The Community Cats Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund and Tomahawk Traps.

Are you ready to be inspired by a relentless advocate for feline welfare? In this episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron chats with Stuart Kroll, a passionate animal rights advocate with over 15 years of experience. Stuart's journey began with feeding a small colony of semi-feral cats in Port Washington, Long Island, which led him to become deeply involved in animal rescue and political advocacy. He shares his mission to establish a cat shelter in North Hempstead, a wealthy town with no municipal shelter for cats, and the challenges he faces in holding municipalities accountable for animal welfare.

Join us as Stuart discusses the complexities of creating a supportive environment for community cats, the vital role of municipal responsibility, and the power of public pressure in driving change. Discover how his unique background as a commodities trader has equipped him with the skills to navigate the political landscape and advocate for the rights of homeless cats. This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about animal rescue, community engagement, and the fight for better conditions for our feline friends.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Stuart Kroll's journey from commodities trader to animal rights advocate
• Challenges of creating a cat shelter in North Hempstead, Long Island
• The intersection of animal welfare and politics
• The importance of public pressure in driving municipal change
• Strategies for implementing effective Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs
• The role of nonprofits and community organizations in supporting cat welfare
• The need for legislative change to mandate municipal responsibility for cats
• Stuart's vision for a comprehensive municipal cat shelter
• The impact of community engagement and awareness in animal advocacy

Resources:

• Join the conversation on Facebook
• Visit Stuart’s Website
• Connect with Stuart by email at [email protected]
• Call Stuart at 516-578-8587

Follow & Review:

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This episode is sponsored in part by Maddie’s Fund, The Keeping People and Pets Together Pet Food Pantry, and Tomahawk Traps.

In the second half of this enlightening two-part webinar series, Stacy LeBaron is once again joined by TNR experts Susie Richmond and Bryan Kortis from Neighborhood Cats. In this episode, Brian details the complexities of maintaining and expanding a targeted TNR program once it’s off the ground.

Brian shares his and Susie’s experiences with overcoming common obstacles, such as community resistance, resource limitations, and the difficulties of keeping momentum going after the initial campaign. You will hear the importance of setting realistic goals and timelines and gain practical advice on how to sustain your efforts over the long term.

This episode is packed with actionable insights and proven strategies to help you navigate the challenges that come with targeted TNR. Whether you’re dealing with limited resources or struggling to keep your program on track, this conversation will provide the tools and inspiration you need to succeed.

To learn more about Neighborhood Cats, please visit their website.

Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel to check out all of our videos, episodes, and presentations. To download handouts mentioned in the show, you can visit our Community Cat Care Training and Education page to find them, along with many other TNR and community cat care educational opportunities.

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. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Our mission is to provide education, information and dialogue that will create a supportive environment empowering people to help cats in their community. 

This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy chats with Janice Cobb, the creator of Zinzie Pie’s Save My Pet ID Tag, which is an identification tag for pet owners customized with information about the owner, their pets, and trusted contact. The Save My Pet ID Tag can be made as a necklace, bracelet, or keychain. This product offers peace of mind and reassurance, that in an emergency, your pets will be attended to.

In her conversation with Stacy, Janice talks about the inspiration behind this idea. She talks about some of the unique features of the Save My Pet ID Tag. She emphasizes the importance of being prepared and acting proactively. Janice also talks about cats in general and how she is able to keep her home stress free.

To learn more about Zinzie Pie’s Save My Pet ID Tag, visit their website.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also be interested in hearing from Frances Carlisle, an attorney, discuss estate planning for your pets in episodes 227.

This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Doobert.com’s Chris Roy returns to the show to share some of the projects he has been working on since the pandemic. Chris is a tech guy who loves solving problems for folks in animal welfare.

It has been several years since Chris was on the show and he is eager to share what is new at Doobert.com.  Doobert Forward is a fundraising platform that works like Amazon Smile, but the percentage of the sale that is donated back to the organization is 5% vs less than 1% at Amazon Smile.

Stacy asks Chris to share more details about the Case Management module and if it can help manage situations where a cat or litter of kittens might be turned away from one organization to be helped with another.  Each situation turns into a “Case” so that it can be transferred to other organizations therefore potentially ensuring that everyone will get help in the community.

Want to catch the past interviews with Chris on episode 433 and episode 131

To learn more about Doobert visit the Doobert Website and check them out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy speaks with Valerie Benka the Director of Programs for Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (“ACC&D”), and John Boone, who serves on the Board of Directors at ACC&D and is the Research Director at the Great Basin Bird Observatory.

