The Community Cats Podcast

Interview! Elizabeth Putsche, Founder, For All Animals "It's all about data and supporting information. That's what really speaks to government officials." Elizabeth Putsche is the founder and executive director of For All Animals, a 501(c)3 organization that "identifies and fills voids in the animal protection field." The organization is based in Baltimore, which in 2007 was one of the first major cities to implement TNR as the official policy for the treatment of community animals. For All Animals is committed to providing resources for those organizations who still have a lot of work to do in their communities regarding TNR, legislative blocks, overpopulation and negative views of local shelters. Some of the services For All Animals offers are Photographers for Animals, a pro-bono collection of photographers and videographers who donate their time to professionally photograph shelter animals and therefore increase their chances of adoption, and Attorney at Paws, in which Elizabeth Holt, director of legislative affairs, offers assistance to grassroots advocates trying to change, improve, or add community ordinances that affect companion animals. To find out more, please visit forallanimals.org

Interview! Will Allen, New Sales Business Manager, Frontstream "BiddingForGood helps you expand your reach and raise more money." In this unique episode, Stacy talks to Will Allen, self-professed cat lover and fundraising consultant at Fronstream, a software company that helps non-profits develop fundraising strategies. Stacy, a user herself, helps Will explain to listeners some of the services offered by Frontstream, and also offer some some concrete tips on how to implement the services in new and creative ways. Frontstream hosts platforms such as Bidding for Good, which walks users through the process of creating an online auction, and First giving, a "peer-to-peer" software where supporters can create their own fundraising pages to help spread the word about runs, walkathons, and similar events. With a community of close to half a million supporters, Frontstream connects non-profit organizations with donors both inside and outside of the organization's own network. To find out more, please visit go.frontstream.com/community-cats-podcast

Interview! Dr. Julie Levy, Maddie's Professor of Shelter Medicine at University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine "Our goal is to enculturation these life-saving key initiatives into animal sheltering… so that this becomes [the norm.]" Dr. Julie Levy is a professor of shelter medicine at the University of Florida, as well as a prolific publisher of scientific articles on small animal medicine. She began her work with community cats in the 1980s while attending veterinary school at UC Davis, where there was a large population of unsterilized cats. She describes how difficult it was to trap cats back in the days when TNR was not yet a widespread phenomenon—she and her peers used to chase the cats around with nets! Dr. Levy also worked with Dr. Kate Hurley to found the Million Cat Challenge, who you may be familiar with from her own interview on the Community Cats Podcast. Dr. Levy describes the birth of the Milion Cat Challenge as a "spontaneous eruption of enthusiasm," and indeed that enthusiasm has not faltered: the Challenge has recently partnered with the ASPCA and accepts shelters into its program on a rolling basis. For more information visit www.millioncatchallenge.org.

Interview! Dr. Christine Wilford, Founder, The Feral Cat Project "Sometimes helping means us having to not do something, and us realizing that, for this cat, bringing it inside means it's going to be scared everyday of its life. Would that be what you would want?" Dr. Wilford, founder of Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project in Lynnwood, Washington returns to Community Cats Podcast to discuss geriatric cats with Stacy. Clearly stating her belief that "age is not a disease," Dr. Wilford lists the most common medical concerns facing aging cats, both owned and feral, including kidney and thyroid issues. Proper diet to support kidney and liver function means an adequate amount of digestible animal proteins. Dr. Wilford explains what this means in regards to dry food versus wet food, how vegetable content is potentially dangerous in marketed foods, and options for providing health winter sustenance for community cats. She then shares her beliefs in choosing options for retiring geriatric cats from colonies, encouraging caretakers to make empowered choices based on their individual circumstances. For more information visit www.feralcatproject.org.

Interview! Karen Little, Executive Director, Alley Cat Advocates "Urban cats are accustomed to urban living. Rural cats are accustomed to rural living… Keeping those colonies in tact, adjacent to where their habitat might have been destroyed, is in the best interest of the cats." In her second interview with Stacy, Karen explores the issue of relocation in the Louisville, Kentucky area where she works with Alley Cat Advocates. A firm believer that colony relocation is only an option when the current habitat is targeted for destruction, she talks with Stacy about pursuing alternative avenues like educating residents on ways to deter unwanted colony behavior and examining food sources. With such alternatives, the Kentucky Humane Society cites an 80 percent success rate in keeping community cats in original habitats while practicing TNR to lower populations over time. Karen and Stacy also discuss the effect of terminology use on both public perception and municipal perception of community cats and their future. For more information visit alleycatadvocates.org.

