The Community Cats Podcast

Interview! Andi Kola, Founder Lumen LS, Broward County, Florida Andi is a man on a mission… a mission to eliminate euthanization of cats in his home area of Broward County, Florida and beyond. He recounts his efforts to work with local animal control officials as well as Country Commissioners to pass ordinances mandating return to field programs that have improved live release rates from 50% to 87%. And uses a project- and statistics-based approach to his work, lauding the benefits of public/private partnerships, and focusing on the different categories of cats that require different solutions to their challenges.. He founded LumenLS with the goal of moving past the stories of individual cats and focusing on the ability to end premature death and suffering for animals. He observes, "There's a solution out there for just about everything." For more information please visit lumenls.org.

Interview! Linda Gage, No More Homeless Pets Network Specialist, Best Friends Animal Society Linda outlines the myriad resources that the No More Homeless Pets Network offers to small organizations around the country: ideas on how to get a Community Cats program started, marketing tool kits, grants and financial aid and the opportunity for sharing ideas and connecting with other groups currently engaged in the same activities. "There's no need to reinvent the wheel," she observes. "A lot of groups are doing this really well." She works with both urban and rural groups, each of whom have their own challenges. "People have a pre-conceived notion about what's best for a cat they see outdoors. When I see that mindset change, I get excited." For more information please visit fcnmhp.org.

Interview! Ollie Davidson of Almond & Olive Ollie has two passions: animal welfare and music. He and his musical partner, Natalie Alms, are about to drop their debut album, and are donating a portion of its sales to the Jackson Galaxy Foundation. Ollie met Jackson (who also plays music in his spare time) a few years ago and they've kept in touch given their shared interests. Ollie has played a number of professional roles in the animal welfare world, involved with programs, shelter operations, managing volunteers and digital marketing. He discusses the importance of "balance" to avoid burnout among staff and volunteers, the challenge of having a non-profit's board and staff aligned as to the organization's goals, and his 'fantastic looking" backyard colony of cats. For more information please visit facebook.com/almondolivemusic.

Interview! Kelley Bollen, Owner and Director of Animal Alliances Consulting Firm Kelley earned a Master's in Animal Behavior, has taught at Cornell Veterinary School, and now consults with both pet owners and shelters to improve life and outcomes for companion animals. She and Stacy talk all things behavior, and how to make life for cats happier and healthier. Kelley offers some useful tips to help Stacy's rotund cat slim down, a number of great ideas for providing more enjoyment and enrichment for a kitty [play some bird song CD's!] and tackles the always-problematic issue of litter box avoidance. She notes that she frequently feels like a detective when trying to narrow down the reasons why a cat is eliminating inappropriately. About covered boxes, she notes, "How do you feel when you have to go into a Porta-potty? That's what a covered box can be for a cat." For more information please visit animalalliances.com.

Interview! Bonnie Geisler, President and Founder, Felines and Friends Foundation (VT) Bonnie's utilized partnerships with many different organizations to contribute to the success of the Feline and Friends Foundation, which has helped 2000 cats in just three years, in one of Vermont's poorest countries. She borrowed her game plan from NY's renowned Neighborhood Cats, built a relationship with an open admission shelter to handle the friendly cats and kittens her group finds, and partnered with a supportive veterinary practice to provide surgeries and health care. She proposes that TNR is not just for cats but for the community: both the caretakers who love the cats, and the "non-cat" people who want to see the local feline population reduced. "We're making our communities more livable for everyone." For more information please visit fffvt.org.

Interview! Cameron Moore, Project Manager, Target Zero Given Cameron's contribution to a diverse number of game-changing initiatives, she and Stacy have a wide-ranging conversation about a number of topics related to TNR, abandonment and adoption programs, and helping communities get the support they need to get to the goal of zero euthanasias for healthy dogs and cats. Cameron discusses "community cat diversion": the retraining of people to stop bringing outdoor cats to shelters and, rather, to spay/neuter/vaccinate them and return them to their outdoor homes. She also stresses the importance of removing barriers for cat owners to get their pets fixed: "it's on their to-do list, but things get in the way." "Cats are part of our landscape...we need to do what we can to help them and the people who take care of them." For more information please visit target-zero.org.

