wisdom from these majestic wild cats.

Sarah-Jane offers online courses on how to rebuild your "trust process" and harness your innate healing abilities. You can sign up for these courses at accessurtruenature.com, as well as learn a little more about Sarah-Jane and her practice. You can also find a variety of video tutorials on her YouTube channel, or connect with her on Facebook.

Still not convinced? Here are some free demos for helping our feline companions from Sarah-Jane:

How to help yourself help animals in shelters or distress A soothing song for cats

Ep219 - Katie Lisnik Oct 21, 2017

Show notes

Interview! Katie Lisnik, Director of Cat Policy and Protection, Humane Society of the United States

Ready for Round 5 of Policy Jeopardy? Katie Lisnik once again updates us on the various changes and new initiatives in community cat policy across the US. The challenges facing animal welfare advocates differ greatly across the fifty states: while New Hampshire just passed a bill that approved the adoption of FIV+ and and Felv+ cats, Kansas is the last holdover of this outdated law, and the change seems slow to come. Katie also talks about the importance of clear and public position statements from animal welfare organizations, especially concerning hot-button issues like TNR and FIV+/Felv+ adoption.

You can read the Humane Society's position statement on TNR here. If you are interested in getting involved with animal welfare legislation in your state, you can find your state director's contact information on humanesociety.org. You can also find resources for anything related to sheltering, rescue, animal control, TNR, or community cat related at animalsheltering.org. And, as always, you can email Katie at cats@humanesociety.org if you have any questions concerning animal welfare legislation and policy.

Ep218 - Bryan Kortis Oct 14, 2017

Show notes

Interview! Bryan Kortis, Director of National Programs for Neighborhood Cats

"It feels like we are starting over in Maui. We are having fascinating on-the-ground experiences!"

Stacy catches up with Bryan Kortis today to cover a wide range of topics from what is happening in Hawaii with pending legislation that would help community cats, to an update on the group's work in Jersey City, New Jersey, where they recently spayed/neutered about 1,000 cats! Lastly, we are covering what is new with catstats.org.

Bryan has partnered with the local Maui Humane Society to build a special TNR room and has been getting involved in the community to get hands-on help. It hasn't been easy, though! He has dealt with a lot of anti-TNR attitudes in Hawaii, which is home to the largest home of endangered bird species. Follow Bryan's work in Hawaii with the action alert!

Bryan also makes presentations at conferences and meetings all around the country and is hosting a training online on October 17th, "Combating the Naysayers", which you can sign up for now!

To find out more about where Bryan is presenting and what he is up to over the coming months, go to www.neighborhoodcats.org.

Ep217 - Cathy Unruh and Chad Thompson Oct 07, 2017

Show notes

Interview! Cathy Unruh and Chad Thompson, Board President and Executive Director, Meow Now, Inc.

"My ultimate vision is that there really are no more community cats, because the entire United States has bought into TNVR."

Cathy Unruh and Chad Thompson are the founding board president and executive director of Meow Now, Inc., respectively. Meow Now is the first and only non-profit organization providing TNVR services for community cats in Pinellas County, Florida. In the three years since its opening, Meow Now's dedicated team of staff and volunteers have TNVR'd 3,300 cats and provided more than 200 kittens with foster homes!

Like most of Florida, Pinellas County boasts a warm, humid climate year-round. While great for vacation, it also creates a perfect breeding ground for both cats and disease. This makes vaccination for community cats very important, which is why Meow Now stresses the V in TNVR. And thanks to Meow Now's efforts, TNVR is now standard protocol by law when dealing with community cats in Pinellas county!

To learn more about Meow Now, or to find out how you can support the new organization, please visit meownowfl.org, their page on Facebook, or call (727) 203 5255.

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