Interview! Andy Kola, Founder, LumenLS "To fix the problems that are facing cats, all center around increasing the perceived importance, the perceived value, and the perceived acceptance of cats to humans." In his second interview with Stacy, Andy discusses his organization's approach to challenges facing community cats in Broward County, Florida. With a mission of eliminating unnecessary suffering and euthanasia for all community cats in the area, Andy's shelter, Lumen LS, has been specifically tackling euthanasia reduction. With this focus, about three hundred cats' lives have been spared in under three months. Andy discusses the innovative implementation of community cat signs. Like duck crossing signs, these signs portray ear-tipped cat silhouettes representing cat-friendly areas where TNR colonies exist. Qualified trappers work with homeowners' associations and property management personnel to not only perform TNR, but educate residents on the long-term effects of the program and how they can contribute. For more information visit www.lumenls.org.

Dakin, since cat overpopulation has become less of an issue across Massachusetts. Dakin has performed over 70,000 spay/neuter surgeries, and as a result, the cats entering her adoption center are much more complex to rehome. She notes, "we wouldn't have had the time or space to help these cats in the past, but now we're able to successfully place them." She describes the innovative and successful feral kitten adoption program Dakin has piloted, where these "tiny tigers" are placed directly in homes, rather than fostered, with very positive results. Also touching on re-evaluating the needs of the community before determining what services they truly need. For more information visit www.dakinhumane.org.

Interview! Alana Yanez, Manager of HSUS Pets For Life Los Angeles "When we have literally put these vouchers in people's hands at their doorsteps, there really is no excuse now." An advocate for animals and residents of underserved communities in East Los Angeles, Alana brings compassion and political experience to her position as manager of Pets for Life Los Angeles and as the Commissioner of the LA Animal Services Board. She discusses the 2009 injunction against LA Animal Services by various wildlife organizations. This lawsuit resulted in the near $800K, court ordered Environmental Impact Revue (EIR) and the halting of all much needed city-sponsored TNR activity. Alana also discusses the positive impact of the city's voucher program, which provides spay/neuter services and vaccine services throughout East LA's underprivileged, undocumented, and homeless residents. With obvious empathy for pet owners of all cultures, she encourages a non-judgmental approach to animal welfare, based on kindness and compassion. For more information on Pets for Life, visit humanesociety.org. For more information about LA Animal Services, visit their website at laanimalservices.com and on Facebook.

Interview! Suzanne Kogut, Executive Director of the Petco Foundation "Everyone wants the same thing, to do right by the cats. There's just a disagreement often about how we get there. But I thought we could all work together to get there." After her first career as a corporate finance and securities attorney, Suzanne took the road less travelled and became involved in the Charlottsville/Albemarle SPCA. As the executive director from 2005-2012, Suzanne gained priceless experience facing new challenges with a fresh perspective and 'outside of the box' thinking. These challenges taught her the importance of research and of recognizing potential resources. In 2013, she became the executive director of the Petco Foundation, which partners with local animal welfare communities across the country. Suzanne and Stacy discuss the various organizations Petco works with, how each is prioritized, and what the evaluation process for grant funding entails. For more information, visit petcofoundation.org as well as the Petco Foundation's facebook page.

It's an Ask Stacy episode! "You could feel the energy busting through the wires" Stacy reflects what all that she's learned since launching the Community Cats Podcast, having completed more than 100 episodes speaking with experts all over the US and beyond. She recommends a number of her favorite interviews, with individuals like Emma Clifford, Hannah Shaw (the "Kitten Lady"), Dr. Kate Hurley and Dr. Christine Wilford — all of whom have different areas of expertise, but embody enthusiasm and energy in their work to improve the lives of cats. Additionally, she talks about the topic of how cats control rat populations (it's not quite how you think!) and gives recommendations for making winter in the northern climates more comfortable and healthy for community cats.

Interview! Diego Alves, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pet and Tie "We want to be the premium app for pet parents and pets." Ever have trouble finding a pet sitter? Diego did, and that experience was the impetus to his envisioning an virtual community where pet owners could connect to all of the services they need. His new app, "Pet and Tie," available on Apple and Android, aims to help pet owners save time and money and be responsible parents to their pets whether they're seeking play dates, grooming services or vet appointments. Funding the development of the app himself, Diego talks about the challenges of being a digital entrepreneur, building an easy-to-use interface, and getting the recognition and membership that will make the app a success: "Pet and Tie will only be effective if people use it." For more information, visit petandtie.com.