Interview! Sherri Gustafson, Spay/Neuter Community Liaison for the Massachusetts Animal Fund Sherri serves as the Spay/Neuter Community Liaison for the Massachusetts Animal Fund, which provides a voucher program for low income pet owners. This program focuses on three main priorities: S/N support for municipal shelters, providing vouchers for low income pet owners, and providing TNR opportunities for community cats. She and Stacy also discuss Animal Control Officer training, rabies control within feral colonies, and emergency funding for issues such as animal hoarding. For more information please visit massanimalfund.com.

Interview! Pamela Krausz, Founder and Executive Director of Vermont Companion Animal Neutering Pamela is a founder and the executive director of Vermont Companion Animal Neutering (VT-CAN), a low cost, high volume spay/neuter clinic. As a stationary clinic with a mash-stlye component, VT-CAN performs approximately 3,200 spays/neuters per year in central Vermont, with an additional 2,000 per year as partner to the Felines and Friends Foundation in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Pamela has extensive experience working with barn cat populations, a common situation in rural areas. She discusses certain challenges related to this type of cat community, including the misconception that barns are healthier places for stray or abandoned in-tact community cats than shelters. Pamela also discusses the challenge of retaining veterinarians for S/N clinics, the Spay the Mom program, and grant writing. For more information please visit vt-can.org.

Interview! Heidi Colonna, Curriculum Development Manager for the Humane Society of the United States and Board Member with Association of Professional Humane Educators Heidi was volunteering at a local shelter in 1994, which compelled her to choose animal science and public policy over a potential business degree. She discusses her focus on 'preventable people problems' and believes education and awareness are key to changing attitudes about all aspects of animal welfare. She and Stacy discuss an array of subjects including past mentors, community cat education through literature, relationships with schools, and the importance of providing engaging activities for school age children. Heidi also outlines an array of education opportunities the Humane Society Academy has to offer, including online trainings and the Certified Humane Education Specialist program. For more information please visit humanesociety.org.

Interview! Kaleel Sakakeeny, Founder, The Other Me Coaching After experiencing the passing of a companion cat, Kaleel's initial interest in animal communication led him to a deeper study of this intuitive practice. In his discussion with Stacy, he explains the premise of animal communication, including the quieting of the mind to facilitate a connection with the animal client. A relationship coach as well as animal communicator, Kaleel volunteers at Gifford Animal Shelter and is a strong advocate of using interspecies communication to create stress-free environments for shelter cats, community cats, and all animal companions. For more information please visit theothermecoaching.com.

A graduate of Cornell's College of Veterinary program, Sarah is the Program Director for Target Zero, a national initiative focused on assisting financially struggling shelters. She discusses the ways in which this program helps subsidize fixed income pet owners across the country, allowing spay and neuter opportunities that result in drastic decreases in shelter intake. The Community Cat Diversion Program, implemented by Target Zero, prioritizes updating antiquated ordinances and codes through communicating with and educating elected officials. Sarah and Stacy also discuss the debate over the definition of an 'abandoned' cat, and ways to determine abandonment. Sarah's passion and commitment is clear as she shares her views and experiences. For more information please visit target-zero.org.

An Interview with Danielle Jo Bays, Community Cats Program Manager for the Humane Society of the United States Danielle calls on both her hands-on trapping experience and public policy work to help HSUS develop campaigns and programs that will educate and empower people who want to support cats in their community, such as webinars and tools for trappers and colony caretakers. She underscores the need to engage and communicate with neighbors to make the care of cats a group effort: "sometimes you find out there are 8 people all feeding a colony of 8 cats." She also stresses the impact of integrating different types of programs, such as TNR and Pets for Life, to address not just community cats, but cats who have the potential to end up outside. For more information please visit hsus.org.

An Interview with Angela Walters Rockwell, Executive Director of the Animal Shelter Assistance Program (ASAP), Santa Barbara, California Angela shares fascinating information about ASAP's innovative programs, particularly their recognized "Tiny Lion Tamers" initiative that socializes feral kittens within the shelter environment. So far, this program has 125 "graduates" and has made a significant difference in ASAP's ability to deal with a large feral kitten population. There's even a "foster dad" cat who's available to provide a little "whupass" to kittens that need better manners! ASAP has a unique management structure, where paid staff work alongside volunteers as program managers. Angela believes that "everyone at the table should feel valued, especially volunteers." For more information please visit www.asapcats.org.

