News Archives - Page 3 of 4 - The Community Cats Podcast

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 […]

May 7, 2020

Small is Beautiful During COVID-19

“Small is Beautiful” is going to be my mantra for community cat programs and clinics this summer. As states begin to open up their restrictions on what businesses can and can’t do, we will need to be creative in adjusting to different working conditions. The most nimble organizations are going […]

May 14, 2020

COVID-19: The Impact on Pets in Chelsea, MA

As we all do, I wear many hats. In addition to heading up the Community Cats Podcast and all of our educational programs, I am also the program administrator for a small group in Chelsea, MA called HubCats Chelsea (HCC). This group started up about four years ago to do a […]

May 21, 2020

Caring for Kittens: 10 Tips

There’s no way around the fact that kittens are going to be a big part of our lives in the coming months. While we may not see the numbers in our shelters as the desire for foster care continues to rise, kittens will be out there in the community, and […]

May 28, 2020

Will the Great Kitten Explosion Happen?

Are you worried about the colonies that you take care of and about all of the kittens being born out in the community, especially when we don’t have access to the spay/neuter resources that we have normally have? While some parts of the United States are opening up, some 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, […]

June 25, 2020

10 Tips for Successful Feline Fundraising in the Time of COVID-19

Once the coronavirus hit, the stock market plummeted, and unemployment took off in the United States, our nonprofits started to shut down. Many organizations began to worry about their fundraising prospects for the year ahead. Some organizations chose to lay off or furlough employees, including their development staff, but some […]

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 […]

July 9, 2020

Webinar Review: How Gateway Pet Guardians Uses Community Programming During COVID-19

Today’s guest post comes to us from Emma Gabbert, Digital Content Specialist Intern at Whisker Media. Last month, Jamie Case and Janet Alderson from Gateway Pet Guardians (GPG) in East St. Louis, Illinois (just across the river from St. Louis, Missouri) hosted a webinar called Keeping Families Together: Pivoting Community Programming […]

July 16, 2020

What to Know about Feline Leukemia — and How to Learn More

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Feline Leukemia (FeLV) is the number one viral killer of cats. The virus weakens the immune system, leaving cats vulnerable to other diseases. Most diagnosed cats have an expected life span of three […]

July 23, 2020

Introducing Your New Kitten to the Family: Older Cats, Dogs, and Children

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. It’s kitten season and you may be thinking about bringing a new kitten into your family. Or maybe you stopped by the shelter for some entirely different purpose, or even “just to look”—and […]

July 30, 2020

Your Cat’s Path to Insta-stardom

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Your cat is the cutest cat there’s ever been. You know it. You want everyone to know it. Now it’s time to make your perfect cat an Instagram star. The internet is a […]

August 6, 2020

You Found a Stray Kitten in Your Yard. Now What?

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. The warmer weather ushers in kitten season, which can last a long time and put a lot of stress on your local shelters and rescues. Now you’ve found a stray kitten in your […]

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 […]

October 29, 2020

Announcing a New Collaboration!

We’re excited to announce a new collaboration between the Community Cats Podcast and the United Spay Alliance! The mission of the United Spay Alliance is “to make affordable, accessible, and timely spay/neuter services available nationwide.” They support this mission by engaging “with a national network of state and local spay/neuter […]

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 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 10, 2020

DIY Cat Toys

The holidays are coming up and your cat is no doubt wondering what you’ll be getting her. Whether your cat has been naughty or nice, we know you’ll want to spoil her anyway. And we have good news for you: There are plenty of easy, low-commitment, DIY cat toys that […]

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 […]

December 31, 2020

Home 4 the Holidays Adoption Campaign

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. Home 4 the Holidays is a campaign put on by the Helen Woodward Animal Center, along with their partner Blue Buffalo Pet Food. The campaign is a three-month adopt-a-thon that connects adopters looking […]