Interview! Katie Lisnik, Director of Cat Protection and Policy, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) "Taking an active role in legislation is the only way we're going to move the ball forward." In her return appearance on the Podcast, Katie plays "Around the Country Policy for Cats" with Stacy, detailing the successes and challenges in four different states: Delaware, Hawaii, Virginia and Illinois. In her role at HSUS, Katie's on the front line of legislative and public policy efforts that can impact positive change for Community Cats. She calls Hawaii "a cauldron of challenges" due to its indigenous species vulnerable to cats, and calls Delaware a "great pilot area to test new ideas." Not surprisingly, progress only comes when disparate groups come together to work out their differences. She stresses how important policy can be in outcomes for cats: "In many cases we need to make some changes at the state and ordinance level in order to do the life-saving work we want to do." For more information, visit humanesociety.org.

Interview! Sally Williams, Founder, The Brodie Fund "I think the thing that makes us a little different, and our goals quite lofty as well, is that we are putting the focus on quality of life and not the diagnosis." Sally is a cat behavior consultant and the founder and director of The Brodie Fund, a non-profit organization offering financial assistance to pet owners dealing with a pet's cancer diagnosis. Sally's beloved cat Brodie, a shelter rescue with a large and loving personality, battled cancer at the age of twelve. Through conversations with the oncologist and fellow pet owners about the overwhelming financial hurdles, The Brodie Fund was born. Sally discusses what makes this program stand out from others, including availability for senior pets and adoptable shelter pets to qualify for assistance. She shares success stories and promotes The Brodie Fund Movie, a short video on YouTube. For more information, visit thebrodiefund.org and Team Brodie on Facebook.

Interview! Sharon Secovich, Co-founder, Spay Maine "What I've found is a lot of people will feed but they don't have the knowledge or wherewithal or the means to trap. So the only way to get our feral cat population down is with trapping help." After her first career as an environmental geologist, Sharon pursued a public policy career that led to work as a legislative advocate and community cat program manager for the Animal Welfare Society shelter in West Kennebunk Maine. As a volunteer for the government-run spay/neuter program Help Fix Me, she speaks candidly with Stacy about the frustration she has experienced while defending funding through legislation and policy, particularly against pet food lobbyists. Sharon also discusses her work with The Cleo Fund, Maine's very first spay/neuter program that offers free spay/neuter for feral cats and low cost health care for dogs and cats across the state. For more information, email Sharon at [email protected] or visit spaymaine.org and their Facebook page.

Interview! Dr. Margaret Slater, Senior Director of Veterinary Epidemiology Research and Development for the ASPCA "One of the things that we've found really helpful in all kinds of programs and projects is to couch it as a pilot… you can succeed and the prove that it does actually work…" Author of Feral Cats: Problems, Alternatives, and Recommendations and Veterinary Epidemiology: An Evidence Based Approach, Dr. Slater's tireless efforts have educated both the animal welfare and general communities since she began studying epidemiology in the early nineties. Her first experience starting a TNR program was inspired by a student at Texas A & M University campus, where she taught for over fifteen years. In her discussion with Stacy, she offers ways to tackle management of college campus cat colonies. Dr. Slater also discusses the importance of data-tracking for TNR techniques, colony lifestyles, and grant-funding. Dr. Slater's work involving population dynamics modeling with the Alliance for Contraception for Cats and Dogs has been key element in promoting and cultivating new TNR techniques. For more information, contact Dr. Slater at [email protected].

Interview! Audra Farrell, Community Cares Program Supervisor at the San Francisco SPCA "I have found even the fiercest of ferals can be really great moms, so their concern is more taking care of their kittens than have to deal with us." Through the Mama from the Streets program, San Francisco's shelters are combining TNR for feral mothers with adoption of their kittens. As San Francisco's SPCA's Community Cares Program Supervisor, Audra advocates strongly for this humane way of gradually decreasing numbers in cat colonies. She discusses the correlation between TNR numbers and shelter intake as a positive gauge for TNR effectiveness, and believes spay/neuter education is key to winning the battle against overpopulation. To learn more, visit sfspca.org or call the Community Cares line in San Francisco at 414-522-3539.

Interview! Deborah Schutt, Co-Founder Michigan Pet Fund Alliance "Attending conferences, understanding what other people are doing, and adding to the tool kit is really important." The co-founder of the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance, Deborah began her journey into the animal welfare field with dog fostering. Time and experience led her to TNR, feral cat welfare, and a passion for exploring different tactics to improve shelters and rescues. She and Stacy discuss no-kill philosophies and goals, as well as the process of uniting home-based rescues and shelters through education and data analysis. With approximately 185 shelters in Michigan, the Pet Fund Alliance produced data-based performance reports that created a deeper understanding of both impacts and needs of shelters across the state. Michigan boasts over 100 no-kill shelters, with fifty four out of eighty counties being no-kill. Deborah's understanding of the many different approaches to the homeless animal dilemma has no doubt influenced these statistics. To learn more, visit michiganpetfund.org as well as the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance's Facebook page.

