Community Stories Archives - The Community Cats Podcast

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 […]

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 […]

April 1, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: Tree House 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 […]

April 7, 2019

FeLV-positive Adoption Program Profile Series: KC Pet Project

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 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 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 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 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 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 […]

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 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 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 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 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 […]

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 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 […]

November 19, 2019

Isa Peraza-Martinez, ASPCA Community Cats Outreach Manager

“You need the buy-in from your community — and the support.” Listen to Episode #326 now Isa Peraza Martinez began her career at the APSCA as an animal caregiver at the organization’s adoption center. Today, she serves as Community Cats Outreach Manager. In this role, she delivers monthly TNRM (trap-neuter-return-monitor) […]

November 26, 2019

Ashley Morrison, Foster Caregiver & Cat Advocate

“You realize that you’re making a difference and it’s helping you just as much as it helps them.” Listen to Episode #327 now Ashley Morrison is an independent kitten foster home and cat advocate in Washington state. She has fostered over 300 cats and kittens over the past four years. […]

December 3, 2019

Meagan Larrea, Joy 4 Cats

“That would be my number one advice: don’t be afraid to ask.” Listen to Episode #328 now Meagan Larrea is a cat mom and cat lover who works as a civil engineer by day. The rest of the time, she runs Joy 4 Cats, a growing project that puts together […]

December 10, 2019

Valerie Sheppard, Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

“We are here to help the industry succeed.” Listen to Episode #329 now Valerie Sheppard, Director of Professional Development & Credentialing at the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA), joins Stacy to discuss what the AAWA is all about these days, including details on their Learning Center. Valerie created the […]

December 17, 2019

Lizz Whitacre, Pawlytics

“We’re really excited about the ability to share these resources so that, as a community, we can have a much bigger impact on the feral cat community.” Listen to Episode #330 now In this episode, Stacy is joined by Lizz Whitacre, founder and CEO of Pawlytics, a technology solution to […]

December 24, 2019

John Boone, Wildlife Biologist at Great Bay Bird Observatory

“We tried very hard to focus objectively on the questions that we’re asking and accept the answers that we’re getting …” Listen to Episode #331 now John Boone, a wildlife biologist previously interviewed on CCP, joins Stacy to discuss new research on how we can use the tools we […]

December 31, 2019

Julia Grosz, Cat Hustler

“Marketing is not adoption counseling … [it’s] the highlight reel.” Listen to Episode #332 now This episode is sponsored by Dr. Elsey’s Veterinarian Formulated Quality Products for Cats, makers of “litter we’re so confident you’ll love, your first purchase is on us.” Learn more! Julia Grosz earned the nickname […]

January 7, 2020

Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project

“We know that this is the wrong thing to do to cats. No matter where you are, it’s the wrong thing.” Listen to Episode #333 now This episode is sponsored by Dr. Elsey’s Veterinarian Formulated Quality Products for Cats, makers of “litter we’re so confident you’ll love, your first […]

January 14, 2020

Hasara Lay, Catexplorer

“Cats are capable of more than we give them credit for.” Listen to Episode #334 now In this episode, Stacy speaks with Hasara Lay, founder of Catexplorer, a community, movement, and lifestyle brand for people who explore the world with their cats. Hasara, who is located in Australia, began […]

January 21, 2020

A Best of CCP Episode! Dr. Sara Pizano, DVM, Team Shelter USA

“Ending euthanasia doesn’t take years, and it doesn’t take millions of dollars.” Listen to Episode #335 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 […]

January 28, 2020

A Best of CCP Episode! 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 #336 now In this episode, Stacy sits down with Will Zweigart, founder of Flatbush Cats, a nonprofit focused on reducing the […]

February 4, 2020

Interview! Jeff Parks, Author of You Know Your Cat Loves You Because…

“I wanted it to be a book that was full of joy.” Listen to Episode #337 now Jeff Parks, a comedy writer by trade, wasn’t introduced to the world of cats until he was in his 30s, but once he was, there was no going back. He quickly turned […]

February 11, 2020

Interview! Mario Arbore, Square Paws

“It’s always great to see cats enjoying our work.” Listen to Episode #338 Now Mario Abore, the founder and owner of Square Paws, a cat furniture design company, sits down with Stacy to talk about how Square Paws came to be. Mario, an architect by trade, designs all the […]