Initially a dog person and very allergic to cats, Caitlyn Macintosh made an unlikely candidate for founder of an organization dedicated to helping community cats. Her US Marine husband's passion for cats, however, sparked her own interest in animal welfare. When her husband was stationed at the naval base in Norfolk, VA, she found a passionate civilian community of cat advocates, as well as a pressing need for population control among the colony living on base. This spurred her to found Cat Team 7, which she describes as a "marriage of civilian groups with Naval Station Norfolk leadership" to trap and relocate cats to other outdoor homes that may care for them. Caitlin's work truly embodies perseverance in the face of adversity, as strict governmental policies regarding the trapping and care for community cats on military sites makes it very hard for animal welfare advocates in those areas to do meaningful work for feral cat populations. To learn more about Cat Team 7's various initiatives, or to express interest in supporting their efforts to change Department of Defense policy language on community cat welfare in military spaces, email Caitlyn at [email protected].

It's time for another Q&A session with Stacy! In this episode, Stacy takes questions posted to the CCP Facebook page. Listeners asked for advice on how to keep the peace between an area's cat colonies and its disgruntled residents, recommendations of safe and effective traps, the pros and cons of fee-waved adoption, and her favorite sources of information about TNR. Stacy also discusses the CCP's newly launched grant program, Community Cat Grants, which provides funds and mentorship to grassroots organizations as well as small shelters in need of help. To find out more about Community Cats Grants or to apply, click here. If you want to know more about the benefits and drawbacks of fee-waved adoption, click here to read Stacy's blog post. For more information on TNR, visit alleycat.org or neighborhood cats.org. For resources in multiple languages, check out the Multilingual Pet Care Library. To submit a question for the next Ask Stacy episode, please go to the CCP Facebook page and post it to the wall.

Liz began her work with cats in 2004, when she was feeding a local cat colony and reached out to the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society for help. Soon after, she became the MRFRS' main trapping volunteer, and quickly rose through the ranks to Feral Cat Program Manager. From there, she elevated to Director of Operations and finally became the Executive Director of the organization in the fall of 2015. Liz outlines some of MRFRS' many services, such as low-cost veterinary care to local families in need of financial assistance, and the Catmobile program, which is a mobile spay-neuter clinic that has serviced more than 50,000 cats since its beginning in 2008. Most importantly, Liz talks about the myths surrounding FIV-positive cats and cats with feline leukemia. Find MRFRS on Facebook or at mrfrs.org, or email Liz at [email protected].

In this episode, Stacy interviews Dr. Emily McCobb, director of the Tufts Shelter Medicine Program and clinical associate professor of anesthesiology at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Having volunteered at TNR clinics as a veterinary student herself, Dr. McCobb teaches shelter medicine as an emerging specialty. She explains how her own experience working in shelters showed her that TNR clinics were the perfect way to provide hands-on experience to veterinary students, while also helping underserved animal populations, such as community cats. As a clinical associate professor at the Cummings School, she supports an on-campus spay-neuter clinic whose mission is to serve "the community and underserved animals while helping veterinary students learn clinical skills needed to become excellent vets." Staffed by students, the clinic acts as a site for hands-on learning, involving students in the entire process of TNR and endowing graduating students with the experience of multiple surgeries. By working with shelter animals Dr. McCobb believes students can see the "direct animal impact every day," and hopes that even graduates going into private practice will learn the benefits of TNR and continue to volunteer in their communities." For more information about the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and its Tufts at Tech program, please visit tufts.edu/vet. *Please note that the audio quality of this interview is questionable due to technical difficulties. However, Dr. McCobb was so insightful we wanted you to have the opportunity to hear her interview.

In the field of animal welfare, "Dr. Susan" possesses a prolific resume. She opened her own veterinary-behavioral consulting service in 2000, has maintained a position as veterinary advisor for the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association since its beginning in 2008, runs a private practice, and has volunteered her veterinary service at various local shelters in her home state of Wisconsin. In 2001, Dr. Susan founded Friends of Ferals, an adoption center and spay-neuter clinic for community cats in Dane County, WI. Considering that community cat interests were not a pressing concern at the time of its inception, this organization has done groundbreaking work in its field, rescuing over 4,500 community cats and adopting out 4,300 since 2007. Dr. Susan offers insight into successful relocation of community cat colonies, and how to successfully grow your organization through community outreach, especially in the face of push-back. For more information, visit the Friends of Ferals website at daneferals.org.

