Kristen Petrie, Author at The Community Cats Podcast

November 26, 2018

Creating an Operations Plan for 2019

Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. Last week your assignment was to think about your fundraising plan for 2019 while enjoying family and friends! This week are going to think about our operations for 2019 and what sort of goals we would like to set for next […]

December 1, 2018

A Best of CCP Episode! Mike Keiley (MSPCA) & Carmine DiCenso (Dakin Humane Society)

“Overpopulation is very, very different than not allowing your animals to leave your shelter.” – C.D. Durning the month of December, we’re revisiting some of our favorite, most informative shows. This is a rebroadcast of episodes 256 and 257 which we dubbed “The Mike & Carmine Show” – enjoy! Stacy speaks […]

December 3, 2018

Q&A with a CCP Listener

We recently received a wonderful note from a CCP listener, Sarah Hollars, who was kind enough to reach out and let us know how much CCP has touched her life. Not only do we love hearing from our listeners, we also love sharing their stories with our community so that […]

December 8, 2018

A Best of CCP Episode! Jackson Galaxy, Star of Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell, and Founder of the Jackson Galaxy Foundation

“I was used to not following rules and cats don’t follow rules for the most part.” Durning the month of December, we’re revisiting some of our favorite, most informative shows. This is a rebroadcast of episode 175 featuring cat behaviorist and host of Animal Planet’s “My Cat From Hell”, Jackson […]

December 9, 2018

Seasonal Sanity in a Feline-Filled Household

This week’s guest post comes to us from Liz Pease, former Executive Director of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, who was featured on Episode #51 of the podcast. It’s hard to believe it’s December again, but here we are! With the holiday season come Christmas trees, Hanukkah & Kwanzaa candles, […]

December 15, 2018

A Best of CCP Episode! Adam Myatt, The Cat Man of West Oakland

“These cats are street smart, tough as nails, and have definitely seen some stuff, but they are our neighborhood cats and are softies at heart.” Durning the month of December, we’re revisiting some of our favorite, most informative shows. This is a rebroadcast of episode 222 featuring The Cat Man […]

December 16, 2018

Climate Change and Community Cats

Many of your know that I drive back and forth from Vermont to Massachusetts every week in order to visit my mother. So I get to spend a lot of time in the car listening to podcasts of all kinds. During my drive last week, I heard several references to […]

December 22, 2018

A Best of CCP Episode! Shaun Sears, Arborists and Co-Owner of Canopy Cat Rescue

“What we do is extremely dangerous…even savvy tree climbers have difficulty rescuing cats.” Durning the month of December, we’re revisiting some of our favorite, most informative shows. This is a rebroadcast of episode 143 featuring the man who has one of the most interesting jobs we’ve ever heard of, Shaun […]

December 23, 2018

How Might a Recession Affect Your Nonprofit Organization?

Over the last month the stock market has been dropping substantially, and it’s quite possible that this will be the first year that the S+P 500 could show a decline. Everyone is very worried that we are going to enter into a recession. We have a lot of economic uncertainties […]

December 29, 2018

A Best of CCP Episode! Kim Freeman, Professional Missing Cat Finder

“I would really like anyone who has anything to do with lost cats to realize how important it is not to give up, and not to assume anything.” Durning the month of December, we’re revisiting some of our favorite, most informative shows. This is a rebroadcast of episode 248 featuring […]

December 30, 2018

How Can I Help You in 2019?

Within the next couple of months, the Community Cats Podcast will have published 300 episodes and 150 blog posts, hosted 2 Online Cat Conferences, assisted over 50 small nonprofit organizations through the Community Cats Grants program, and offered several other webinars as a resource for anyone who wants to help […]

January 5, 2019

Interview! Larry Shively, Owner, ProVetLogic

“At the end of the day, the most important thing is consistency in [sanitation] protocol.” In this episode, Stacy talks with Larry Shively, owner of ProVetLogic, one of the sponsors of 2019 Online Cat Conference, about controlling the spread of disease among cats, particularly in shelter-type environments. Nine years ago, […]

January 6, 2019

Still Stumped on Goals? Here Are Some Suggestions!