January 7, 2021

Socially Conscious Sheltering

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. I recently saw a presentation about socially conscious sheltering and socially conscious animal communities by Marissa Martino, Colorado Humane Society Community Liason at Dumb Friends League. I think the model presented by Marissa […]

January 14, 2021

The Scoop on Pet Food Expiration Dates

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast. You’ve found some pet food in your pantry that’s past its “best by” date. You don’t want to waste it, but you also don’t want to make your pet sick. What should you […]

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 […]

August 12, 2021

More on Animal Laws

Back in April, we posted a blog about animal legislation around the country and a few people reached out with news from other initiatives, which we’re covering here. Want to voice your support for one of these issues? Many organizations will create a template you can borrow to contact your […]

August 26, 2021

Evictions: Should We Be Worried about Pets?

There have been a lot of stories in the news lately about how we should be worried about the upcoming eviction situation that may be happening across the country. The fear is that we are going to be inundated with requests for help with pets as their owners are displaced. […]

September 9, 2021

Homeward Bound

A missing pet means anxiety, fear, sorrow, and uncertainty for owners. According to the most recent white paper findings from Shelter Animals Count, the return to owner rate for dogs in 2020 was 40.7%—but cats were a fraction of that, at only 5.1%. So what can we, as pet owners […]

September 23, 2021

Pet Loss: Finding the Road to Healing

The loss of a companion animal is devastating, whether you are prepared for the loss or it comes suddenly through disaster or accident. The bond that we share with the animals in our lives are similar to those shared with beloved family members. The grief experienced after such a loss […]

October 6, 2021

Fall means cool weather, warm drinks, and preparing cats for winter.

Original article contributed by Liz Pease | Update by Brianna Lovell Myers It’s that special time of year. The leaves are changing, the weather is turning, and pumpkin spice is in demand. As fall takes hold, I bet we’re all starting to think the same thing–time to winterize our feeding stations […]

October 21, 2021

Adapting to Survive: Using Surgeons to Train Per Diem Veterinarians

Original article by Kerry Bartoletti, Protectors of Animals & Connecticut Statewide Leader | USpA Published Oct 19, 2021 SPAY Connecticut and POA SPAY Spay/Neuter Clinic are both programs of Protectors of Animals, Inc. (POA). The mission of POA is to increase the quality of life of all dogs and cats in the communities we serve. This […]

November 4, 2021

Year-End Fundraising, Diversity and Community Cats Takeaways: A recap of Online Fundraising Day and Online Diversity Day

This year, the Community Cats Podcast team celebrated Global Cat Day (or National Feral Cat Day) by hosting back-to-back events filled with useful takeaways, tidbits, and fun: Online Fundraising Day (October 16) and Online Diversity Day (October 17). I will be honest–I was a bit nervous going into the weekend. […]

November 18, 2021

Holiday Tips from Way of Cats

Many thanks to Cat Advice Columnist and author, Pamela Merritt, for sharing this week’s blog post! Stacy interviewed Pamela in episode #259 of the podcast, available to listen here. Cats are now the most popular pet in the world. But the most joyous holiday season can be our cat’s worst […]

December 2, 2021

There’s plenty more where that came from! What’s in store for 2022.

Before I talk about what’s in store, I would like to ask our supporters to take a few minutes to answer this survey so we can make sure we have got your back in 2022. Share your thoughts and help make the Community Cats Podcast even better. I can’t believe […]

December 16, 2021

A Community Cats Grants Program Update: Group 13 Seized the Moment!

We are very proud to share that another group of organizations has successfully completed their fundraising in order to receive a matching grant from Community Cats Podcast! Finding new fundraisers can be a challenge. Fortunately, the Community Cats Grants Program provides resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help organizations brainstorm […]

December 30, 2021

It’s never too late to set goals. Here’s to 2022!