Interview! Kristen Petrie, Creative Director, Mellarium and Technical Cat, Community Cats Podcast "The brand is important and it is an asset to any organization, whether they are big or small. It's your face to the rest of the world." Kristen began her career in cat rescue as an adoption counselor at the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society while launching her own graphic design business. She subsequently became involved in both the branding and production components of both MRFRS and Community Cats Podcast, bringing her enthusiasm, experience, and love of cats to the world of non-profits. Stacy and Kristen discuss challenges and rewards to non-profit branding, and what to look for in a brand manager as well as support volunteers. Known for her penchant for fostering the more challenging sick and feral cats, Kristen remains active on the frontlines as well as behind the scenes. To learn more, contact Kristen at [email protected] or visit mellariumcreative.com.

Interview! Sheila Massey, Neighborhood Activist - NYC "I found that I spent half my time explaining TNR and working with the community so that they would buy in and accept the cats." Sheila dove into the world of community cats after retiring from work as a forensic accountant and corporate fraud auditor. She became certified in TNR in 2008, now volunteers at the Brooklyn Cat Café, and is a diligent advocate for New York City's feral cat communities. From the city's 600 or so community gardens to various church and prison grounds, cat colonies have the potential to provide a significant solution to the city's overwhelming rat population and subsequent health issues. She discusses her struggles and goals to involve the Department of Health and the ASPCA in community education on the process and benefits of TNR. With this goal in mind, Sheila is highly active in NYC's Neighborhood Relations Workshops. To learn more, visit morrisjumelcats.tumblr.com and catcafebk.com. You can email Sheila at [email protected].

Interview! Martha Smith-Blackmore, DVM, Founder of Forensic Veterinary Investigations, LLC "Don't worry about things you can't change…take that passion and make it action and see what you can do." *Please note, while not graphic, this episode deals with topics related to animal cruelty that some listeners may find disturbing. If you need to skip it, might we suggest listening to this gem from an earlier episode? During her work as a shelter veterinarian, Martha became curious about a field that barely existed: applying medical forensics to injured and deceased animals. With a group of like-minded thinkers, Martha helped found the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association. In her role as an forensic investigator, Martha says one must "take what you see and what you know. and craft a story about what happened." She is a skilled witness during court cases involving animal abuse, neglect and cruelty, with a goal of being "a voice for the animal". She gives advice for cat colony caretakers to help them figure out how to get help when a member of their colony is injured or killed. For more information visit vetinvestigator.com.

Interview! Emma Clifford, Founder and Executive Director of Animal Balance "Islands are helping islands, which is exactly what we wanted to happen." Don't miss this fascinating look at how community cats are being helped around the world by Animal Balance, the brainchild of its founder, Emma Clifford. Beginning with a program in 2004 to assist the Galapagos Islands in managing cats and dogs, which were being poisoned to control their population, Emma describes how Animal Balance put together a "humane animal management plan", despite the fact that there wasn't even a veterinarian in the Galapagos at the time! The program she developed with the support and engagement of the local community has been adapted and brought to 10 other countries, including the Dominican Republic and American Samoa. A plan for Cuba is now in the works. A must listen! To volunteer: http://animalbalance.net/volunteer/ To donate: http://animalbalance.net/donate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalBalance/

Interview! Jill O'Connell, Executive Director and Crystal Arnott, Communications and Fundraising Manager, Lowell Humane Society (MA) "No matter how we operate, we all have the same goals which is to help community cats." In another episode extolling the benefits of collaboration, Jill and Crystal describe how their relationships with other organizations have benefitted the cats and lower-income residents of Lowell. By bringing low-cost spay/neuter to the community through several different providers, the number of kittens they see is down 75% over 5 years, allowing them the time and space to help place older or medically-challenged cats who come through their doors. They also advocate for rescues to be willing to try new programs, like paper collars that have helped keep local owned cats in their own neighborhoods, and enabled LHS them to discuss responsible pet care with their owners. Finally, they touch on the ongoing challenge and need for a diverse fundraising calendar. To learn more, visit lowellhumanesociety.org.

Interview! Stacey Carver, President and Executive Director of Berkshire Animal DREAMS (MA) "Collaboration is a wonderful thing for all of us trying to do animal rescue work." Stacey tells Stacy about the positive impact that forging "harmonious" partnerships has had on the number of community cats in Berkshire County, especially its "big city" of Pittsfield, MA. With Animal DREAMS providing TNR services, and the Berkshire Humane Society offering physical and administrative space, the two organizations have seen reduced surrenders, fewer free-roaming cats entering the shelter and a sharp reduction in calls complaining about community cats. She also describes another partnership with the state that helped clean up a troublesome situation in North Adams, where discovery of a rabid cat necessitated coordinated efforts to gain the trust of local resident to get their pets vaccinated and subsequently spayed or neutered. To learn more, visit berkshireanimaldreams.org.