February 18, 2020

Dr. Andy Kaplan, The Toby Project

“I’ve always been passionate about saving lives. That’s just who I am as a vet.” Listen to Episode #339 Now In this episode, Stacy speaks with Dr. Andrew Kaplan, the veterinarian behind New York City’s The Toby Project. Andrew has been an animal advocate since he was a child. […]

February 25, 2020

Britney Fox Hover, Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society

“Whenever we can try to keep cats and people together, we do.” Listen to Episode #340 Now Britney Fox Hover, the shelter director at the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) in Salisbury, Massachusetts, began at MRFRS as a volunteer in 2009. In addition to now running the group’s […]

March 10, 2020

Debbie Chatenever, community cat caretaker

“Going out and helping those cats gave me reason to want to get up and get dressed and go outside.” Listen to Episode #342 Now In this episode, Stacy chats with community cat caretaker Debbie Chatenever, who walks several miles each day to feed the community cats in her […]

April 23, 2020

The Future of Volunteering in Animal Welfare

It is Volunteer Appreciation Week. Thanks so much to all of the volunteers that support animal welfare organizations. Most of us volunteer in many ways and this is the week to take time to celebrate everyone’s efforts—including those of the many folks who are fostering cats and dogs right now. […]

April 30, 2020

Where Are the Foster Homes for People Trapping Community Cats During COVID-19?

An Open Letter to Folks Who Trap Community Cats I am concerned that there will be kittens and cats that need our help and we won’t be to help them. You might think I am crazy, as the whole world seems to want to be a foster home. Groups are […]

June 4, 2020

10 Ways for Your Indoor Cat to Enjoy the Great Outdoors Safely

Summer is finally here for those of us who live in the north, and many of us want to get outside to enjoy the sun and warm weather. I am sure our cats want to be able to do this too. Below are a few tips to consider when bringing […]

June 11, 2020

Everything You Need to Know About Kittens!

You may have seen my blog post about a possible kitten explosion and overpopulation concerns a couple of weeks ago. I believe we will have a substantial uptick in the number of kittens being born in our communities this summer, and I also am convinced that members of the community […]

June 18, 2020

A Question for the CCP Community – Is it time to lose our spay/neuter mission?

Spending the weekend talking at the Online Kitten Conference about how to care for, nurture, spay/neuter, transport, and adopt out kittens really got me thinking about the role of spay/neuter in our animal welfare movement. Twenty-plus years ago, when I first started out with the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, […]

July 2, 2020

A 4th of July Tale

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 week, I’m starting with a tale from my decade at the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) in Salisbury, MA. Since the 4th […]

August 13, 2020

Recent Study Identifies Key Indicators in Building High-Impact Community Cat Programs

Today’s guest post comes to us from Anna Murrin of Metro Denver CAT. Cat homelessness and overpopulation are problems that face animal welfare groups and the communities they support across the country. Addressing such a widespread problem is daunting when the data is incomplete. Metro Denver CAT is a program created […]

August 20, 2020

Anyone Can Trap! How to Get Involved with Your Local TNR Program

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs can be a wonderful way to deal with community cat population issues. It is important that community/feral cats get spayed/neutered and vaccinated so that their colonies don’t grow exponentially. In […]

August 27, 2020

Reasons Not to Adopt?

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. Last week, while putting together the CCP e-news, I was struck by the video that we shared from the new group Companions and Animals […]

September 3, 2020

Transports for Shelters and Volunteers

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Dale’s volunteer name tag at Animal Friends Alliance (AFA) in Fort Collins, Colorado reads “Cat Chauffeur.” He is one of a dedicated group of volunteers that helps to transport animals to AFA from […]

September 10, 2020

The Ever-Changing World of Facebook Marketing: What You Need to Know

Today’s guest post comes to us from Emma Gabbert, Digital Content Specialist Intern at Whisker Media. When social media took off in the 2010s, businesses and nonprofits were excited to get their brand on social media platforms. It’s fair to say that at the time, no one could foresee the […]

September 17, 2020

Planning for Emergencies

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Photos are courtesy of Krista and of Isabel Betsill of Colorado. The sun today is red. The sky, an orangey-black. Ash is drifting down from the sky like snow. It’s so dark it […]

