LetsChatAboutCatsPodcast

In this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with the one and only Gardner Jeff who you will all know as being the wonderful carer of The Chunks.

The Chunks are famous on the internet and have been made so since Gardner Jeff realised they were helping themselves to his organic crops that he was growing on his land. Gardening has always been a passion of Jeff's and it was important for him to continue the family tradition of growing organic fruits and vegetables but when this happened he wanted to know who the culprits were.

The help from a video camera quickly revealed the cheeky chunks who are groundhogs but also allowed Jeff to capture incredible footage which he now has a whole raft of and spends lots of time editing and adding music to tell the story of their daily antics and preferences at their sweet picnic table.

Gardner Jeff is a wonderful advocate for wildlife and very vocal about how humans and wildlife can live together harmoniously.

He shares his story and more of an insight into The Chunks and Friends and also about his upcoming book which has an important message for the world!

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Fiona X

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I adore the opportunity to chat to and share the wonderful work being done by young people and in this episode I was so lucky to chat to Elena from Nashville Kitties.

Elena is only 17 years old and she is flying the flag high for the next generation of cat rescuers and fosters. For the past 2 years Elena has with the help and support of her family opened up her home to many fosters and given them a wonderful chance of a great life far removed from the streets where many of them were found.

Elena shares her story of how she started fostering, how easy it is to start and some tips on how to make your home foster friendly. With a little encouragement she believes anyone can try and maybe they just might like it.  She filled me in on what it is like living in Nashville for her and many street cats.

Saving so many little ones has been an experience for Elena and she shares the up's and down's of letting the little ones go even if you have fallen in love with them. Understanding that letting go will free up a space for another one to have a home is crucial but hard none the less.

Elena is mature beyond her young years and in my opinion a complete breath of fresh air, doing what she does is out of nothing but love and kindness and really gives hope for the next and future generation that people can care and will do good in the world.

Please enjoy listening to this episode and go check out her Instagram page to follow her adventures with her kittens and just give her some support and thanks for what she is doing! Elena 🏼 (@nashville_kitties) • Instagram photos and videos

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Fiona X

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I had the honour of speaking to Megan in this episode and you may know her as mom to Pebbles the blind cat! 

Pebbles is a sweet little angel and has the most wonderful personality. She was found in a bad way along with her siblings after being dumped, sadly a too often occurrence where Megan lives. 

Luckily Megan who is a vet technician came across Pebbles in time at the clinic where she worked and prevented her from being euthanised as it was felt she could not recover from her problems and that it would also be expensive.

Thankfully Pebbles was spared and despite her problems which caused her to be blind she thrived in a loving home and has never looked back! She enjoyed a full life even going on harness walks and dressing up in numerous costumes.

Megan also shared with me the struggle and journey of her other cat who is an FIP survivor. You will learn a lot about this disease and treatment as well as hearing all about Pebbles and her early days to now.

Please follow this sweet girl on Facebook Pebbles the Blind Cat | Facebook also Instagram Pebbles the Cat (@pebbles_the_blind_cat) • Instagram photos and videos and she even has her own website Pebbles the Blind Cat - Discovering the World Through Different Eyes (pebblesthecat.com) please do give her some love.

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Fiona X

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In this episode of the podcast I welcomed Jessica to the show and she is the mom of the wonderful Draven the therapy cat! I have personally followed Draven for such a long time even before launching the podcast so it was an honour to have his mom on the show.

Draven just turned 10 years old in May this year and had a fantastic time celebrating. He deserved to do so because Draven is all about selflessness and kindness as he works hard as a certified therapy cat to give comfort and love to those who need it most.

Since he was young he showed through his laid back temperament that he was so suited to this role and has not looked back since. Jessica explains all about what a therapy cat is, what it involves and how your cat can become one.

She shares some stories about Draven's many visit to care facilities, rehabilitation centres and how together they fund raise to give back to the community in so many different ways.

Jessica herself fosters on a regular basis and does all she can to give a good life to baby bottle kittens and hopes that with her round the clock care they can look forward to as good a life as Draven.

Draven is special, that is easy to see but he is also beautiful and everyone should have a Draven in their life, especially if you are in hospital or feeling under the weather. This big boy would bring you lots of comfort and joy, just don't forget the treats!