Interview! Aimee St. Arnaud, Director at Humane Alliance a Program of the ASPCA "We need to focus on stopping the problem at the root… that's why we focus on prevention." Aimee St. Arnaud works for the Humane Alliance training vets and community advocates who want to open spay-neuter clinics. She first got the idea to open her own spay-neuter clinic when volunteering with the Toledo Area Humane Society and their Operation Felix, a monthly MASH clinic. After seeing the dearth of resources for cats and the invisibility of the problem even within the animal welfare world, she started the Humane Ohio Spay/Neuter Clinic, which performs 15,000 spay/neuter surgeries a year, 70% of which are cats. She is a big advocate of "spaying it forward," which involves creating supportive community environments in which clinics can grow, making education resources accessible to advocates at any level, and respecting private vets in the area by referring clients of her clinic for most wellness cases. Find her as well as a multitude of free resources at humanealliance.org. Aimee is kind enough to share this great document that will help you decide "Does this cat need to be rescued?" Click here to check it out!

Interview! Julie Jacobson, Director of Spay Tennessee "When writing grants, you have to come in prepared, you have to know your mission, you have to know your community." Julie's back for another interview on CCP! This time, Stacy checks about how things are going for Spay Tennessee, and Julie gives tips on managing grant money, methods to "take the fear out of grant writing," and the pitfalls that can occur with animal transports from shelter to shelter. If you haven't heard Julie's first episode and want to learn a little more about her and how she got started in animal welfare, listen to it here. If you want to get in touch with Julie, email her at [email protected].

Book Review Special with host, Stacy LeBaron. An episode for both book worms and compassionate cats. In this special episode, Stacy shares some of her favorite resources for information on community cats, as well as how to take care of yourself when doing the hard work of animal welfare. We've included the names of the books and authors down below, as well as links to places you can buy them! To Save a Starfish by Jennifer Blough Nobody's Cats by Valerie Ingram & Alistair Schroff The Humane Economy by Wayne Pacelle Community Cats: A Journey Into the World of Feral Cats by Anne Beall Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen Also, be sure to check out the past podcast episodes Stacy mentions, here and here [link to Amy Sandler, Ep. 87]. And don't forget, if you ever have any questions, you can always email Stacy at [email protected].

Interview! Dr. Peggy Larson, Founder of Cat Spay and Neuter Clinic, Colchester, VT "You have to balance, to make sure that that cat's going to be alright going back to where he came from." Peggy Larson, founder of National Spay/Neuter Coalition, holds degrees from Ohio State Vet School, UC Davis, and Vermont Law School. She has used her education to support fellow vets trying to start their own spay-neuter clinics, investigate animal cruelty in the state of Vermont, and rewrite the policy surrounding spay-neuter with Peter Marsh, friend and lawyer. She first became involved in TNR when she started a makeshift spay/neuter clinic and rescue for community cats out of her home many years ago. In 23 years, the clinic managed to spay a staggering 78,000 cats in Chittenden County Vermont. In conversation with Stacy she talks about the dangers community cats can face depending on the environment they live in, and how shelters with small budgets can start affordable mobile clinics through MASH. To get in touch with Peggy, email her at [email protected].

Interview! Juan Martinez, Founder and President, JMart Strategies "Pick one platform, become really good at that platform, before you expand into a second one." With his 20 years of experience in the legislative and non-profit communications world, Juan has keen insight into the importance of storytelling in the world of social media. He notes that social media has made communicating with your audiences much easier, but that it's critical to understand the various social media platforms, their demographics, and how and when users engage with each one. Juan cautions against feeling the pressure to try to do too much and counsels organizations to master one platform before moving on. He also discusses the "power of numbers" when trying to influence law-makiong….whether you use email or snail mail, if you can put multiple communications in your legislator, someone will take notice. For more information visit www.jmartstrategies.com

Interview! Brianna Lovell, Outreach and Events Manager, at Alley Cat Allies "No action is too big or too small." To commemorate National Feral Cat Day (NFCD), Stacy speaks with Brianna about the origins of this annual event. Originally, National Feral Cat Day was simply a way to celebrate Alley Cat Allies' 10th anniversary, but in the years following that, it's become a catalyst for groups to undertake a variety of projects that educate the community or help cats directly. Brianna notes that individuals can do something as simple as posting on social media or take part on a more involved project like a fundraiser or spay/neuter clinic. "It's up to everyone out there to make the change happen," she says. Brianna also discusses the many resources on Alley Cat Allies website, and the "grueling task" of choosing photos for their annual calendar. For more information visit www.alleycat.org

