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The Community Cats Podcast

The Community Cats Podcast

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Our mission is to provide education, information and dialogue that will create a supportive environment empowering people to help cats in their community. *For transcripts of most shows, visit https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/podcast/.© 2023 The Community Cats Podcast, All Rights Reserved Economía Gestión Gestión y Liderazgo
Episodios
  • Revolutionizing Kitten Care: The Kitten College Model, Featuring Marnie Russ, Founder, National Kitten College

    Revolutionizing Kitten Care: The Kitten College Model, Featuring Marnie Russ, Founder, National Kitten College
    Sep 16 2025
    "A cat that is well socialized is highly adoptable. A cat that is not well socialized sits in the shelter. It's an important part of your fostering responsibility to get them ready to live outside. Before it was just saving their lives. But now we know better.” This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund and The Community Cat Clinic. In this episode, host Stacy LeBaron welcomes back Marnie Russ, founder of National Kitten College, for an update on her innovative approach to neonatal kitten care. Since her first appearance on the podcast in 2016-2017, Marnei has grown her innovative "Kitten College" program from a small local initiative into a national movement that has fundamentally changed how shelters approach kitten fostering and care. What started as a business plan that would have "gotten an F in college" has evolved into a sophisticated system that increased kitten saves from 92 to nearly 1,600 annually while achieving an extraordinary 94-96% live release rate for neonates. Marnie explains how her grade-based foster system (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) allows fosters to specialize in the age groups they prefer while ensuring kittens receive optimal socialization through multiple placements. This model challenges traditional fostering wisdom that discouraged moving kittens between homes, instead proving that strategic movement enhances socialization and health outcomes. She details how the program evolved organically, with fosters creating their own "conveyor belt" systems and team approaches that maximize both volunteer satisfaction and kitten success rates. The conversation explores the critical intersection between TNR work and kitten programs, addressing how Kitten College supports community cat efforts by providing reliable placement options for trapped litters. Marnie discusses her partnership with UC Davis and University of Florida to ensure all recommendations align with current shelter medicine best practices, her work developing the first national neonatal kitten training center, and her commitment to making these resources free or low-cost for rural and under-resourced communities. This episode demonstrates how innovative thinking about traditional shelter practices can create scalable solutions that benefit both animals and the people who care for them. Press play now for: How Marnie's original collaboration with National Kitten Coalition led to studying major nurseries nationwideThe evolution from 92 kittens annually to nearly 1,600 with 94-96% live release rates for neonatesThe grade-based foster system (freshman through senior) that allows specialization and prevents foster burnoutWhy moving kittens between foster homes improves socialization rather than harming itHow the "conveyor belt" system emerged organically with foster teams working togetherThe critical connection between TNR efforts and kitten placement programs during summer monthsPartnership strategies between Kitten College programs and community cat trappersWorking with UC Davis and University of Florida to align practices with current shelter medicineDevelopment of the first national neonatal kitten training center in partnership with Humane Rescue AllianceThe transition from Animal Welfare League of Arlington to becoming an independent national nonprofitFunding challenges and commitment to providing free or low-cost services to rural communitiesSuccess of "Taking the Fear out of Bottle Feeding" course as Maddie's University's top-performing classWhy traditional "every two hours" feeding schedules are outdated and discourage potential fostersCreating community connections where kitten programs can support each other nationallyThe importance of employer partnerships to enable workplace bottle feeding for dedicated fosters Resources mentioned: National Kitten College website (https://www.kittencollege.org/)Email: info@kittencollege.orgNational Kitten College Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/p/National-Kitten-College-61558629895690/)Maddie's University online courses (https://university.maddiesfund.org/)Animal Welfare League of Arlington - original program location (https://www.awla.org/)Animal Welfare League of Arlington Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AWLArlington/)Humane Rescue Alliance - DC partnership (https://www.humanerescuealliance.org/)Humane Rescue Alliance Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/humanerescuealliance/)UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program (https://www.shelterlearniverse.com/)University of Florida Shelter Medicine Program (https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/)National Kitten Coalition (https://kittencoalition.org/) Sponsor Links: Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies623)The Community Cat Clinic (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/catclinicga) 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...
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    27 m
  • From Founder to Ambassador: Building Sustainable Community Cat Programs Featuring Joy Smith, Founder and Ambassador, FieldHaven Feline Center

