"The cats are a vehicle for us to all get our act together and take responsibility for every part of the community."

This episode is sponsored in part by Meow Cat Lounge, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In this special episode, Mike Phillips of UrbanCatLeague.org sits down to interview Stacy and take a closer look at Stacy's work with Community Cats and her goal of showcasing positive influencers in the feline community. Stacy's diverse background, including achievements in sports and urban planning, emphasizes her creative problem-solving, influenced by her father's entrepreneurial spirit. As the founder of the Community Cats Podcast, Stacy is working to turn cat passion into action.

The conversation explores Stacy's podcast legacy and her commitment to helping organizations establish effective Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs. They emphasize responsiveness and the podcast's role in disseminating insightful discussions. They stress the importance of responsiveness and the podcast's role in disseminating insightful discussions to a broader audience.

Mike and Stacy stress the critical need to address cat overpopulation and spaying/neutering accessibility challenges. They highlight the positive impact of TNR programs, emphasizing collaboration for effective community cat solutions. The conversation concludes by underlining the Community Cats podcast's positive influence and Stacy's pitch for addressing feral cat issues through affordable spay-neuter services and strategic community support programs.

You can learn more about Mike and Urban Cat League on their website and don't miss his phenomenal tutorial focused on socializing feral cats and kittens on the Urban Cat League YouTube channel. (We subscribe to their channel - you might want to too!)

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Stacy's previous interview with Mike Philips on episode #71. Give it a listen!

“Anybody could sit down and get quiet for a moment…then just get a sense. Like, is my household stressful? Is my cat living her best life? What have we got going on here that I could do that could make it easier for the cat?”

This episode is sponsored in part by Meow Cat Lounge, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacey chats with Joan Ronquette, a seasoned animal communicator. With over 30 years of experience, Joan emphasizes the importance of addressing animals' emotional well-being, focusing on anxiety.

Joan is an expert in using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping to alleviate animal anxiety. The conversation covers proactive anxiety management, the responsibilities of guardianship, and challenges in enriching indoor environments for cats.

Joan introduces her latest book on EFT for animals, detailing its content and its role in achieving lasting emotional release. The focus remains on fostering a deeper connection with animals and promoting their overall well-being.

Explore Joan's book, "Energy Healing for Animals," on Amazon here. Find more of her books on her website here. For details about Joan and to take her animal empath quiz, visit joanranquet.com.

“Little things like that…If everybody does some little thing, it will work to our benefit with the cats.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Meow Cat Lounge, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy chats with Allia Zobel Nolan, an international best-selling author of over 150 titles, whose body of work reflects her main passions: God and cats.

Stacy and Allia talk about their love for cats and the unique relationships that can develop between cats and their people. Allia shares more about her volunteer work with cats, and the little ways she’s found to continue giving back and helping out, even if she doesn’t have the same time or resources as she’s had before.

Allia talks about the motivation and inspiration behind her newest book, Heavenly Heabutts: Reflections of Hope about Cats and Eternity. Faced with the loss of three of her cats in close succession, Allia talks about her journey to find comfort and hope. She opens up about the book and her intentions, and her sincere hope that it will be poignant, insightful – and maybe a little humorous – for anyone else who has experienced the loss of their beloved feline companion. Heavenly Headbutts: Reflections of Hope and Cats and Eternity is available to purchase on Amazon here.

More books by Allia are available to purchase on Amazon here. For more information about Allia and her publications, visit alliahwrites.com or find her on Facebook here.

In this episode, Stacy and Allia also talk about paper collars. You can find a downloadable template of that tool here.

“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.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Meow Cat Lounge, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In today’s show, Stacy chats with Amy Newfiled, Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT), Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Emergency & Critical Care, author, and owner of the educational platform Veterinary Team Training.

In this episode, Stacy and Amy talk about the field of veterinary medicine, and how the role of veterinary technicians in particular has grown and evolved since the 1990s. They talk about the key differences between veterinary technicians, specialists, and assistants, and what the general public should keep in mind when taking their animals to their veterinary care provider.

They also discuss the many challenges veterinarians and practices are facing today, including the worst staffing shortages – from veterinarians to veterinary technicians, to front desk support – that Amy has seen in her career. They also talk about the capabilities of veterinary technicians, and the opportunities available to veterinarians who fully utilize their teams.

Amy talks about her books in the Oops Management Series, Oops, I Became a Manager, and Oops, My Team is Toxic, aimed at helping managers and leaders in the veterinary profession build stronger leaders and create and maintain positive work cultures. The Oops Management Series currently includes three books, available to purchase on Amazon.

Amy also tells us about Vet Team Training, and her work to help develop teams through practical and real-world techniques. The website offers free information and videos for anyone with a passion for animals, as well as RACE-accredited courses for veterinary technicians looking to continue their education. More information about Vet Team Training is available at www.vetteamtraining.com. More information about the CE courses offered by Vet Team Training is available here.

"Everybody has what it takes to go raise the money they need, to fully fund their organization, to grow, to help more cats, to save more lives, to do what their mission is all about. It’s all doable.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Urban Cat League, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy sits down once again with a long-time friend of the show and fundraiser extraordinaire, Sandy Rees, who is the founder of Fundraising TV and the Chief Encouragement Officer at Get Fully Funded.

During this episode, they dig into the realities and challenges of fundraising, and the feasibility of raising money for “unsexy” causes like community cats and spay/neuter. Sandy emphasizes her belief that every cause is “sexy” – you just have to find the right angle and the right story to share with your donors.