I continue to be obsessed by goal setting this year. So I will share one more post and then I promise to get back to more hands-on topics like trapping cats in cold weather, shelters, and cool programs that others are doing. I have found setting my own goals quite […]

January 12, 2019

Interview! Sara Kent, CEO, Shelter Animals Count

“The goal is to have a standard data set that every organization can follow.” Sara Kent, the first CEO and paid staff member of Shelter Animals Count (SAC), sits down with Stacy to discuss how SAC came to be, what its mission is, and some of its latest statistics. Sara […]

January 13, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series Begins

Starting this week and continuing all year, we are doing a series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. During the second week of each month, we’ll share a different group’s answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption program. We hope you enjoy and are inspired by […]

January 19, 2019

Interview! Dr. Graham Brayshaw, Director of Animal Services at Animal Humane Society

“We’ve got to sterilize absolutely everyone we can.” Dr. Graham Brayshaw, a 2004 graduate of Texas A&M’s veterinary school, is both the chief veterinarian and the director of animal services for the Animal Humane Society (AHS), an organization based in the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Brayshaw’s interest […]

January 20, 2019

Benefitting from Opportunity Zones?

You might have heard reference to Opportunity Zones in the news, but you’ve likely never really thought about how they might impact Community Cats. Opportunity Zones designations were created in 2017 as a way to encourage investment in communities that need job growth and support. This is a perk for […]

January 26, 2019

Interview! Dana Andresen, Executive Director, Feline Rescue

“People love to help cats…that’s something that we have in common with our donor base.” Dana Andresen started as the first executive director of Feline Rescue, a St. Paul, Minnesota-based, no-kill companion cat rescue organization, in April 2016. Dana came to her current role after working with a pet food […]

January 28, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: Laura Burns

This week, we are starting an occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we interviewed Laura Burns, president of Hub Cats, a community cat group working in Chelsea, Massachusetts. She is also president of Habitat for Cats, […]

February 2, 2019

Interview! Veronica Coit, Asheville Cat Weirdos

“I’m following the guide of my gut instinct and what the community tells me they need.” Veronica Coit, a full-time hairdresser who is married with two children, calls herself a “cat lady for life.” She spearheads the Asheville Cat Weirdos, a Facebook group that she started in 2016. That group […]

February 4, 2019

FeLV+ Adoption Program Profile Series: Carver Scott Humane Society

Here’s the next installment in our series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs. We have heard about so many wonderful groups and programs that we’re declaring February to be Fe-Leuk February and running a […]

February 9, 2019

Interview! Dr. Angie Kraus, Boulder Holistic Vet

“We really need to do a better job of understanding what our cats need.” Dr. Angie Kraus, a holistic house-call veterinarian in Boulder, CO, has known since the age of 3 that she wanted to be a vet. She was trained conventionally, but after graduation, she began to explore other, […]

February 10, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Ohio Alleycat Resource

February 16, 2019

Interview! Sandy Rees, Arf Club Founder

“Stop thinking about just the money and think about the person who’s giving that money.” Sandy Rees, the CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer) at Get Fully Funded and Founder of Arf Club, joins us for her second visit to Community Cats Podcast. If you missed her first chat with Stacy, check […]

February 17, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Five Acres Animal Shelter

February 23, 2019

Interview! Kay Stout, ED of PAAS Vinita

“What hurts us so often in rescue is that the passion gets in the way of progress.” Kay Stout is the Executive Director of PAAS Vinita in Oklahoma, a multi-faceted group that grew out of the initial shelter that gives the group its name (PAAS stands for “Peaceful Animal Adoption […]

February 25, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Humane Society Naples

March 2, 2019

Interview! Elena Battles, Shelterluv

“Any way that I can help, I want to.” Elena Battles of Shelterluv software has been working for animals in one capacity or another since 1999. It was then that she found Trini, a stray beagle who truly changed her life. Elena had been working as a physical therapist, but […]

March 3, 2019

Trapper Tips and Tricks Profile: Bryan Kortis, Neighborhood Cats

This week, we have the next installment of our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we interview Bryan Kortis, co-founder and National Programs Director of Neighborhood Cats, a leading community cat advocacy group with hands-on programs […]

March 9, 2019

Interview! Kim Saunders, Operations Director, Liberty Humane Society

“People caring for [community] cats might not realize that the shelter supports them in their efforts to do so.” Kim Saunders was a practicing attorney when she decided to move into the animal welfare world full-time (after years of volunteering). She spent 15 years at Petfinder before moving into a […]