Find out more about Draven and follow him here on his amazing Facebook page Draven the Therapy Cat (facebook.com) and perhaps spend some time reading this lovely article too Meet Draven the Therapy Cat | Hill's Pet (hillspet.com) and you can find out more about Love on a Leash which is the non profit that Draven is signed to for his certification Love On A Leash® – Volunteer pet therapy certification

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Fiona X

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The future for many cats is bright because of the 2 wonderful ladies I had the pleasure of chatting to in this episode of the podcast.

Alysa and Danielle had been involved in rescue work for much of their lives and chance brought them together through a mutual friend and so a friendship and mission to help save cats began! Setting up their non profit was a daunting experience and one neither of them had faced before but here they are 2 years later and still going strong.

Based in Pitsburg the ladies explained how feral cats and stray cats is an every day issue and people often just do not see what is right in front of them. Many of these cats are also friendly and have either been dumped, are lost or their owners moved away. They long for a home of their own to thrive in and often even when at capacity its hard to say no.

What can you do when you know a cat is friendly and adoptable and you have no space, you have to try and do something and this is something that Trash Cat Rescue face all the time. It is heart-breaking but also heart-warming when things work out for the best and they see a cat go off to their forever home to become someone's treasure.

The slogan for this incredible organisation is "Making one persons garbage kitten another persons forever cat" and that is what they do best!

Please check their work  on their website : Trash Cat Rescue – Making one person's garbage kitten another's forever cat.

Instagram : Trash Cat Rescue (@trashcatrescue) • Instagram photos and videos

Facebook : (1) Trash Cat Rescue | Facebook

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Fiona X

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Those who have listened to my podcast for sometime will know that Chris Roy was a previous guest. He has come back once again to update everyone on a new and exciting launch which by the time this episode is aired will have been live for 5 days!

The new project that Chris has been working on for sometime is the wonderful Doobert Store. Now many of you may wonder why this is so exciting but this is not just any store and is one with a difference!

The Doobert Store will allow you as consumers to purchase pet food and supplies online with the click of a button, just as you would do with your regular shopping on stores such as Chewy or Amazon however Doobert as they always do are helping animals and so with each purchase a whole 5% will be paid to a nominated shelter, rescue organisation.

You can purchase the same goods as you normally do but by choosing to use Doobert an organisation of your choice will benefit. All that organisation has to do is sign up to Doobert and that is completely free to do and once they are registered the money will surely start rolling in!

Organisations who purchase their own food supplies through Doobert can even nominate themselves as the beneficiary of the 5% and so would receive monies back for buying their regular food or supplies. For anyone with pets they will know that they can easily spend a lot each month and so it makes it even better knowing  that whatever amount you spend is being paid forward to help animals in need.

Chris as always explains in detail how it works and it really is so simple! Rescues should enrol on the site and tell all of their supporters about it because all those $5 donations would and can amount to a lot over time.

Check out the store at Doobert and see the products on offer and start shopping! Check if any of the shelters you support are listed and if not ask them why not! 

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Fiona X

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In this episode I had an early rise to chat with the lovely Sayla one of the founders of Cat Adoption Foundation in Australia. 

This is a special rescue who rescue, rehome and rehabilitate cats and kittens in needs. Their mission is to create a No-Kill Australia with the help and support of pet owners and the public. Rehoming is not always the best solution for people and often they need a helping hand to enable them to keep their beloved animals. This is an issue particularly when it comes to changes in laws or when landlords impose bans on renters having pets.

The organisation is run by an all volunteer team who all have different skill-sets and bring their own something special to the table, making them all rounded and able to work diligently together focusing on the areas they are best suited to.

Their mission statement is "Fostering A No Kill Nation" which is a play on words as Sayla explains but really the words say it all as we know fostering saves lives!

I hope you will enjoy hearing all about the incredible work this organisation does day to day and how they really make a difference.

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Fiona X

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There are some people who are put on this earth to make a difference and Esmerelda is one of these people. I call them Angels without wings!

Esmerelda is on Instagram as The TNR Girl but she does so much more! Of course TNR is vital as the humane way of dealing with cat overpopulation but Esmerelda goes beyond the normal call of duty. 

Esmerelda uses her voice to speak out about the injustices animals face each and every day and is constantly working to try and create change for the better. Even her career path is shaped so that she will devote her life to helping animals in any way she can.

In local communities Esmerelda supports caretakers of colonies by finding ways to continue being their lifeline when it comes to food packages and medical care. She does not just help a colony then leave them, she understands that the issues often run deeper and assistance and support is much more than providing TNR.