Interview! Amy Sandler, Executive Coach, and Certified Breathwork Meditation Teacher "Usually our minds are somewhere in the past or somewhere in the future." In this "out of the box" interview, Stacy speaks with Amy Sandler about how mindfulness and meditation can help decrease the stress and manage the challenges often faced by those in the animal welfare field. Research has shown that mindfulness can increase our focus, resilience, creativity, and performance. It's important, Amy notes, that we have compassion for ourselves, or what she calls, "filing up the well." She walks Stacy through a simple meditative breathing exercise, and talks about the importance to taking a few breaths and setting an "intention" before addressing a specific situation or challenge. "47% of time, our mind is wandering..that's just what the mind does." For more information please visit amysandler.com.

Interview! Hannah Shaw, "The Kitten Lady" "I live and breathe cat advocacy…that's what I do." Little did Hannah Shaw know that the day that she borrowed some shoes to climb a tree and save an orphaned kitten, she would be starting a career that would inform and engage cat lovers around the world. An expert in saving and raising kittens, Hannah teaches workshops, develops programs, and shares compelling (and adorable!) content through her significant social media and web presence. In this two part episode, Hannah and Stacy discuss the link between abandoned kittens and the need for spay/neuter for Community cats, how to tell stories that will inspire others to take action, and the difficult and challenging side of caring for the most vulnerable of felines. As she puts it, "there are so many lives out there that need us." For more information please visit kittenlady.org.

Interview! Hannah Shaw, "The Kitten Lady" "I live and breathe cat advocacy…that's what I do." Little did Hannah Shaw know that the day that she borrowed some shoes to climb a tree and save an orphaned kitten, she would be starting a career that would inform and engage cat lovers around the world. An expert in saving and raising kittens, Hannah teaches workshops, develops programs, and shares compelling (and adorable!) content through her significant social media and web presence. In this two part episode, Hannah and Stacy discuss the link between abandoned kittens and the need for spay/neuter for Community cats, how to tell stories that will inspire others to take action, and the difficult and challenging side of caring for the most vulnerable of felines. As she puts it, "there are so many lives out there that need us." For more information please visit kittenlady.org.

Interview - Part One! Mary Smith, Executive Leadership Team and Sheila D'Arpino, Director of Research, of Maddie's Fund In this special two-part episode of the Community Cats Podcast, Stacy interviews two leaders at Maddie's Fund, one of the most innovative and results-oriented non-profits helping animals across North America. Through its educational programs, advocacy and grants, Maddie's Fund has been a game-changer for both owned and community cats, especially through its "Million Cat Challenge" initiative. During these two episodes, Stacy engages Mary and Sheila in dialogue about the meaning of a "no kill nation," the importance of data collection, the tenets of the Million Cat Challenge, and the many grant opportunities Maddie's Fund makes available to animal welfare groups of all sizes. For more information please visit maddiesfund.org.

Interview - Part One! Mary Smith, Executive Leadership Team and Sheila D'Arpino, Director of Research, of Maddie's Fund In this special two-part episode of the Community Cats Podcast, Stacy interviews two leaders at Maddie's Fund, one of the most innovative and results-oriented non-profits helping animals across North America. Through its educational programs, advocacy and grants, Maddie's Fund has been a game-changer for both owned and community cats, especially through its "Million Cat Challenge" initiative. During these two episodes, Stacy engages Mary and Sheila in dialogue about the meaning of a "no kill nation," the importance of data collection, the tenets of the Million Cat Challenge, and the many grant opportunities Maddie's Fund makes available to animal welfare groups of all sizes. For more information please visit maddiesfund.org.

Interview! Cindy Wiemann, Treasurer of the National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA) Cindy was instrumental to bringing TNR to the small community of Madison, Georgia. She helped research the appropriate ordinances, and ultimately Madison implemented the first 100% government operated and funded TNR program in Georgia's history. As an animal control officer, she promoted about the great contribution that community cats provide: controlling and managing the rodent population. By using this positioning, she notes, "even people who didn't even like cats began to see the benefit." Cindy discusses the best ways to get animal control and TNR groups on the same page, and the need for productive working relationships: "collaboration will benefit the animals, but fighting among each other doesn't do any good." For more information please visit nacanet.org.

Interview! Blake and Adrienne Kuhre, Founders of the Furry Foundation Blake and Adrienne are the founders of the Furry Foundation, a non-profit, foster care organization in Los Angeles focused on TNR, cat socialization, and educating the community on proper colony cat care and prevention. After visiting Buenos Aires, Argentina, curiosity led them to an investigation of health and adoption techniques at the Recoleta Cemetery, where a famous large, healthy and friendly cat colony attracts tourists from around the world. This curiosity led Blake and Adrienne to create the documentary "Guardians of Recoleta." They discuss with Stacy the circumstances revolving around the making of the film, including cultural differences that have inspired them to pursue the Furry Foundation. Visit furryfoundation.org and The Furry Foudation's facebook page for more information. Watch the "Guardians of Recoleta" trailer here.