John's background in wildlife management and a biology degree from George Washington University led him to become an animal control officer in 1994. Since then, he has served as the director of the National Animal Control Association and,since 2003, the City Animal Care and Services Program in San Jose, CA. John discusses the rewarding effects of switching to a TNR focus after the shelter intake's substantial increase after the 2008 recession. The use of data (including specific euthanasia rates and intake numbers) to compare catch and kill programs with TNR programs is an important component in Jon's success in convincing other communities to jump on the TNR bandwagon. For more information, visit sanjoseanimals.com or email Jon at [email protected].

From working as an animal control officer in 1989 to becoming the first person ever to complete a veterinarian residency in shelter medicine in 2001 at UC Davis, Kate's passion for saving the lives of community cat is undeniable. Within what she calls her 'big picture work,' she has incorporated treatment of infectious diseases in lowering the number of shelter cats and euthanasia. Kate discusses how the excitement of peer-to-peer networking influenced her TNR program called "Million Cat Challenge", based on initiatives to balance intake, capacity for humane care in shelters, and live outcomes for cats in shelters. Visit millioncatchallenge.org and sheltermedicine.com for more information.

A national expert in animal welfare issues, Rick is an advocate for spay/neuter programs targeting low income pet owners. He founded Jacksonville, Florida's First "Coast No More Homeless Pets" in 2002. At that time, 23,000 was the annual number of deaths among shelter animals. Today, that number has decreased to 781. Rick discusses the concept of economic euthanasia and how a pet's unexpected, high cost health crisis can exacerbate the number of unnecessary deaths. Rick has continued his efforts with the 2009 and 2016 openings of two new large scale spay/neuter clinics in Florida, as well as the 2008 launching of the Feral Freedom TNR program. For further information, visit fcnmhp.org or email Rick directly at [email protected].

After her first experience losing a beloved stray to overpopulation in a Bridgeport, CT shelter, Esther's passion for improving the quality of life for community cats across the country was ignited. Her grassroots efforts began with soliciting spay/neuter discounts among nationwide veterinarians while chartering her toll-free hotline in 1990. By 1993, she was fielding twenty-three thousand calls a month, leading to expansion programs including United Say Alliance and Spay USA. Esther discusses how her campaign, "Fixed Felines by Five", educates the public on the positive impact that pediatric spaying and neutering has on not only feline overpopulation, but health and behavioral issues as well. Programs in countries including Panama, Costa Rica, and Australia have been modeled after Esther's programs. For more information visit SpayUSA.org.

In her 8th grade research paper, Dr. Christine reported that up to twenty-two million cats were killed annually in shelters at the time. Almost thirty years after pursuing her DVM, those numbers have dropped to four million. Christine discusses the impact both mash-style and free-standing clinics have had on these statistics, as well as the challenges and triumphs she faced after launching the Feral Cat Spay and Neuter Project in Seattle in 1997. She and Stacy also discuss differing philosophies and approaches towards animal welfare and how education can convert donators from focusing on individual case causes to larger scale spay/neuter causes. For further related resources, visit Operation Catnip at ocgainsville.org.

With 33 years of experience as a veterinarian in Cincinnati, Ohio, Dr. Zeke founded United Pet Fund in 2010 and United Pet Resource Center in 2015. An advocate for the integration of corporate assistance within the non-profit world, he discusses the positive impact large companies could offer smaller "mom & pop" organizations with significantly lower resources. He also speaks candidly about bridging the gap between private practice and non-profit animal welfare programs, as well as fundraising challenges and potential solutions. While TNR techniques have come a long way since he started in the 1980's, with his generation of veterinarians as "the McGyvers of the medical field," he believes feral cats have the potential to live successfully among properly managed, gender neutral colonies. To find out more, visit unitedpetfund.org or email him at [email protected].

A computer consultant with Microsoft by day, Amber channeled both her passion for cats and her business-sense into launching Michigan's All About Animals Rescue in 2005. Since then, she has raised over $1 million in grants, has grown the program's original annual budget from $80,000 to over $3 million, launched a high volume spay/neuter clinic in 2008, and founded the Spay Michigan hotline. Amber cites consistent trap availability as a critical component in TNR programs. She challenges every spay and neuter clinic to provide 100% trap accessibility for every case. She discusses the importance of collaborative relationships, networking, patience, and an open mind for fulfilling successful goals for community cats everywhere. To find out more, visit allaboutanimalsrescue.org and spaymichigan.org.