Happy New Year! Well, almost. I hope everyone has been able to take some time off to just rest and breathe a bit. As many of you know, I begin thinking about goals for the next year in early November. It is never too late to set goals. Back in […]

January 13, 2022

A Community Cats Grants Program Update: Group 12 Saved the Day

An elderly woman who regularly feeds 8 cats. A disabled resident with dozens of cats on their property. An abandoned warehouse, known as a site for abandonment, with more than 40 cats. Suburban homes. Urban apartment buildings. Mobile home parks. Crowded commercial areas. They are stories we all know so […]

January 27, 2022

The Language We Use Matters More Than You Think

Guest post by Danielle Bays, Senior Analyst for Cat Protection and Policy at the Humane Society of the United States World events over the past two years have rippled into animal welfare in many ways: pandemic pets and virtual adoptions, shortages of veterinarians and canned cat food, a focus on […]

February 10, 2022

10 Myths & Facts About Spaying & Neutering Your Cat

Written by Cristin Bates, Edited by Brianna Lovell Myers As a loving pet parent, you want your cat to have the best life possible. Spaying (a female cat) and neutering (a male cat) are procedures that prevent them from reproducing. Spay/neuter provides many benefits and makes life better for you […]

February 24, 2022

Staff Burnout, a Mobile Clinic for Rent, and The Veterinary Shortage

Written by Esther Mechler, President & Founder of United Spay Alliance Interested in hearing the latest about Staff Burnout? The impact of Covid-19 on spay/neuter clinics, or the need for collaboration in dealing with the backlog? How to run small-scale spay/neuter wet labs to train more vets in your area? […]

March 10, 2022

Litter Box Locations for Apartments and Small Spaces

By Rachel Geller, Ed.D. Certified Cat Behavior and Retention Specialist Like what you’re reading? Hear her speak! Join us for Dr. Geller’s session during Online Behavior Day on April 9. Learn more and register here. If you live in an apartment, small home, or other shared space, you already know […]

March 24, 2022

Four Ways to Set Your Cat Up for Litter Box Success

By: Tabitha Kucera RVT, CCBC, KPA-CTP, Owner of Chirrups & Chatter Like what you’re reading? Hear her speak! Join us for Tabitha’s session during Online Behavior Day on April 9. Learn more and register here. Cats going to the bathroom outside of their litter boxes is a common complaint among […]

April 7, 2022

Why does my friendly cat suddenly attack?!

By Allison Hunter-Frederick, Cat Behavior Consultant, Trainer, & Educator at Allison Helps Cats Like what you’re reading? Catch Allison’s interview with Stacy on Episode #427 of the podcast here. Survey responses are needed! If you’ve ever experienced non-recognition aggression as discussed in this blog post, Allison would like to […]

April 21, 2022

Ideas for Celebrating Earth Day with your Cat

By Rachel Geller, Ed.D. Certified Cat Behavior & Retention Specialist Earth Day is April 22, so let’s look at ways we can celebrate by going green with your cat! First of all, recycle everything that you can. If you feed your cat canned food, buy the biggest cans. It’s more […]

May 5, 2022

CCP Goes to HSUS Animal Care Expo

Last month, Community Cats Podcast’s own Technical Tabby, Kristen, packed up her car and made her way from Massachusetts to Florida, bound for the 2022 HSUS Animal Care Expo. Here’s what she had to say about her experience: After two years of virtual gatherings, it was refreshing to see the […]

May 19, 2022

Feline Sterilization at 5 Months Accepted as New Normal

Written by Philip A. Bushby, DVM, MS, DACVS | Previously published on March 3, 2022, by DVM360.com Foreword & Afterword by Esther Mechler, President, and Founder of Marian’s Dream and United Spay Alliance Foreword For decades, shelters were overrun by enormous numbers of unplanned, unwanted litters of kittens. The phenomenon even […]

June 2, 2022

You’ve Come a Long Way, Kitten!