March 10, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Central Missouri Humane Society

Here’s the next installment in our ongoing series on Feline Leukemia (FeLV) adoption programs around the country. The series shares different groups’ answers to our questions about their FeLV+ adoption programs. We hope you enjoy and are inspired by this series, and if you have a suggestion for an organization we […]

March 16, 2019

Interview! Karen Anderson, Animal Communicator, Afterlife Expert, and Coach

“You are the most important person in the world to your cats. … Those bonds of love never die.” In this interview, Stacy speaks with Karen Anderson, an animal communicator and afterlife expert who has been practicing for over 20 years. She has received several awards and is a best-selling […]

March 18, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary

March 23, 2019

Interview! Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado, Cat Behaviorist

“I don’t think of shelter cats as…any different from pet cats, except that yesterday they were a pet and today they’re in a shelter, and their behavior may not really reflect who they were in that previous home.” Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado, a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist with a Ph.D. […]

March 25, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: Charlotte Fox

This week, we have the next installment in our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which profiles folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we bring you tips from Charlotte Fox, Field Coordinator at Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, DC. Charlotte has been trapping cats since […]

March 30, 2019

Interview! Danielle Bays, Director of Cat Protection and Policy, HSUS

“We’ve seen…so much progress so rapidly across the country.” Danielle Bays, Director of Cat Protection and Policy at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is a frequent flyer here on CCP, having appeared before on Episode 55 and Episode 261. She joins Stacy again here to talk about […]

April 1, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Tree House Humane Society

April 6, 2019

Interview! Nikki Martinez, Trapper, Foster Mom, and Feline Welfare Activist

“Fostering absolutely saves lives, but TNR saves more.” Nikki Martinez was always a dog person. That all changed one day when a kitten ran in front of her car on her way to a post-surgical doctor appointment. Feeling down and overly focused on herself after her surgery, Nikki poured her […]

April 7, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: KC Pet Project

April 13, 2019

Interview! Kate Hurley, DVM, Director of U.C. Davis Koret School of Veterinary Medicine and Co-founder of Million Cat Challenge

“In the time I’ll talk to you, twenty fewer cats will lose their lives in animal shelters because of the progress we’ve made in this field in the last five years.” You may remember Dr. Kate Hurley, Director of U.C. Davis Koret School of Veterinary Medicine and co-founder of Million […]

April 14, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: Penny Leisch

This week, we have the next installment of our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we bring you tips from Penny Leisch, President of Catnip Casa Cat Refuge in Austin, Texas. If you have tips and tricks […]

April 21, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (Part 1)

April 27, 2019

Interview! Keith Williams, C5 (Community Cat Coalition of Clark County)

“C5 has exactly one program: we trap, neuter, and return free-roaming, unowned cats for colony caretakers.” In this interview, Keith Williams of C5 in Las Vegas joins Stacy to discuss the group’s founding and how they have managed to trap 35,000 cats in just 10 years of operation. You may […]

April 28, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (Part 2)

May 4, 2019

Interview! Dave Hanley, CEO of Tomorrow

“Do this for yourself. Do this for your cats.” Listen to Episode #298 Now Dave Hanley, developer of the Tomorrow app, is an entrepreneur who is also a pet (and human) parent. Tomorrow is designed to help anyone set up a legal will quickly and easily—and even appoint guardians for […]

May 5, 2019

The Community Cats Podcast Visits Meow DC

Bright and early on April 27th, I was in the nation’s capital setting up the CCP table at Meow DC. The event, held at the trend Dock 5 space at Union Market, benefitted the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) of Washington, DC. That name might ring a bell. Stacy has interviewed […]

May 11, 2019

Interview! Lindsay Hamrick, Policy Director for Companion Animals, HSUS

“On the community cat front, it’s abundantly clear that cats have been second in all of the policies that have been pushed forward.” Lindsay Hamrick, Policy Director for Companion Animals at the Humane Society of the United States, works to support local, state and federal policies protecting pets. She holds […]

May 13, 2019

My Experience at Catsachusetts

A couple of weekends ago I gave a presentation at a large cat show called Catsachusetts! The presentation was on what is going on with cats in Massachusetts and the surrounding area. I must admit I hadn’t been to a cat show in a while, but my memory was quickly […]

