training Archives - The Community Cats Podcast

July 9, 2016

Interview! Rachel Geller, Vice President, Ellen M. Gifford Shelter for Homeless Cats, Brighton MA

“If we can keep a cat that has a solvable, fixable behavior problem in its home, it’s better for the cat and for the owner.” Volunteering at the Gifford Shelter, and helping socialize fearful, shy and semi-feral cats launched Rachel into her role today as a certified cat behaviorist. She describes […]

August 30, 2016

Interview! Angela Walters Rockwell, Executive Director of the Animal Shelter Assistance Program (ASAP), Santa Barbara, California

“For community cats, it takes a community. There’s always something you can do.” Angela shares fascinating information about ASAP’s innovative programs, particularly their recognized “Tiny Lion Tamers” initiative that socializes feral kittens within the shelter environment. So far, this program has 125 “graduates” and has made a significant difference in […]

January 31, 2017

Interview! Myles Chadwick, Vice President of the New School at Emancipet

“In order to reach people who haven’t been [reached] before, we have to do a lot of listening, not just a lot of telling.” What do line cooks and high-volume spay-neuter vets have in common? Coming to the animal welfare world from a background in restaurants and cooking, Myles didn’t know the first […]

March 18, 2017

Interview! Lauren Burbridge, Coordinator, Massachusetts Animal Fund

“If every taxpayer in MA payed just one dollar… we could help over 40,000 cats and dogs every year.” Lauren Burbridge has figured out how to help people and animals at the same time: she is a licensed social worker who started the Massachusetts Animal Fund, an organization that seeks to develop […]

March 21, 2017

Interview! Part One – Heather Cammisa, CEO and Tara Sannucci, Pet Retention Coordinator, St. Hubert’s

“A database is only as good as it’s maintained.” In part one of this two-part episode, Stacy talks to Heather Cammisa and Tara Sannucci, the president of St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center and director of the Pet Retention Program, respectively. Tara and Heather detail the plethora of programs that St. […]

March 23, 2017

Interview! Part Two – Heather Cammisa, CEO and Tara Sannucci, Pet Retention Coordinator, St. Hubert’s

“It’s senseless to put out all this advice if you have someone who’s not willing or able to do it all.” In part two of this two-part episode, Tara dives into details while Heather gives us the big picture. Tara has a lot of responsibilities around St. Huberts, which include handling […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

May 5, 2020

Arden Moore, Pet Health and Safety Coach

“I think it’s kind of a good time to be a cat.” Listen to Episode #350 Now The multi-talented Arden Moore joins Stacy in this episode to discuss all things C-A-T. Arden is a radio show host, author, professional speaker, editor, media consultant, dog/cat behavior consultant, and a master […]

May 19, 2020

Lora O’Connor, The National Kitten Coalition

“I was very excited to be given an opportunity to … really focus solely on cats.” Listen to Episode #352 Now Stacy sits down with Lora O’Connor, Executive Director of The National Kitten Coalition (NKC), in this episode to talk about the organization, and about its partnership with Community […]

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 […]

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 […]

February 23, 2021

Steve Appelbaum, Creator of Animal Behavior College

“Anybody that’s had cats recognizes that they’re highly intelligent and absolutely capable of learning.” Listen to Episode #392 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Tamadori and Doobert.com. Steve Appelbaum has more than 40 years of dog training and pet industry experience. He is the creator of Animal Behavior […]

July 27, 2021

Christi Metropole, Founder of Stray Cat Alliance

“It was a struggle for getting [cats] a voice.” Listen to Episode #414 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Smalls Fresh Cat Food and Doobert.com. Christi Metropole, founder of the Stray Cat Alliance shares with Stacy how she got started with TNR in the 90s and how trapping […]

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 16, 2021

Emily Hall, Founder & Owner of kittycatgo.com

“I love seeing the posts and the entries to the [Adventure] Challenge of people who are just starting. They share about how they accomplished taking their cat outside in the backyard for the very first time and it’s so exciting to see that.” Listen to Episode #430 Now This […]

March 22, 2022

Fixing Programs and Cats with Jonathan Howe, Public Defender and New York’s 14th Congressional District Candidate

“Seeing the way that people make this [TNR] their priority, make doing something good for their community a priority, was really inspiring.” Listen to Episode #448 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Buzz to the Rescues, and Maddie’s Fund. Stacy speaks to Jonathan Howe, who is a […]