September 24, 2020

Caring for Your Feral Working Cat

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Employing a feral working cat at your barn, warehouse, vineyard, garden center, or workshop serves the dual purpose of controlling the rodent population and helping a feral cat find a safe place to […]

October 1, 2020

Programs for Pet Retention

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. This week I spoke to Anna, Community Pet Resource Manager at Animal Friends Alliance (AFA), a guaranteed adoption shelter in Colorado, about programs that support pet retention or shelter intake prevention. If you’ve […]

October 8, 2020

The Kansas Law that Keeps FeLV+ Cats from Being Adopted

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Kansas State Law 47-624 sounds pretty reasonable. Under the Kansas Statutes for Livestock and Domestic Animals, the law pertains to “any domestic animal affected with any contagious or infectious disease.” These animals are […]

October 15, 2020

Book Reviews

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. My Life in a Cat House by Gwen Cooper – Memoir Gwen Cooper, the author of Homer’s Odyssey, writes this time about all the cats she has shared her home with over the […]

October 23, 2020

A Powerful New Tool for Improving Return to Owner Rates

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. At the 2020 American Pets Alive! Conference, Gina Knepp (Michelson Found Animals) and Bobby Mann (Front Street Animal Shelter) gave a presentation about their Lost2Found program. The program features an automated text messaging […]

November 5, 2020

Cat Camp Goes Virtual

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Like most everything this year, Cat Camp pivoted to a virtual format. Due to COVID-19, Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp in New York City and San Diego had to be cancelled, but thanks to […]

November 12, 2020

International TNR Spotlight: Let’s Adopt Indonesia

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Great TNR work is being done all over the world! This week we’re traveling (virtually) to Indonesia to learn more about the organization Let’s Adopt Indonesia. Note: this interview with Let’s Adopt Indonesia […]

November 19, 2020

International TNR Spotlight: CopsCats Cyprus

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Great TNR work is being done to support community cats all over the world! This week we have an interview with CopsCats, an organization in Cyprus. CopsCats is a small group of volunteers […]

November 26, 2020

What Is It Like to Foster? 10 Experienced Foster Homes Weigh In

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Have you considered fostering cats, but aren’t sure about what it will be like? We’ve put together some advice and answers to common questions to help you decide if fostering is right for […]

December 1, 2020

Best of 2020 – Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project

“We know that this is the wrong thing to do to cats. No matter where you are, it’s the wrong thing.” Listen to Episode #380 now This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com, and KittySift. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Conrad, who founded The Paw Project in 1999, joins […]

December 3, 2020

Tips and Tricks for Taking Great Cat Photos

From How to Take Awesome Photos of Cats by Andrew Marttila (@iamthecatphotographer). If you read our recent Book Review post, I reviewed Marttila’s how-to guide on capturing our adorable felines. I’d like to do another post today outlining some of Marttila’s basic tips. Behavior to watch for Marttila starts off […]

December 16, 2020

(More) Cat Books for Kids

This week’s post comes to us from Liz Pease, CCP staff member and former Executive Director of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, who was featured on CCP Episode #51. Several years ago, I wrote a CCP blog post entitled Kids, Cats, and Books with my suggestions for kids’ books related […]

December 24, 2020

A Community Cat’s Christmas

Note: This blog post from Liz Pease originally ran in 2017. We are running it again this year (lightly edited) in honor of everyone out there putting their passion for cats into action each and every day. From everyone here at CCP, thank you—and Happy Holidays! I’ve heard a song […]

January 21, 2021

We Can Do Better Than Lethal Control of Outdoor Cat Populations

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. As cat lovers, we hate seeing stories about communities employing lethal removal techniques to combat feral cat populations. But it isn’t distressing only because we hate the idea of cats being hunted and […]

January 28, 2021

The Bluegrass Cat Project

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. This week I chatted with Dr. Sara Pizano, founder of Team Shelter USA, LLC, about her work with the Bluegrass Cat Project and the recent grant they received from the Joanie Bernard Foundation. […]

February 4, 2021

Feline Fix by Five

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Fix cats by five months? To those of you working in a shelter setting, this idea might not make a lot of sense, as you’re probably already spaying and neutering kittens by 8 weeks […]

February 12, 2021

Bird TV: A New Hobby for Your Cat (and You!)