Contributed by: The National Kitten Coalition Get your kitten-fix during the Online Kitten Conference, June 10-12! Proudly presented in partnership with The National Kitten Coalition. Learn more and register here. For all of you in animal welfare, especially those caring for kittens, THANK YOU! Despite the seemingly never-ending line of […]

June 16, 2022

Computers Are Good For More Than Cat Memes

Contributed by Valerie Benka, Director of Programs at Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs (ACC&D) Computers, specifically computer modeling, can save the lives of free-roaming cats (FRCs). Despite the increasing popularity of TNR, there are still limited real-world data on what makes a TNR project most successful in terms […]

June 30, 2022

Cats and Fireworks

Contributed by Rachel Geller, Ed.D. Certified Cat Behavior and Retention Specialist Cats find fireworks, with their loud noises and bright lights, stressful. Fireworks loudly go off at irregular intervals, and your cat has no way of knowing when the next loud bang will happen or how long the noise will […]

July 14, 2022

A Shift in Sheltering? FeLV Vaccines and Adoption

Contributed by Devon Smith, Executive Director, League for Animal Welfare, and panelist for Real World FeLV Success during Online Feline Leukemia Day, this Saturday, July 16, 2022 Want more FeLV content? Register for Online Feline Leukemia Day on July 16. You’ll hear from Devon and so many others who are […]

July 28, 2022

What To Do If You Find Kittens

Contributed by Cristin Bates Have you ever come across stray kittens outside and wondered what you should do? You might be surprised to learn that leaving them where they are is oftentimes the most helpful thing you can do. From birth to eight weeks, mother cats provide their kittens with […]

August 11, 2022

How to Make Your Cat a Better Traveling Companion

Contributed by Aaron Smith When people travel often and want a pet to keep them company, they usually turn to a canine companion. But dogs need a lot of attention and can’t be left alone for long periods. Cats, on the other hand, can be quite independent when they are […]

August 25, 2022

Mass Trapping Success: Here’s What You Need to Know

Contributed by Dawn Benefiel, Executive Director of Indy Neighborhood Cats When a colony exceeds 20 cats, setting up your project can be a challenge. We know that in order to make a dent in a large unaltered colony, we need over 90% of the cats to be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, ear […]

September 8, 2022

Six Tips on How to Prevent Your Cat From Getting Pregnant!

This is a blog post that I honestly thought I would never write, but here we are. We are living through an unprecedented period where I am frequently hearing statements like: In terms of access to affordable spay/neuter resources in a timely manner, we are set back 20 years! Families […]

September 22, 2022

How to Winterize Those Feral Cat Shelters

This week, we are taking a look at past blog posts that will give you all the tips and information you need to refresh and ready your cat colonies for winter weather: Prepare for Winter and Prep Community Cat Shelters (2016) Time to Think About Winterizing Feral Cat Shelters (2017) […]

October 6, 2022

9 Steps to Ethical Storytelling

Contributed by Caitlin Quinn, Director of Operations at HeARTs Speak Has anyone outside of the field of animal welfare ever said to you, “I could never do what you do, I care about animals too much.” That sentiment seems to reflect the frequent assumption that our work is primarily about […]

October 20, 2022

Feral to Friendly: Tips for Socializing Shy Kittens and Cats

Contributed by Allison Hunter-Frederick, Cat Behavior Consultant, Trainer, & Educator at Allison Helps Cats If you foster cats, you may be asked to socialize feral kittens. My husband and I first faced this challenge in 2020. I’ve also worked with fearful cats of all ages at our local shelter for […]

November 3, 2022

Keeping a Cat Safe and Warm Inside

Contributed by Dr. Rachel Geller, Certified Cat Behavior & Retention Specialist As summer turns to fall and then winter, we humans can throw on a sweater or a blanket to stay warm. We may wear layers to save money if we have drafty windows or we don’t want to put […]

November 17, 2022

What I’ve Learned About FIP: Question’s Legacy

Contributed by Andrea Dorn, CVT, Vice President of Cat Writers’ Association You may have heard of a disease referred to as FIP. It usually brings up fear in cat owners’ hearts and thoughts of losing their cats. Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is the mutated form of a coronavirus. When a […]