    From Founder to Ambassador: Building Sustainable Community Cat Programs Featuring Joy Smith, Founder and Ambassador, FieldHaven Feline Center
    Sep 9 2025
    "We want to turn cat haters into cat toleraters, and that has worked so well. Even the people who say 'I hate cats.' Okay, that's fine if you hate cats. But don't wish them dead. We're gonna work to keep them out of your yard." This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund and 6 Degrees of Cats. In this inspiring episode, host Stacy LeBaron welcomes Joy Smith, founder of FieldHaven Feline Center in Lincoln, California, who shares her remarkable journey from accidentally rescuing a few cats on her street to building a $1.5 million organization that has transformed entire communities. Joy's story begins in 2003 when a simple call to help with trapping led to raising kittens in her barn's tack room, selling them at a local farmer's market, and ultimately creating one of California's most innovative community cat programs. Her evolution from reluctant rescuer to strategic leader offers valuable lessons about growing sustainable, community-focused programs. Joy details FieldHaven's groundbreaking partnership with the Marysville Police Department, which began in 2018 with a goal to spay and neuter every cat in the city. She explains how they overcame initial community resistance through education, implemented a feeding ordinance to address business owner concerns, and created a comprehensive system that includes mobile spay/neuter clinics, vaccine and microchip services, and community resource centers. The program's success demonstrates how strategic thinking, community engagement, and municipal support can transform a city overrun with cats into one operating in maintenance mode with occasional weeks where they can't fill their spay/neuter quota. The conversation also explores Joy's recent transition from executive director to founder and ambassador, sharing the challenges and rewards of succession planning in animal welfare organizations. Her insights about treating nonprofits as businesses, paying competitive salaries to attract talent, and the cultural shift toward recognizing pets as family members offer valuable perspective for leaders navigating organizational growth and sustainability in today's evolving animal welfare landscape. Press Play Now For: Joy's accidental entry into cat rescue and the organic growth from tack room to multi-location organizationStrategic expansion philosophy: starting with your backyard and expanding community by communityThe Marysville Police Department partnership and how municipal support transforms TNR effortsCommunity education strategies for turning resistance into acceptance and "cat haters into cat toleraters"Implementation of feeding ordinances and how addressing business owner concerns solved community conflictsMobile spay/neuter clinics, vaccine programs, and resource centers as comprehensive community solutionsTraining animal control officers in TNR methods and creating internal advocatesThe importance of microchipping for tracking outcomes and addressing dumping issuesFour-year succession planning process and the challenges of transitioning founder leadershipRunning nonprofits as businesses while maintaining mission focus and community trustSalary competitiveness in animal welfare and attracting career professionals to the fieldCultural shifts in spay/neuter acceptance and the exciting future of animal welfare careersInnovative programs like "Kitten Sitters" that engage community members as part of the solutionFieldHaven's expansion to four locations and disaster response work including the Camp Fire recovery Resources Mentioned: FieldHaven Feline Center website (https://fieldhaven.com/)FieldHaven Feline Center Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FieldHaven/)FieldHaven Marketplace - thrift store and adoption center (https://www.fieldhavenmarketplace.com/)Animal Spay and Neuter - Auburn, California (https://animalspayneuter.com/)Animal Spay and Neuter Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/p/Animal-Spay-and-Neuter-Auburn-100063466875709/)Dan Pallotta TED Talk: "The way we think about charity is dead wrong"(https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong)Dan Pallotta's official website (https://www.danpallotta.com/)"The Fire Cats: Save Something Small" documentary - Camp Fire recovery (https://www.thefirecatsfilm.com/)FieldHaven's Kitten Sitters program (https://fieldhaven.com/programs/kitten-sitters/) Sponsor Links: Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies623)Six Degrees of Cats (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/6-degrees-of-cats/id1669849217) 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 ...
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    39 m
  • Building Professional Community Cat Programs: From Strategy to Implementation, Featuring Elizabeth Finch, Educator, Author, and Community Cat Program Consultant