Always a lover of animals, a young Bryn Rogers thought she would take the obvious career path of veterinarian—until she shadowed at a vet office and found herself unable to stomach the reality of surgery. She didn't let her squeamishness stop her from helping animals, however, and found meaningful work in shelters. She is now the program manager at the MSPCA adoption center in Boston, Massachusetts, overseeing the shelter's adoption and spay-neuter events, as well as volunteer and foster care programs. Learning from her volunteers, coworkers, and the communities of other shelters is a reoccurring theme in her work, combining the knowledge and experience of the people in these spheres to more effectively achieve common goals. In conversation with Stacy, Bryn provides insightful tips for how shelters can provide high amounts of spay-neuter procedures at low cost, exposing shier cats to the public for adoption, and growing a foster care program and training volunteers—and utilizing the more seasoned among them to help new recruits and build a stronger community. To learn more visit the MSPCA online.

Dr. Marvin Mackie began his lifelong work with animals from an early age. Raised on a farm around cows and horses, he entered veterinary school with the intent of becoming a large animal veterinarian. After seeing the dire need for more spay-neuter services while working at a 24-hour emergency clinic in Chicago, however, he eventually transitioned into pediatric small-animal medicine. With over 30 years of veterinary experience and having performed approximately 250,000 spay-neuter surgeries, Dr. Mackie provides a first-hand perspective on the evolution of spay-neuter practices in the United States from the 70s to today, describing his own Quick Spay Technique and how he has implemented it in recent years by teaching it to eager veterinarians in Mexico. He highlights the benefits of neutering from an early age and expounds upon his hopes that help from private practice will reinforce shelter work in sterilization for community cats.

Ellen Carozza is a veterinary technician with a passion for rescuing and raising neonatal kittens. She lovingly brings the kittens she raises everywhere with her, and implements innovative ways to care for them, including electrolytes, probiotics and plasma. With Stacy, she discusses the risks involved in raising kittens this young, and emphasizes that this is a task for rescuers who already have experience. To find out more visit NOVA Cat Clinic online.

Dr. David Haworth, DVM, PhD has impact on his mind. He discusses how he works to help PetSmart Charities save 1,400 lives a day, through grantmaking, adoption centers, supporting spay/neuter and other initiatives. To find out more visit PetSmart Charities online.

Michael tells Stacy about all things animal welfare in Arizona, from a ten-month kitten season to roaming packs of chihuahuas. In addition, he emphasizes the importance of working with other animal welfare groups and discusses other strategies for handling an influx of kittens, including promotions and foster networks. To find out more visit Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA online.

Former animal control officer Alice Burton has transformed her beliefs about trap-neuter-release. Alice tells Stacy about synergistic relationships between animal control departments and TNR organizations, resources for communities that hope to introduce TNR, and her own reluctant transition to believing in trap-neuter-release. Now working with Alley Cat Allies, Alice discusses other initiatives, like National Feral Cat Day. For more information, visit alleycat.org or call Alley Cat Allies' national help desk at 240-482-1980. To find out more visit Ally Cat Allies online.

CAT is the largest feline-only shelter in the Pacific Northwest, and Karen outlines their focus on taking in cats from other shelters and rescue groups for necessary medical care and rehoming. One secret to their success is that they are committed to "give each cat the housing and support and care they need to be successful in the shelter and then successful in their adoptive homes." The Portland area is a pretty great place to be a community cat, she observes, given shelters like CAT as well as the local Feral Cat Coalition, which has provided 80,000 (!) free and low cost surgeries for cats. (Photo taken by Kathi Lamm of Lamm Photography). To find out more visit Cat Adoption Team online.

With her ten years of at the helm of PetSmart Charities, and her current role leading Central OK Humane, Susana is in a perfect position to share her perspective both as a a funder of animal initiatives, and a recipient of grant dollars. Thanks to previous support from the ASPCA, Central OK Humane has implemented a raft of programs that have brought live release rates to an all-time high. Their high volume, high quality spay/neuter clinic has treated 11,000 community animals since its inception in 2008, and they also have a robust community cats presence, including TNR and a bottle baby program. To find out more visit Central OK Humane Society online.

Julia says that earning her Masters in Animals and Public Policy at Tufts gave her a perfect "launching pad" for what she wanted to do with her life. It also led her to take an active role at the Massachusetts Animal Coalition, which connects volunteers, animal welfare professionals and community members. She details their new program, "AniMatch for Cats," which facilitates cooperation amongdifferent constituencies to improve outcomes for cats seeking homes. She believes such a program could work anywhere you have people committed to cats and are looking to build additional resources to help them. To find out more visit The MSPCA online.