May 18, 2019

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

“Things can get better, no matter how long they’ve been bad.” For the 300th episode of Community Cats Podcast, Stacy is joined by Bryan Kortis, Director of National Programs for Neighborhood Cats. Previously featured on CCP Episode 13, Episode 127, and Episode 218, Bryan is back to talk about how […]

May 19, 2019

Trapper Tips & Tricks Profile: C5’s Keith Williams

This week, we have the next installment of our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we bring you tips from Keith Williams, President and Founder of C5 (Community Cat Coalition of Clark County) in Las Vegas, Nevada, […]

May 24, 2019

Interview! Christina Ha, Cat Camp & Meow Parlour Cat Café

“If you love cats, we’ll have something for you this weekend.” Christina Ha joins Stacy again (having been interviewed by Stacy in CCP episode 144 and episode 245), this time to discuss the third annual Cat Camp event, to be held this June 1 and 2 in New York City at […]

May 26, 2019

‘Tis the Season…for Catios!

This week’s guest post comes to us from Liz Pease, former Executive Director of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, who was featured on CCP Episode #51. You’ve probably heard about catios (or “cat patios”). Maybe your cats are even lucky enough to have a one! If not, it might […]

June 1, 2019

Interview! Sarah Dunsmore, CDE Animal Cages

“We only want shelters to have to shop for cages one time.” Listen to Episode #302 Now In this episode, Stacy is joined by Sarah Dunsmore, who co-owns CDE Animal Cages with her husband. Lifelong animal lovers, Sarah and her husband purchased the thirty-year old company several years ago […]

June 3, 2019

The Community Cats Podcast’s Weekend at Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp NYC!

Over the weekend, cat campers gathered at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City for two days of education, fun, and camaraderie. We’ve been lucky enough to interview Christina Ha, the event’s founder and owner of Meow Parlour Cat Café, before this exciting event every year so we had a […]

June 8, 2019

Interview! Jackson Cunningham, Founder of Tuft + Paw

“We are trying to design things that last for life.” Listen to Episode #303 Now In this episode, Stacy talks with Jackson Cunningham, founder of Tuft + Paw, a modern cat furniture company. Jackson and his girlfriend and business partner both have had cats all their lives, and describe […]

June 9, 2019

Stacy’s Summer Reading List

When I first started this podcast, I did a few book review shows. I really enjoyed doing them, but I just got so busy with other interviews that I haven’t done one lately. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading. I know so many of us don’t have time […]

June 15, 2019

Scott Giacoppo, Director of National Shelter Outreach, Best Friends Animal Society

“Across the board, [TNR]’s working. We have yet to find a place where it’s not working.” Listen to Episode #304 Now Scott Giacoppo (previously interviewed by Stacy on CCP Episode 25) has been involved in animal welfare since 1989. Among other roles, he has worked as an animal control […]

June 17, 2019

Trapper Tricks & Tips – Liz Pease

This week, we have the next installment of our occasional series called Trapper Tips & Tricks, which will profile folks who are involved in trapping community cats. This week we bring you tips from Liz Pease, former executive director of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, who has been trapping […]

June 22, 2019

Peter Wolf, Research & Policy Analyst for Best Friends Animal Society

“If [Return to Field is] not happening where you are, it’s probably coming soon.” Listen to Episode #305 Now Peter Wolf, previously featured on CCP Episode 74, joins Stacy again, this time to discuss a newly released research paper that he and Dan Spehar (CCP Episode 240) have co-authored. […]

June 23, 2019

Rabies Vaccination and Microchip Clinics – Why You Need Them in Your Community

Many of you know that I am part of a small volunteer group in Chelsea, Massachusetts that, with the help of fundraising and a local foundation, is committed to making life better for cats and dogs in the community. The group, HubCats Chelsea, offers free spay/neuter services for owned, stray […]

June 29, 2019

Dr. Sara Pizano, DVM, Team Shelter USA

“Ending euthanasia doesn’t take years, and it doesn’t take millions of dollars.” Listen to Episode #306 Now Stacy sits down with Dr. Sara Pizano (a previous CCP guest on Episode 56, Episode 171, and Episodes 246 and 247) to discuss Dr. Pizano’s new book,The Best Practice Playbook for Animal […]

July 1, 2019

Are You Ready for Kitten College?