Stacy asks about the “core number” and how it can be leveraged to improve fundraising overall. Sandy talks about the importance of messaging, and how just a few simple shifts in our storytelling can lead to some serious ROI when it comes to fundraising.

Sandy gives her best tips and advice for organizations heading into the holiday fundraising season, including the best ways to connect with donors on social media and email, the power of saying thank you, when to get those holiday appeals in the mail, and more.

And finally, Sandy tells us more about Fundraising TV and the meaningful support and accountability the program offers to anyone interested in building their fundraising to fully fund their programs.

To learn more about Get Fully Funded, visit www.getfullyfunded.org. More information on Fundraising TV is available here. Like what you’ve heard? Submit a request for a free consultation with Get Fully Funded here.

Check out previous episodes of the podcast featuring Sandy: Episode #226 and Episode #287

“It’s a matter of starting from the ground up; not having the resources, but still getting it done."

This episode is sponsored in part by Urban Cat League and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy chats with Dr. Becky Morrow, a shelter veterinarian and professor who is very active in the small animal community.

As a veterinarian, Dr. Morrow shines a light on what vets are typically exposed to during vet school – and just how limited their knowledge may be when it comes to community cats and the overwhelming demand for low-cost spay/neuter services.

They discuss how Dr. Morrow first began her mobile clinic – with a box trailer turned surgical suite – to offer much-needed HQHVSN services on the road, utilizing caregivers' homes, fire halls, and other community spaces to get the job done.

They conclude their conversation with the veterinary shortage, ruminating on what can be done to help create more spay/neuter opportunities in our communities. For Dr. Morrow, the solution lies in providing more training opportunities for veterinarians to gain competence – and confidence – in performing HQHVSN surgeries. They talk about the overall benefits of HQHVSN techniques, and why they shouldn’t be limited to just the animal welfare space.

To learn more about Frankie’s Friends or find more information about their veterinary training programs, visit www.frankies-friends.org.

“If we can make a small dent in helping save kitties’ lives and making people happy, . . . to us, that’s so meaningful.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Urban Cat League, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy talks with Nicole Smith, the co-owner of Whiskers and Wine Bar. Based in San Diego, California, Whiskers and Wine Bar has adoptable cats, amazing food, and a full bar. In its first year of operation, it helped over 150 cats find homes.

In her conversation with Stacy, Nicole explains what prompted her to leave her career in the corporate world to open up a cat café. She talks about the cat café (Pounce Cat Café) that inspired her and describes what went on behind the scenes before opening the doors of Whiskers and Wine Bar. Nicole also touches on some of the features and policies of the café.

To learn more about Whiskers and Wine Bar, visit their website or visit them on Instagram or Facebook.

“We help protect people from animals, and animals from people.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Urban Cat League, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy sits down with Daniel Etitnger, host of The Animal Control Report podcast for an interesting conversation about the animal control profession.

Stacy and Daniel talk about the shifting role of animal control, including the historic (and negative) view of animal control officers as little more than dog-catchers. Daniel talks about the important shift in animal control policies towards more humane and inclusive practices, and the crucial role that passion for animals has for all involved.

They also discuss about the impact animal control professionals can have on their communities, leveraging both their discretion and integrity to help as many people and animals get the positive outcomes they’re looking for. They talk about the challenges facing the animal control profession, and the importance of finding people who are truly passionate about helping animals. Daniel also shares his advice for anyone who is looking to enter the animal control profession!

Daniel shares more information about his podcast, The Animal Control Report, and his goal of providing more training and information for animal control professionals – but also providing a window into the animal control profession for the community at large. He also mentions the new Podcast Network they’ve created to help people who enjoy animal-related podcasts find similar content (like The Community Cats Podcast!).

The Animal Control Report is available on all major podcast platforms. To learn more about The Animal Control Report or the Podcast Network, visit keepithumane.com.

“It’s really important to show that the Board is invested in the organization.”

This episode is sponsored in part by Urban Cat League, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy talks with Sonia Saleh, the founder of Uplifting Nonprofits and creator of the program Unleash Your Inner Fundraiser. The primary focus of Uplifting Nonprofits is to bring fundraising mastery to nonprofits.

In her conversation with Stacy, Sonia talks all about Boards and organizational governance. She explains the critical role that the Board plays for an organization, describing it as the heart of an organization. She stresses the importance of finding Board members that align with the organization’s mission. Sonia also discusses fundraising, donors, recruiting, and more.

To learn more about Sonia’s work, visit her website.

“It’s just the willingness to go where it takes you. And it will always take you somewhere.”

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 show (CCP Episode 175). Jackson, a New York Times bestselling author, renowned cat behavior and wellness expert, and longtime host of Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell, is also the founder of the Jackson Galaxy Project, a program of Greater Goods Charities. Jackson is accompanied by Steve Kaufman, Vice President of Operations of the GOODS Program at Greater Goods Charities.

In their conversation with Stacy, Jackson and Steve discuss Cat Pawsitive 360, an initiative of The Galaxy Project. The initiative, Jackson explains, provides a 360-degree view of the feline experience on everything from behavioral models to environmental enrichment to save more lives and improve the well-being of cats both in and out of the shelter. He explains that understanding cats is essential to form a “rich, rewarding, and lasting relationship”.

Finally, Jackson discusses his recent travel and work in Spain and highlights the importance of caring for community cats, stressing that they “are members of your community who deserve love and respect”.

To learn more about The Jackson Galaxy Project, visit their website.