During the "Crazy Cat Lady" movie Esmerelda was documented and the viewer can follow her day to day life and see first hand many of the issues that she and others who do the same work face. After having to battle the aftermath of the LA injunction it has been left for people like Esmerelda to try and fire fight the damage that has been caused.

You can hear Esmerelda share her story of how she started trapping and helping and what drives her every day and learn more about this injunction and what has or has not been accomplished since its removal.

It was so heart-warming to speak to Esmerelda and by doing so it confirmed only what I already knew, that Esmerelda is a voice for the voiceless, with a pure and true heart. Beautiful inside and out, I wish there were more Esmerelda's in the world and I personally am proud and grateful for her contribution to animals in her community.

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Fiona X

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In this episode of the podcast I had the pleasure of chatting with Garrett Clancy who is the director of the new Docu-Movie "Crazy Cat Lady". The film is now released and streaming on many platforms including Amazon Prime so you may have already seen it.

The movie is really important for those who care about cats to understand the many issues faced in everyday life as it follows the struggles of cat overpopulation within Los Angeles however could apply to so many areas where there is a need for TNR and rescue to help keep the cat population down.

The problem in Los Angeles has become worse over the years since an injunction was put in place which restricted any form of government funding being spent on spaying, neutering or any form of population control. The problem then became one for the people of L.A who had to find ways to try and solve this themselves. 

It has been compared to emptying the ocean with a teaspoon as we all know how prolifically cats breed and with this comes endless suffering which is unnecessary and cruel. There is no easy fix and ultimately the years of overbreeding has caused an explosion of cats being born into harsh conditions and this problem is not one which will go away overnight.

Garrett follows several different people who are involved with cat rescue, TNR, veterinary care and who deeply care for these neglected cats. Each person involved in the movie is different to the other, come from different backgrounds and have various reasons why they do what they do. They all completely crush the notion of the "Crazy Cat Lady" which is why it is such a perfect title for this gem!

You will see in great detail what their work involves being on the front line and the challenges they face for Garrett has been able to showcase to the viewer wonderful stories which weave together perfectly through the movie and you cannot help but warm to each character for different reasons. 

This movie is important not only for animal rights but to also understand the political movements which many may support but not realise they are detrimental for many reasons. Injunctions like this one are not helpful or beneficial to anyone and cause only suffering and pain, not only for the cats who are the innocent victims, but to the ones who care enough to try and do something and by doing so witness what they do whilst doing so. 

Please watch this movie and please consider helping cats in your local communities after doing so in any way you can because they all need help and this movie shows this very clearly and although this is L.A focused it is a worldwide issue and this movie flies the flag for this serious and complex problem on a global scale. I know you will enjoy this creative yet raw piece of work.

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Fiona X

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In this episode of the podcast I had the pleasure of chatting to two wonderful and inspiring ladies Linda and Samie from TNR North Platte in Nebraska!

They are really wonderful ladies and have achieved so much for the feral cat community in their local area. Starting in 2014 Linda (the founder) worked alone, one cat at a time if you like and she did an amazing job in fixing colonies of cats - one of which she talks about here and how much of an impact her contribution to them has made through TNR!

Fast forward and Samie was looking for something to fill a little void in her life and do something meaningful for herself as well as others and so she came on board and handles the social media side of everything for this incredible non-profit as well as being hands on when required, trapping and organising TNR with Linda.

TNR is at the forefront of what this wonderful organisation does but there are instances where foster is also key and with a small team working in the background it is often possible and with this comes the opportunity to give so much more to these cats who at that time have no name, are not cared for and yet they have a chance to suddenly have a name, a family of their own and live a best life! Getting these adoptable kittens socialised and off the streets with this chance of a great life TNR North Platte really do everything possible to create these opportunities and chances.

The ladies are humble, kind, compassionate and you can tell that they love everything they do with their whole being. Their local community should be so proud of them and thankful... yes ......thankful for what they do and how they do it! If more people stepped up in small communities up like this pair do then these poor innocent cats would live a better life with more opportunities for a good life off the streets, Yet these powerful women are doing it by themselves and their small team so it shows exactly what can be achieved it people just take a chance and try! 

Please consider following their work, supporting them too if you can here on their Instagram and Facebook page : 

(1) Trap Neuter Return - TNR - North Platte, Nebraska | Facebook

TNR North Platte 🐱 Nebraska (@trapneuterreturnrepeat) • Instagram photos and videos

They would be so grateful and appreciate you so much! The cats would too.

Thanks for listening!
Fiona X

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