December 1, 2022

Dealing with Neighbors Who Don’t Like Cats

Contributed by Sheila Massey, Founder of Hard Hat Cats What do you do when a neighbor says, “I hate cats!” or, “the cats are killing the birds,” or, “just get rid of the cats!” Do you try to convince them to like cats? Do you argue and say the cats […]

December 15, 2022

A Sneak Peek at 2023

Contributed by Stacy LeBaron, Head Cat at Community Cats Podcast The Community Cats Podcast has had an incredible year, and I want to thank everyone for joining us and turning your passion for cats into action. I can’t wait to finalize our programs for 2023. Much of our theme this […]

December 29, 2022

Best of The Community Cats Podcast 2022

Contributed by Stacy LeBaron, Head Cat at Community Cats Podcast Wow, what a year it has been. When asked to share my highlights for the last year, I just didn’t know where to begin. During 2022 many of us returned to work and in-person events. The Community Cats Podcast started […]

January 12, 2023

Ten Ways to Care for Community Cats

Contributed by Stacy LeBaron, Head Cat at Community Cats Podcast At the Community Cats Podcast this year we are going to focus on giving you (both organizations and individuals) actionable tips and tricks to ensure that you have the tools necessary to help any cats in need in your community. Below […]

February 9, 2023

Six Months is Too Late – Fix Before Five!

Contributed by United Spay Alliance. Special thanks to Brettt Albren for sharing his story with us! February is Feline Fix by Five month! All month long, we’re asking everyone we know to get those kittens fixed before five months. You can help! Find simple ways to get involved on our […]

March 9, 2023

It all started with Adam and Eve: Going back to basics

Contributed by Head Cat, Stacy LeBaron. Last week, I presented Strategies to Reduce Cat Overpopulation as a free webinar to Community Cats Podcast listeners. I received quite a few comments after the session that reminded me how important it is that we all focus on fundamental basics. If we strive […]

March 27, 2023

Bringing Home a New Kitten: What You Need to Know to Make Your Baby Cat Feel Safe, Happy, and Comfortable in Their New Home

Contributed by Allison Hunter-Frederick, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant & Trainer Are you thinking about adopting a new kitten? My husband and I have raised a kitten of our own and fostered almost 40. This article will cover the basics of how to prepare your home for a new kitten and how […]

April 27, 2023

The Community Cat Pyramid and Kitten Season-Strategy

Without fail I approach spring and summer with trepidation. I will be honest and ever since I became involved in animal welfare, “kitten season” was never a time of the year I looked forward to. February has become my favorite month. Unfortunately, we do have “kitten season”. Some parts of […]

May 26, 2023

Remove Barriers to TNVR: Create a Community Cat Guide for Your State!

Contributed by Cheri Storms, Executive Director of Pet Friendly Services of Indiana Elected officials are tasked with making a multitude of decisions, many that they’d never contemplated. When it comes to Community Cat programs, most elected officials are unfamiliar with the topic and don’t understand the solutions. Instead, they are […]

June 27, 2023

Low-Cost Enrichment Ideas to Keep Your Cats Healthy & Happy

Contributed by Allison Hunter-Frederick, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and Trainer, Allison Helps Cats Thinking of new ways to enrich the lives of our cats is a fun part of being a cat owner. Enrichment is also good for our cats. It provides them with opportunities to express species-appropriate behavior, which […]

July 27, 2023

A Feline Forward Business Model: The Community Cat Clinic in Woodstock, GA

Story submitted by Kristen Petrie, Tech Tabby, The Community Cats Podcast. When it comes to caring for our feline friends, the Community Cat Clinic in Woodstock, GA, stands out as a beacon of hope and compassion. This unique veterinary clinic has begun to make waves in the community for its […]

April 30, 2020

Bringing Home a New Kitten: What You Need to Know to Make Your Baby Cat Feel Safe, Happy, and Comfortable in Their New Home

April 27, 2023