Stacy LeBaron, podcast host and president emeritus of MRFRS answers your questions. As Community Cats Podcast celebrates its eightieth episode, Stacy and guest host Lisa Finkel discuss how bird lovers and cat lovers can work together to decrease both the number of free roaming colony cats and, subsequently, bird deaths. The financial and social causes of cat abandonment are also points of interest in today's episode, as well as upcoming events and opportunities to support the podcast and the community cats cause. Feel free to contact Stacy for questions or consulting inquiries [email protected].

Interview! Christie Kamiya, Chief of Shelter Medicine, Humane Society Silicon Valley At nine years old, Dr. Kamiya's first experience adopting a dog sparked a lifelong passion for battling animal welfare issues. A graduate of the University of California's School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Kamiya's focus lies specifically in shelter medicine. She shares her experiences as Chief of Shelter Medicine at the Humane Society Silicon Valley, including her fight against infectious diseases among shelter cats through the non-traditional process of portalizing cages. Clearly an advocate for 'thinking outside the box,' Dr. Kamiya also discusses the freedom and importance of pilate projects for the betterment of community cats. For more information visit www.hssv.org

Interview! Jennifer Blough, Psychotherapist in Compassion Fatigue and Author With experiences ranging from animal care attendant to animal control officer, Jennifer choose to passionately pursue the subject of compassion fatigue as a psychotherapist after struggling with it herself over the years. She focuses on how compassion fatigue effects those specifically in animal welfare, and has written To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior. She discusses with Stacy the variety of symptoms as well as tools to manage it, find balance, and recognize the importance of refueling. For more information visit deepwatermichigan.com.

Interview! Valerie Ingram and Alistair Schroff, Founders of The Lakes Animal Friendship Society The combination of Valerie's nineteen years' experience in elementary education and Alistair's passion and business experience has led to inspiring changes for animal welfare in their rural British Columbia community. Co-authors of children's books Nobody's Cats and Out of the Cold, Valerie and Alistair discuss their belief that humane education is a key factor in changing the landscape for community cats. They founded The Lakes Animal Friendship Society, a program offering care and compassion education, bite-safety, spay/neuter options, and affordable dog and cat houses and flat packs. Valerie and Alistair discusses mentoring and the challenges of proposal writing as well. For more information visit lakesanimalfriendship.ca.

Interview! Holly Putnam, Faculty Clinician, Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, Cornell University Dr. Holly Putnam graduated veterinary school in 2003, and initially went into private practice for small animals in Albany, NY. After moving to Austin, TX, in 2008, however, she began working at a high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter clinic for low-income neighborhoods and area shelters. Seeing the large number of community cats in these "veterinary deserts" (places with no easy access to veterinary care) sparked a new passion in her for shelter medicine. Now residing once again in NY, she is the faculty clinician for the Maddie's® Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell University, where she gives courses on Companion Animal Welfare and Shelter Medicine. These courses expose students to issues affecting community cats, as well as teach them how to complete a spay/neuter surgery and observe practices at the local TNR shelter. Though she acknowledges that we still have a long way to go in community cat welfare, she is pleased to see the change in mindset around these animals since graduating thirteen years ago, and is optimistic that more private practice veterinarians will be willing to join the effort.

Peter Wolfe is a cat initiatives analyst at Best Friends Society and a blogger at Vox Felina, where he seeks to fill the void of TNR research and other issues affecting community cats. He says diving into the detail of arguments for and against community cats advocacy helps him in his work at Best Friends, such as proposing policy and giving conference presentations. To access the Community Cats Program Handbook Peter mentions at the end of the episode, visit bestfriends.org/ccphandbook.

Mike's been an integal part of Massachusetts' animal welfare efforts for 22 years. He has extensive experience managing situations where community cats — and potentially their caretakers — have been exposed to rabies, and recounts several challenging situations he's faced, including one where an entire colony needed to be quarantined for six months after exposure to a rabid raccoon. As a result, he's a huge proponent of microchipping community cats so that their vaccination information can be accessed in necessary situations. He's also trying to get animal control officers more engaged in their town's TNR efforts: "they should be learning from the people in the community doing the work." For more information please visit mass.gov.