Just about a week ago now, CCP partnered with the National Kitten Coalition (NKC) to hold the first-ever online kitten conference. We had twelve fantastic speakers with a lot of incredible information. There were many nuggets of cool information, but one thing that I found especially intriguing was the “Kitten […]

July 6, 2019

Steve Lawrence, Director of “The Cat Rescuers”

“This is a very emotionally engaging film.” Listen to Episode #307 Now Steve Lawrence, an award-winning filmmaker previously interviewed by Stacy on CCP Episode 178, returns to CCP to discuss the documentary film he co-directed, The Cat Rescuers. The film premiered in October 2018 at the Hamptons International Film […]

July 8, 2019

Foster Program Profile Series: Siamese Cat Rescue Center

Today’s blog is the first installment of a new series: the Foster Program Profile Series, in which we ask foster program directors a series of questions about their program and then share their answers with you. This week, we’re talking to Siri Zwemke of Siamese Cat Rescue Center. We hope […]

July 13, 2019

Mary Chromek, Neonatal Kitten Foster

“I just want to save lives and fully support the fosters.” Listen to Episode #308 Now Stacy chats with Mary Chromek, who has been fostering neonatal (bottle baby) kittens for over 10 years now. A cat person since she was a child, Mary found that cats really helped with […]

July 15, 2019

July 15, 2019

Guest Post: Saving the Aggressive Cats

Today’s post comes from guest blogger Allison Hunter-Frederick, a pet blogger, cat consultant, and cat trainer. Allison is also mom to three rescue cats. This post originally appeared on Allison’s blog site, Lincoln Pet Culture. We thought it was so great that we reached out to Allison to ask if we […]

July 20, 2019

Amanda Jones, Founder and CEO of Sunshine Kitty Catfe

“It’s not just about coffee and cats.” Listen to Episode #309 Now Amanda Jones, a lifelong cat lover and self-described “totally sane cat lady,” talks with Stacy about opening the Sunshine Kitty Catfe in St. Petersburg, Florida this fall. They get into the details of how the café will […]

July 22, 2019

San Francisco Feral Kitten Frenzy

Last week I read an article about some policy changes at the San Francisco SPCA and San Francisco Animal Care and Control regarding their policies on trapping feral mother cats and kittens. In a nutshell, the groups “have instituted a new policy that allows the mothers and kittens to stay together […]

July 26, 2019

Dr. Rachel Geller, Certified Cat Behavior & Retention Specialist

“Every time I help a cat, I’m helping a person too.” Listen to Episode #310 Now Stacy is once again joined by Dr. Rachel Geller, who has previously appeared on CCP Episode 18 and Episode 146. A certified Humane Education Specialist and Cat Behavior & Retention Specialist, Rachel is celebrating […]

July 28, 2019

Community Cat Centers – What Do You Think?

This article about the work that LeBron James has done in the Akron, Ohio public school system has me thinking hard about where animals fit into this new generation of thinking about community. Some of you know that my daughter Rachel is interested in education and has been working at […]

August 6, 2019

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

“We’re not going to focus on the individual pet; we’re going to focus on how do we deliver tools to help the people who are helping pets?” Listen to Episode #311 Now Betsy Banks Saul, a co-founder of Petfinder, and founder of a new business venture, Heal House […]

August 8, 2019

Thoughts on the News: Declawing Banned in NY & Humane Alliance and St. Hubert’s Merge

The last couple of weeks of July were very busy in the animal welfare world. Best Friends Animal Society had one of their biggest conferences, Alley Cat Allies had a big event in Texas, and Brandon Zavala put on a new event, the Silicat Valley Cat Convention, in San Jose, CA. […]

August 13, 2019

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

“There’s something that can happen in the home that can’t happen in the clinic.” Listen to Episode #312 Now In the second part of this two-part episode, Stacy talks more with Betsy Banks Saul, this time about her new business venture, a franchise of house-call veterinary practices called Heal House […]

August 15, 2019

CCP Drops in on Kitten Lady Hannah Shaw’s Book Tour

This week’s guest post comes to us from Liz Pease, former Executive Director of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, who was featured on CCP Episode #51. This past week, fellow CCP staff member Kristen and I (Liz Pease) were lucky enough to see Hannah Shaw (better known as Kitten Lady) on […]

August 17, 2019

I Am Moshow the Cat Rapper and “Double Duty”