March 29, 2022

Discussing Feline Behavior with the CCP Behavior Day Dream Team

“We’ve advanced so much in terms of understanding cat behavior but yet, we still have so far to go. We need more days like this.” Listen to Episode #449 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Buzz to the Rescues, and Maddie’s Fund. In this episode, Stacy interviews […]

April 5, 2022

Lost and Found Pets with Kat Albrecht-Thiessen, Pet Detective and Founder/Director of The Missing Animal Response Network

“It’s important for TNR groups who trap cats to realize the same “feral” behavior you see in [true] ferals, may be a sign of a scared cat and not necessarily a feral cat.” Listen to Episode #450 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Buzz to the Rescues, […]

April 19, 2022

Extra Credit with Carla Betlem, Instructor and Senior Staff Specialist at Rochester Institute of Technology & Founder of the Student Club Caring Hearts for RIT Cats

“If people know what you’re doing, they will come out of the woodwork. If the commitment’s there and you really want to do it, it’s definitely possible.” Listen to Episode #452 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Telecom Consultants, Buzz to the Rescues, and Maddie’s Fund. Stacy speaks with […]

July 5, 2022

Pump Up the Volume with Dr. June Long, Happy Pets Housecall

“These techniques are successful because they focus on what’s essential in the procedure . . . and [this] allows the surgeon to work more effortlessly and therefore more efficiently.” Listen to Episode #463 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Humane Network, Doobert, and Maddie’s Fund. Stacy chats with […]

July 12, 2022

Just Give TNR a Try with Joe Federico, Co-Founder & Director of Stray Paws Animal Haven

“We’re trying . . . [to] demonstrate that this can be done, done effectively with great results, and . . . exemplify this to every town, because my ultimate belief is that there should be TNR in every town.” Listen to Episode #464 Now This episode is sponsored in […]

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 30, 2022

Emotional Support Animals with Daniel Maigler, LCSW, Mental Health Advisor for Paws for Patrick

“[Pets] are empathy machines, and they can sense how we’re doing without us having to say anything. Often our pets will know how we’re doing before we do, and they’ll connect in that way.” Listen to Episode #471 Now This episode is sponsored in part by CARE, Doobert, and Maddie’s […]

September 13, 2022

Romance, Suspense, and Trapping with Angela Campbell, Best-Selling Author, The Psychic Detective

“It’s very important to try to be diplomatic and to try to understand their point of view. . . . You have to be understanding.” Listen to Episode #473 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Dr. Pussum’s Cat Nip, Doobert, and Maddie’s Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats […]

September 27, 2022

Reducing Cats’ Distress with Mikkel Becker, Leader Trainer for Fear Free Pets and Fear Free Happy Homes

“Fear free is all about educating people to understand their cat’s emotional needs, which are deep and complex.” Listen to Episode #475 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie’s Fund. In this episode, Stacy speaks with Mikkel Becker, a certified trainer and behavior consultant, […]

December 20, 2022

Training Tomorrow’s Trappers with Bryan Kortis, Programs Director at Neighborhood Cats

“There’s still a disconnect between the grassroots groups (that are primarily doing trap-neuter-return) and the larger shelters (that are involved in return-to-field) and we need to get to a point where those two parts of the system are working together.” Listen to Episode #487 Now This episode is sponsored […]

January 17, 2023

Working Cats with Molly DeVoss, Founder of Cat Behavior Solutions

“Because they’re so territorial, it’s hard to introduce a new cat regardless of where they came from into a new cat household.” Listen to Episode #491 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Doobert.com and Maddie’s Fund. In this special episode, Stacy chats and co-hosts with Molly DeVoss, […]

October 10, 2023

Cat Pawsitive 360 with Jackson Galaxy, Star of Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell and Founder of The Jackson Galaxy Project, and Steve Kaufman, Vice President of Operations for the GOODS Program at Greater Good Charities

“It’s just the willingness to go where it takes you. And it will always take you somewhere.” Listen to Episode #529 Now This episode is sponsored in part by Urban Cat League, Doobert.com, and Maddie’s Fund. In this special episode, the Cat Daddy himself, Jackson Galaxy, returns to the […]

November 21, 2023

Oops! We Need to Fix the Veterinary Shortage with Amy Newfield, MS, CVT, VTS (ECC), Owner of Veterinary Team Training

“We’ve got to use veterinary technicians. And here’s what happens – I feel so good getting to help a pet owner and increase that pet owner-animal bond, and my veterinarian can go do doctor things! If you utilize your technicians more, you get to be a doctor more.” Listen to […]