The mission of ACC&D is to advance non-surgical sterilants and contraceptives for cats and dogs and to promote their global accessibility. The organization recognizes that some communities do not have the necessary resources for safe animal sterilization surgery and seeks to address this issue.

In their discussion with Stacy, Valerie and John talk about the research and projects that ACC&D has conducted. They detail the findings of these studies and provide tips on population management and the most effective TNR strategies. Valerie and John also discuss some of the resources available on ACC&D’s website, which can serve as useful tools for individuals and organizations.

To learn more about ACC&D, visit their website.

If you enjoyed this episode, John was also a guest on CCP in Episodes 258 and 331.

This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy chats with Melody Kwan, aka Melocat, a cat rescuer and re-homing volunteer based in Hong Kong. Through her network of volunteers, Melody is able to get cats to their ideal homes. She also lives with her 9 rescued and adopted cats in her 555 sq ft apartment.

In her discussion with Stacy, Melody explains how she’s able to keep her house clean and her cats happy, calm, and comfortable. She talks about the unique systems she has in place that help her save time and create a better lifestyle for both cats and humans. She emphasizes that “vertical space beats floor space”. She’s currently developing a course to help others create the same ecosystem in their own lives.

Melody also provides insight into what life is like for community cats in Hong Kong and outlines some of the challenges they encounter. She touches on how she got into vlogging, discusses some of her future plans, and shares some cat tips and tricks.

To learn more about Melody, visit her YouTube channel, Instagram account, or Facebook page.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Mary Peng, CEO & Founder of International Center for Veterinary Services, in episode 132.

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, that serves as the lead trainer for Fear Free Pets and Fear Free Happy Homes. She is also the co-author of From Fearful to Fear Free

In her conversation with Stacy, Mikkel talks about her experience training cats through using positive reinforcement and encouragement. She explains why she believes they can be trained more easily than dogs and how training is based in every day interactions with our cats.

Mikkel speaks in depth about Fear Free, which was founded upon the mission of preventing and alleviating fear, anxiety, and stress in pets. She talks about the benefits of utilizing Fear Free programs. One of these programs is Fear Free Shelters, which is a free program available to rescues and shelters.

Mikkel also provides an update on her father, Dr. Marty Becker, who recently spent time at the Ukraine border helping people and their pets that were transitioning across the border. She spoke with him further about his experience on her podcast, Happy Paws.

To learn more about Fear Free, visit Fear Free Pets or Fear Free Happy Homes.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Dr. Marty Becker, “America’s Veterinarian” and Founder of the Fear Free Initiative, in episode 121.

This episode is sponsored in part by Dr. Pussum's Cat Nip, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

After dropping out of film school and being kicked out of his aunt’s house, Caleb Curtis found himself without a home. Rather than staying at a homeless shelter, he opted to get a bicycle and learn how to tour. Along the way, he found two-month-old Marilyn Monroad, and over the next 8 years, the pair would cycle over 12,000 miles across 32 states

In his conversation with Stacy, Caleb talks about how he got into touring and sheds some light on what life is like on the road for Marilyn. He discusses some of the lessons that he learned during his first year of running Calico Cats and touches on some of his long-term goals for the brand.

Caleb also provides insight on how he funds these trips, along with the type of content that he produces. One of his projects includes a book about these trips, which is written from Marilyn’s perspective.

Caleb and Marilyn’s journey serves to remind us all that our companions along the ride can be just as important as our destination. Caleb strongly believes that what matters most to Marilyn is that they’re together.

To learn more about Caleb and Marilyn, visit their website.

Listener Note

During his interview, Caleb mentions 1bike1world.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Michele Tilford, an experienced cat-assisted therapy handler, in episode 249.

This episode is sponsored in part by Dr. Pussum's Cat Nip, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund.

In this episode, Stacy chats with Angela Campbell, a USA Today best-selling author in the romantic suspense genre. Her book series, The Psychic Detective, heavily features rescue pets as supporting characters. In addition to writing professionally, she serves on the board of directors for Feline Lifeline.

In her conversation with Stacy, Angela talks about her experiences as an author and a board member. She shares her preferred method of trapping, along with some helpful TNR tips and tricks. She also strongly encourages TNR training for those interested in trapping (as opposed to trial and error).

Angela believes that a crucial component of TNR is in how we interact with the community, and she stresses the importance of learning to work with them. “When you are calm, understanding, and polite, a lot of people react to that, and you can work out a deal.”

To learn more about Feline Lifeline, visit its website, and to learn more about Angela and her work, visit her website.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Steven Morelli, CEO and founder of Waggle, in episode 358.