We’re celebrating Black Cat Appreciation Day with Moshow on this special episode! Listen To The Episode Now In this special episode, Stacy talks with Moshow the Cat Rapper about teaming up with Arm and Hammer’s “Double Duty” campaign. Moshow wrote and created a song and video for the campaign, and if it gets […]

August 20, 2019

Deb Barnes, Author, President of the Cat Writers’ Association

“Using my own life as a vehicle to educate others is what I wanted to do.” Listen to Episode #313 Now Deb Barnes is an award-winning author and blogger who currently serves as president of the Cat Writers’ Association, and as secretary of the board for Pawsitively Humane in […]

August 21, 2019

Holy Smokes Batman! There Are Kittens in Massachusetts!

Reports have been coming in from many Massachusetts rescuers and trappers saying that this year’s kitten season is the worst one “eva” (=ever in Boston-speak). I decided to email some of the larger shelters in the state to see what might be going on. I definitely came across some themes. […]

August 27, 2019

Jayne Sage, Founder & Executive Director, Street Cat Hub

“There’s just nothing more important than a few people getting started …” Listen to Episode #314 Now Jayne Sage began doing TNR when she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico around 2002. After TNRing over 70 cats in her own neighborhood, she began looking for ways to help in other areas […]

August 29, 2019

Fall Outreach—What Is That?

As we approach Labor Day Weekend, I find this is a good time to begin to think about fall and your plans for reaching out into your community. Summer always seems to be a more reactive time in our business. We are loaded with kittens, lots of emergencies, incredible adoptions, […]

September 3, 2019

Siri Zwemke, Author, Executive Director of Siamese Cat Rescue Center

“The knowledge of the breed is really key.” Listen to Episode #315 Now In this episode, Stacy talks with Siri Zwemke, author and founder/executive director of the Siamese Cat Rescue Center. The organization has been in operation for over twenty years, utilizing over 900 volunteers to save over 13,000 cats […]

September 5, 2019

It’s National Preparedness Month—Is Your Pet Emergency Kit Ready?

This week’s guest post comes to us from Liz Pease, former Executive Director of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, who was featured on CCP Episode #51. Every year, as soon as Labor Day passes, I know it’s about that time again: time to update my household emergency kits—including the […]

September 10, 2019

Preston Tobery, Adaptive Tech and Consulting

“Challenge yourself every single day. Try to find those things to help you help cats.” Listen to Episode #316 Now Preston Tobery, an expert at “maker technologies” like 3D printing, is the founder of Adaptive Tech and Consulting, a small business that makes adaptive technologies for special needs animals. Preston […]

September 12, 2019

Disaster Preparedness Resources, Tips, & Tricks for Shelters

This week’s guest post comes to us from Liz Pease, former Executive Director of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, who was featured on CCP Episode #51. As you know from last week’s post, September is National Preparedness Month here in the U.S. Last week, we talked about setting up […]

September 17, 2019

Will Zweigart, Flatbush Cats

“Five to ten years from now, I want to be able to look at my neighborhood … and say that we’ve made a measurable impact.” Listen to Episode #317 Now In this episode, Stacy sits down with Will Zweigart, founder of Flatbush Cats, a nonprofit focused on reducing the outdoor […]

September 19, 2019

My Visit to Treehouse Humane Society

At the end of August, I had the privilege of driving my daughter Rachel and her cat Maggie out to Chicago, where Rachel is starting graduate school this month. It was two days of nerve-racking driving, but Maggie was actually an awesome traveler, so the anticipation ended up being worse […]

September 24, 2019

Jenny Hart, Travel Writer & Cat Mom

“If you’ve ever thought about traveling with your cat … it is more doable than you might imagine.” Listen to Episode #318 Now Jenny Hart, a Brooklyn-based travel writer and mom to cat Rajah, is quickly becoming a cat travel expert. Soon after adopting Rajah as a kitten, it became […]

September 26, 2019

In the News: Interesting Stories that Could Impact You and Your Cats

This week, I’m sharing a round-up of some recent cat-related news stories that you might have missed. Town in Australia is Limiting the Number of Cats in a Home to Two! I just don’t understand why people think that limiting the number of cats in a home is going to […]