Interview! Taryn Breuer, President, Friends of Jeannette Hunt Animal Shelter (NE) Taryn describes how rural Blair, Nebraska needs its resident cats to help keep rodents from getting into the grain farmed there, but also needs an active TNR effort to keep the numbers of cats in check. Participating in the MRFRS Mentoring Program was the catalyst (pun intended!) to upping Blair's TNR game: after starting with just 150 or so cats in its first year, the program Taryn chairs has now fixed 4000 cats in just four years. The kitten population is under control, as well — down from 85 last year to only 15 in 2016. She talks about the benefits of transfer cages, of keeping your equipment in top condition, and the secret of trapping during Nebraska's stern winters: microwave your bait until it's very hot and wrap it in a towel until you get to your trapping location. For more information please visit blairanimalshelter.org.

Interview! Diane Blankenberg, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Consultant for Humane Network Imagine being on the ground trying to rescue owned and community cats after Hurricane Katrina, as well as the recent flooding in Louisiana. Diane Blankenberg describes her amazing experiences working with Alley Cat Allies to help reunite people and their cats, including working at a "cat rescue camp" as well as assisting with TNR following these crises. She describes how, after Katrina, some owned cats were so traumatized that they appeared initially to be ferals. Community cats, says Diane, "have amazing survival instincts; after the recent floods many of them stayed in trees until they could be returned to their colonies." For more information please visit humanenetwork.org.

Interview! Mike Phillips, President, Urban Cat League, and Community Outreach Coordinator for the New York City Feral Cat Initiative Even though he had lived in Manhattan for decades, Mike didn't know there were street cats in New York: "I had no idea because I lived on the 43rd floor," he observes. In 1999, he got bitten by the community cats bug while helping deal with a 75 cat colony living behind the historic San Remo building on Central Park West. That colony no longer exists, proving "that 100% number proves how effective TNR can be." He then got involved with — and was President — of Neighborhood Cats, teaching TNR workshops all across New York's five boroughs. He describes some of the unique challenge cat advocates face in New York: mass trapping is hindered by the lack of large spaces for holding and recovery of cats, and the need to make multiple calls to access needed service For more information please visit urbancatleague.org.

Interview! Tammy King, Founder, Mayport Cats (FL) Mayport Village, a fishing village near Jacksonville, Florida, had become a popular place for people to "dump" cats, both healthy and sick. Enter Tammy King, who brought her persistence and compassion to address the problem. Originally dealing with 200-250 cats, the population is now down to 30-50 and, Tammy notes, "I invite people to come out here and all you're going to see are eartips." She moved on to help address the Community Cats more broadly across the Jacksonville area — "I spent a lot of time in dumpsters" — and was able to impact 4600 cats over a two-year period. Her organization, Mayport Cats, helps and rehomes for cats who need extended medical care, as well as disabled and hard-to adopt cats. For more information please visit mayportcats.com.

Interview! Amanda Arrington, Director, Pets for Life Program at The Humane Society of the United States Amanda's childhood interests in both animals and in social justice have led her to a career overseeing a groundbreaking program to help not just pets, but people in underserved areas. She leads he innovative HSUS "Pets for Life" initiative, which is active in 34 communities across the US where there are high poverty rates and little to no access with services for pets. This work is done in a grass roots format, going door to door and street by street to find out what's needed for each community member. The aim is not to "educate" according to Amanda, but to share information and offer services; when you do, she says, " the majority of people make the right decisions" regarding their pets. For more information please visit humanesociety.org.

Interview! Cheryl Ann Fernandes, Regional Shelter Care Representative, PetLink Drawing on Cheryl Ann's diverse, 25-year career in animal welfare, she and Stacy have a wide-ranging discussion about the challenges of being an urban animal control officer, the persistent challenge of "compassion fatigue" for all of those working in the field, and the innovative idea that microchipping can save the lives of not just pets, but community cats. She explains that, from a colony keeper's perspective, if you can microchip the members of your colony, you can identify which cats have had the vaccinations and treatments they need. This may reduce the risk of these community cats getting picked up and stuck in "the system". Making chips and scanners financially and widely accessible is part of her current role as a shelter care representative at Pet Link. For more information please visit petlink.net.

Interview! Merritt Clifton, Journalist and Founder, Animals 24-7 News It would be challenging to find someone with more experience in the animal welfare field than award-winning writer Merritt Clifton. From his childhood ambition to "starting a kitty farm" to taking census of homeless cats during his family's travels, he's dedicated his life and work to humane outcomes for all animals. He was an early proponent of spay/neuter in the 70's when, he notes, "cats were basically a friendly outdoor animal or 'easily tamed wildlife." He documented the rise of high volume spay/neuter programs, which had their original start in South Africa and England and spoke at the first "no kill" conference in the mid 90's. He makes a fascinating case why he's not 100% pleased with the term "community cat." For more information please visit animals24-7.org.