“Vaccinating community cats creates a barrier to disease between wildlife, domestic animals, and people.”

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund.

In this special webinar replay edition of the Community Cats Podcast, Brianna Lovell Myers of United Spay Alliance is joined by Dr. Bob Weedon, a leading expert in high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter and public health. Together, they delve into the synergistic relationship between trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) and public health initiatives.

Dr. Weedon shares compelling data illustrating how TNVR not only reduces shelter intake and euthanasia rates but also fortifies community immunity against rabies. He challenges anti-TNVR narratives using scientific evidence, such as the minimal risk of rabies transmission from cats and the misunderstood lifecycle of toxoplasmosis. A major highlight includes a recent pilot study proving the effectiveness of rabies vaccines in kittens under 12 weeks — a potential game-changer for field operations.

This conversation is more than an academic discussion; it's a rallying cry for more integrated, humane, and scientifically-backed approaches to community cat care. Whether you're a vet, policymaker, or colony caretaker, you'll walk away with actionable insights and renewed motivation to champion TNVR.

Press Play Now For:

• The public health benefits of including vaccination in TNVR programs
• A breakdown of the latest research on rabies in community cats
• The truth behind toxoplasmosis transmission and how TNVR helps
• Insights on the effectiveness of rabies vaccines in kittens under 12 weeks
• A glimpse into future innovations: non-surgical sterilization methods
• How to position TNVR programs to gain support from public health officials

Resources & Links:

• Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACC&D) - https://www.acc-d.org/
• “Cat Wars” by Peter Marra (mentioned critically)
• CDC Rabies Information - https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html

Sponsor Links:

• Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies615)

Follow & Review

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-community-cats-podcast/id1125752101?mt=2). Select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then share a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.