A veteran advocate for animals, Kara talks about her involvement in several game-changing initiatives — a license plate program and tax check-off — that created funding sources in Massachusetts for spay/neuter programs that have impacted thousands of animals. She also talks about the importance of getting to know your local legislators, and educating them before you need them, rather than after. "Legislators want to hear directly from their constituents," she notes. While she says a law degree is not essential to playing her role, it helped her develop analytical reasoning that has helped her frame the issues she supports. To find out more visit The MSPCA online.

Have a diabetic cat, or know someone who does? JaneA describes her experience with her own cat plus the work she does as a member of the "virtual" team that runs Diabetic Cats in Need. (DCIN). DCIN assists cat owners with education and financial assistance to better support their cat's needs. Since its founding, DCIN has assisted over 700 cats — and loving cat owners. JaneA also discusses how medication and diet can go a long way to assuring that cats have long and happy lives after their diagnosis. She also talks about her blog (written by her cats!) that helps cat owners understand behavior and medical issues. To find out more visit the paws-and-effect.com online.

After reminiscing about their early work together, Bonney and Stacy discuss fundraising strategies and the importance of focusing your message on successes and future opportunities. It can be overwhelming to think about thousands of animals in need, but inspiring to tell the story of an individual cat or situation. Bonney also talks about how to put together an effective non-profit Board of Directors, which she sees as essential to meeting a group's mission. It's important, she notes, to make sure Board members have a clear understanding what is expected of them, and to use their time wisely during meetings. To find out more visit the Humane Network online.

Marlan leads a "boots on the ground" initiative to go into Kansas City's underserved communities to provide education, wellness and other resources to keep families and pets together. These efforts include a pet food pantry that distributes more than 40,000 pounds of dog and cat food a year, a MASH-style high volume spay/neuter clinic that aims to treat 10,000 pets a year, and other ways to "make cats better neighbors for us." He is a big believer in making sure 100% of every feral colony is fixed and describes the feeling of getting that last cat trapped: "you feel like a superhero!" To find out more visit the Spay and Neuter Kansas City online.

The State of Delaware has legislation in effect establishing a spay/neuter program for non-profits and low-income individuals, which is funded by a $3 surcharge on rabies vaccines. Shauna talks about how those funds are put to work through with participating veterinarians and local shelters. She notes that all types of individuals are necessary to create change for cats: "there are a lot of people do the really hard work on the ground for animal welfare…trapping, foster, feeding" but that she felt her journalism and legislative skills could be put to work to help make these individuals' jobs easier. To find out more visit the The State of Delaware Office of Animal Welfare online.

Shelby describes the challenges of helping community cats in the rural South, where 40% of residents have no access to the internet. So, she reaches out to local social services organizations to get information to individuals who don't even know what spay/neuter is: "you have to assume that people don't know and start there." Her "street team" also distributes flyers at laundromats and supermarkets, noting that you need to reach out to the public in places they normally go. Shelby also talks about her "stray-dar" for finding outdoor cats and the persistent problem of feral dogs in Mississippi. To find out more visit the Mississippi Spay Neuter online.

After TNR'ing 43 cats and fostering multiple litters of kittens, Ashley became "addicted" to trapping and decided that a career in animal welfare was inevitable for her. She speaks about her communications efforts to educate individual neighborhoods about the importance of spay/neuter and the resources available to help them with community cats.. Her staff at Scituate Animal Shelter plays the role of "hotline" for callers concerned about cats, going through a checklist to help them arrive at the right solutions. She also shares her "top tips" for trapping moms and kittens. To find out more visit the Scituate Animal Shelter online.

When Scott accepted the challenge of joining the Washington Humane Society, their live release rate was 28%…today it is 90%. Scott outlines the various programs that have moved the dial, including improved coordination and cooperation with animal control, their Pets for Life program, and targeted TNR that fixed over 2500 cats last year alone. Today, he's working with local authorities on helping more low income individuals keep their cats to reduce abandonment with a "Pets in Housing" program. Plus, he lovingly shares his passion for socializing feral kittens, and his foster failures, the "Gang of Four." To find out more visit the Washington Humane Society online.