    Building Professional Community Cat Programs: From Strategy to Implementation, Featuring Elizabeth Finch, Educator, Author, and Community Cat Program Consultant
    Sep 2 2025
    "A community cat program does not just help cats. You think you're going in there to help cats and you turn out really having more impact on the people in that community." This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund and 6 Degrees of Cats. In this insightful episode, host Stacy LeBaron welcomes back Elizabeth Finch, an impact-driven leader who has been transforming community cat programming since 2015. Elizabeth's journey from launching a robust community cat program serving over 4,000 cats annually in metro Atlanta to becoming an educator and consultant offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to create systematic change. Her experience reveals how effective community cat work extends far beyond individual rescue efforts to become a comprehensive approach that benefits both cats and the people who care about them. Elizabeth shares the strategic thinking behind successful community cat programs, emphasizing the importance of moving beyond "onesie-twosie" approaches to tackle entire colonies, neighborhoods, and zip codes systematically. The conversation explores how she and Stacy partnered to create the first-of-its-kind Community Cat Program Management Certification course at University of the Pacific, addressing the gap between skilled trappers and comprehensive program management. Elizabeth discusses the eight-module curriculum that covers everything from funding and marketing to legal roadblocks and public engagement—skills that most passionate trappers never learned but desperately need. The episode also touches on Elizabeth's creative outlets, including her book "Colony Tails: Lessons from the Alley," which captures the human side of community cat work through short stories that honor frontline caretakers. Whether you're running a small TNR group, working in municipal animal services, or considering starting a community cat program, this conversation provides both strategic insights and practical tools for professionalizing this critical work while maintaining its heart and compassion. Press play now for: Elizabeth's journey from individual cat rescue to systematic community cat programmingWhy community cat programs help people as much as cats in underserved communitiesThe strategic approach to TNR: targeting whole colonies, neighborhoods, and zip codes rather than individual catsHow the Community Cat Program Management Certification course fills the gap between trapping skills and program managementDetails on the eight-module curriculum covering funding, marketing, legal issues, data management, and public engagementThe partnership between passionate educators with different strengths (methodical writer vs. dynamic speaker)Live weekly sessions, Q&A opportunities, and expert guest interviews from field veteransThe Sue Black Memorial Scholarship honoring a dedicated community cat program managerTNR certification workshops and the movement toward professionalizing community cat workElizabeth's book "Colony Tails: Lessons from the Alley" and upcoming series of standalone management guidesWhy effective TNR requires far more than "traps and tuna" to create lasting community impactPartnership opportunities for organizations wanting to support volunteer training Resources mentioned: University of the Pacific Community Cat Program Management Certification Course(https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/events/university-of-the-pacific-community-cats-program-management-certificate-program-853-372/)Community Cat Champions - Sue Black Memorial Scholarship (https://communitycatchampions.org/)Colony Tales: Lessons from the Alley on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Colony-Tails-Lessons-Elizabeth-Finch/dp/B0DGG2SMSS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ODXF70MNCC5C&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tONPSO-TUDZMhENuCmEHoOVqaKfXgEoTcOhTEH0gq7XUpOH3wONtfcdWlwWfOAaP.7RgU5T0GsT_FpRvxTxxIHNJNrWPTrd6nhZ83TwFwc2Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=colony+tails&qid=1756150798&sprefix=colony+tails,aps,98&sr=8-1)Community Cats Podcast TNR Certification Workshops (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/events/)Community Cats Podcast Partnership Programs (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/)Contact Elizabeth Finch: elizabeth@communitycatspodcast.comContact Stacy LeBaron: stacy@communitycatspodcast.comAdditional certifications: Drop Trap Certification, Trappers Tips & Tricks, Colony Caretaking Tips & Tricks(https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/conferences-and-events/) Sponsor Links: Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies623)Six Degrees of Cats (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/6-degrees-of-cats/id1669849217) 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. ...
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    31 m
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Lots of good information for newbies and the well rehearsed , thank you for all your work!

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