Let’s face it: It’s been a long nine-plus months of social distancing and staying inside way more than we might normally have. In some ways, we’re learning what it’s like to be indoor cats—especially one who used to spend time outdoors. One great way to keep your cats—and yourself—entertained is […]

February 18, 2021

Center for Contemporary Sciences:
Working Toward an Alternative to Animal Testing

If you read our last book review post, you’ll remember one of my favorite books was Our Symphony with Animals by Aysha Akhtar. The book came out in 2019 and since then, Dr. Akhtar has been busy advocating for animals. She founded the Center for Contemporary Sciences, a foundation that […]

February 25, 2021

How to Get Girl Scouts More Involved with Animal Shelters—Whether You’re a Scout, a Troop Leader, or a Shelter

I’ve been involved in Girl Scouting since I was 9 years old and still participate as an adult. For girl members aged 5–18, Girl Scouts provides a great opportunity to discover passions and develop courage, confidence, and character. If the girls in your troop are passionate about animals, there are a […]

March 12, 2021

Crisis in Texas: American Pets Alive! Responds

Over Valentine’s Day weekend, the polar vortex brought freezing temperatures to locations across the United States. Texas was one of the hardest-hit areas, with cold temperatures bringing the state to a standstill and causing power outages across the state. Animal rescuers jumped into action and many animals were successfully transported […]

March 25, 2021

Book Reviews

Let’s Talk About Cats: Conversations on Feline Behaviour by Anita Kelsey By a behaviorist and groomer, this book is a combination of interviews, tips, and stories from Kelsey’s work. Though I read it straight through, it is broken down in such a way that you could just read the chapters […]

April 8, 2021

Animal Laws: What’s Going On Around the Country

As animal lovers, we all want our laws to protect animals, who don’t have the ability to advocate for themselves. But it can be very confusing to try to keep up with all the bills moving through city and state governments, as well as the national government. So we’ve prepared […]

April 22, 2021

Virginia TNR

In our last blog post, we touched on a few of the cat-related laws in the works around the country. One of those laws was SB 1390, a bill in Virginia that would clarify the rules and regulations around TNR so that localities around the state can better participate. This […]

May 6, 2021

The Impact of Shelter Cat Adoption in Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Though there is anecdotal evidence that bonds and interactions with animals can help autistic children, there isn’t much research on the subject. I recently watched an interesting lecture by Dr. Gretchen Carlisle, Research Scientist at the Research Center for Human Animal Interaction (ReCHAI), University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, […]

May 20, 2021

Common Kitty Behaviors and Meanings

This week’s guest blog comes to us from our friends at All About Cats. Their expert-written, expert-reviewed guides bring you the facts on cat products, behavior, health, and more. Their editorial team is made of dedicated cat lovers and experts, including over a dozen veterinarians, a cat behavior specialist, and […]

June 2, 2021

The Whole Kit and Caboodle: TNR of Kittens

This week’s guest post is authored by Nancy Peterson of The National Kitten Coalition. Best TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) practices involve trapping the entire colony of cats at the same time, although there are times when this is not possible. When there are kittens to be trapped, there are additional considerations. You will be […]

June 17, 2021

Yes, you can fundraise during a global pandemic! CCP’s Group 11 grantees showed us how.

Community Cats Podcast is excited to announce another successful round of grantgiving! We recently received final reports from our Group 11 participants. Together, these organizations fundraised more than $13,000. Community Cats Podcast issued more than $10,000 in grants, which led to over 500 community cats being spayed or neutered in […]

July 1, 2021

Adventure Cats

Thought going on adventures with your pet was reserved for dog owners? Think again! “Adventure cats” are becoming more prominent on social media and are accompanying their pet parents on all kinds of adventures, from hikes to kayaking trips. This week I spoke with Hannah LeBaron, who takes her cat […]

July 15, 2021

CCP Goes to the Movies

We reviewed the film Cat Rescuers a while ago on the blog. But what other cat movies are out there? We’ve put together this roundup of cat documentaries to watch with your furry companions. Paw Project If you haven’t yet seen the Paw Project documentary from 2013, we definitely recommend […]

July 30, 2021

Summer Reading with CCP

If you’re headed to the beach, relaxing in the yard, or reading on your lunch break, make sure to take along one of CCP’s summer reading list books to learn a little more about the kitties in our lives. Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries about Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to […]

December 3, 2018