Kit reflects on the "bad old days" 30 years ago when "cats were third class citizens, who came in and went out the back door" and there was no formal way for rescues or shelters to share information and build community regarding programs to help them. She describes the kitty she met who changed her mind about cats living outdoors: "When I met his eyes, I realized he was a cat who had his own world and his own way of surviving." She stresses the importance of organizations celebrating every small change they make and building on them. To find out more visit the PetSmart Charities online.

Rachael started her career as an academic scientist and brings disciplined thinking to her cageless cat shelter and TNR efforts. She and her mother founded Here Today, Adopted Tomorrow after attending a Best Friends workshop. She describes how the cats in her care stay healthier because their stress levels are lower and notes that it's important to have an optimal number of cats: "people get overwhelmed if there are too many cats and they can't choose and walk out without a cat." TNR wasn't her initial interest, but she but began becausel "I saw that it needed to be done." She's a big believer in asking questions and learning from others: "Don't reinvent the wheel…look at what others are doing and do exactly the same thing." **Please excuse the sound quality of this interview. The information is so valuable it's worth sticking with it! To find out more visit the Here Today, Adopted Tomorrow online.

Nancy, who has been involved in the start-up of community cat TNR programs in Florida and now in Delaware, identifies several of the critical factors for building a successful effort: educating and developing working partnerships with community entities, concentrating on cats in a small area first, and keeping detailed records of the number of cats affected. "Numbers, numbers, numbers…getting grants is all about the numbers." She also shares her experience mentoring different size groups seeking to build their TNR capabilities, and the different challenges they face. To find out more visit the Brandywine SPCA online.

In this episode, Stacy's in the interview chair and speaks about her motivation for launching the Community Cats Podcast, the wide array of volunteers, services and skills necessary to support cats, and her four biggest priorities for making big picture difference. Among those priorities is fundraising, which Stacy calls "an everlasting challenge" for supporting spay/neuter initiatives: "we're at the point where we need to offer free spay/neuter, a 20 pound bag of food, and transportation" to get some cats into a clinic…and that requires financial support." She also introduces us to the concept of the "kitten free zone" that was achieved by the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society with its efforts on the Newburyport, MA waterfront. To find out more visit the The Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society online.

Jessica has had broad exposure to many different functions necessary to helping community cats: TNR, high volume spay/neuter clinics, and even managing a pet food pantry. When she joined Indy Humane, there were nearly 800 cats on the waiting list for spay/neuter services and describes her efforts to shorten these waiting times. She also talks about the "trapper's rush" she experienced watching three kittens walk into a trap together: "trapping requires a lot of strategy...it's a game of you against the cat." She also detail her efforts to provide services and support to community cat caretakers, and the amazing increase in live release rates for cats in her area. To find out more visit the Indy Humane online.

Julie applied her for-profit experience and strategic mindset to the issues facing Community Cats in her years at PetSmart Charities and Executive Director of the Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Program in Washington State. She points out how important it is for all groups — no matter their size — to figure out what they do best, and focus on those skills to build sustainability. Rather than try to "do it all," she recommends that every organization find like-minded partners who complement their expertise. She also shares great ideas about how to personalize fundraising for spay/neuter initiatives. To find out more visit the PetSmart Charities online.

Volunteering at the Gifford Shelter, and helping socialize fearful, shy and semi-feral cats launched Rachel into her role today as a certified cat behaviorist. She describes the cat behavior and retention program she founded at Gifford, and has shared with other organizations as well as the Humane Society of the United States. Her passion for helping those in need extends beyond cats to developing a program for shelters to bring developmentally challenged children in as volunteers, and advocacy for nursing homes to embrace allowing seniors the therapeutic benefit of owning cats. Finally, she counsels Stacy on how to keep her cat Hooch from waking her up every night! To find out more visit the Gifford Cat Shelter online and click here to check out the presentation Rachel mentions in the episode!

In this episode, Karen describes how she went about determining what type of efforts and program might best solve the community cat problem in Louisville. She's a big believer in planning and patience; when founding Alley Cat Advocates, she spent a whole year developing organizational infrastructure so that its future activities would have a sound base to build on. She also talks about coalition building with both public and non-profit animal control and rescues, volunteer engagement, and the importance of partnering not only with community cat caretakers, but respecting and assisting those who prefer to have cats out of their yards and neighborhoods. "We must have a culture of caring," she notes. To find out more visit the Alley Cat Advocates online.