October 1, 2019

Tabitha Kucera, Chirrups & Chatter Cat Behavior Consulting and Education

“Handling is a skill and we need to practice it like anything else.” Listen to Episode #319 now Tabitha Kucera, a presenter at this past January’s CCP Online Cat Conference, joins Stacy to discuss low-stress cat handling, clicker training, and more. Tabitha is a registered veterinary technician and a certified […]

October 3, 2019

PetSmart Charities Gives $3 Million to Meals on Wheels in a Partnership to Help Keep Pets in Homes with the Elderly

PetSmart Charities recently announced one of their largest donations to date: $3 million to Meals on Wheels (MOW) to assist and provide support to the elderly served by the organization’s programs. Many seniors have pets and many of them stay isolated and in their homes because they don’t want to […]

October 8, 2019

Shelly Simmons, CAWA, Division Manager, Greenville (SC) County Animal Care

“While the population entering the shelter is going down, the need to spay and neuter out in the community is going to be ongoing.” Listen to Episode #320 now Shelly Simmons has worked for Greenville County Animal Care, the largest open-admission shelter in South Carolina, for twelve years now. She […]

October 10, 2019

No-Kill vs. SCS Theory

There are many organizations and individuals that feel that having the goal of being “no-kill” is too polarizing. Back in the 1990s, the “no-kill” label drew a line between different types of behavior for organizations, as back then, many organizations did euthanize for space constraints. But now the case is […]

October 15, 2019

Chelsea White, Comedian and Host of “Show Me Your Kitty”

“Truly, nothing brings me greater joy than meeting cats… I love…talking to people about their love of cats and listening to people talk about their cats.” Listen to Episode #321 now Chelsea White is a host, writer, producer, comedian, and cat enthusiast. She currently hosts the Bravo digital series “Adulting […]

October 17, 2019

Rescue Rebuild and National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). The statistics are just startling. The DVAM website tells us that, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, over two million men and women are affected by domestic violence each year in the United States. They also note the following shocking statistics: […]

October 22, 2019

Anna Skaya, Basepaws

“I couldn’t believe that this [testing] exists for dogs … but didn’t exist for cats. So now it does.” Listen to Episode #322 now Anna Skaya, the CEO of Basepaws, joined Stacy last year on CCP Episode 213, and now she’s back to update Stacy on everything that has happened […]

October 24, 2019

She Podcasts Live! Conference – Reporting In!

Kristen and I had a booth at the She Podcasts – Live! conference on October 11-13 in Atlanta, GA. She Podcasts, the first podcast for female podcasters, strives “to support and nurture as many female-led podcasts as possible.” Kristen and I both had a lot of fun answering folks’ questions about […]

October 29, 2019

Colleen Bray, Director, Boone County (KY) Animal Shelter

“We’ve really been able to look at the numbers and … show that [TNR] is working.” Listen to Episode #323 now Colleen Bray, Director of the Boone County Kentucky Animal Shelter, has seen a lot of change with regards to cats in her time in animal welfare. She has worked […]

October 31, 2019

Halloween and International Black Cat Awareness Month

October is Black Cat Awareness month due to the fact that many people worry that folks are going to do terrible things to black cats around Halloween. While this has largely proven to be a myth, black cats are already 50% less likely to be adopted than other cats in […]

November 5, 2019

Sally Williams, Brodie Fund and Feline Fine Project

“Let’s move that needle. Let’s change the statistics.” Listen to Episode #324 now Sally Williams, who previously chatted with Stacy on CCP Episode 104, is a cat behaviorist and the founder and director of the Brodie Fund. She joins Stacy to talk about her newest effort, the Feline Fine Project, […]

November 7, 2019

Webinars Reviews: What I’m Watching

I have been binge-watching lots of webinars lately. Webinars are a great way to learn new information without loading up the car or getting on a plane to go to a conference. This week, I’ll share my thoughts on some of the webinars I have been watching recently. ASPCA Pro: Leadership […]

November 12, 2019

Dr. Kimberley Khodakhah, Veterinarian, Mentor, Wellness & Success Coach

“When you put 220% in, you leave yourself very little time to recharge.” Listen to Episode #325 now Dr. Kimberley Khodakhah (better known as “Dr. K.”) runs Vetopia, a mentoring, wellness, and coaching business serving veterinarians. With 23 years of experience as a veterinarian herself, Dr. K. knows the business […]