The Community Cats Podcast cover art

The Community Cats Podcast

The Community Cats Podcast

By: The Community Cats Podcast
Listen for free

About this listen

 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 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Beyond the Box Trap: A Better Way to Catch Elusive Felines Featuring Bryan Kortis, National Programs Director at Neighborhood Cats

    Beyond the Box Trap: A Better Way to Catch Elusive Felines Featuring Bryan Kortis, National Programs Director at Neighborhood Cats
    Oct 28 2025
    "It's better to miss than to mistime the drop—because once they learn it's a trap, they won't come back."

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

    In this first installment of our Drop Trap Workshop, we're diving deep into the fundamentals of drop trapping—a powerful and underutilized tool in the TNR world. Join Community Cats Podcast Tech Tabby Kristen Petrie and expert guest Bryan Kortis, National Program Director of Neighborhood Cats, as he walks you through the mechanics, mindset, and must-have equipment for mastering the drop trap. With insight from co-founder and seasoned trapper Susan Richmond, this session breaks down the "why" and "how" of drop trapping, emphasizing how this method can help trap those elusive last colony cats, outsmart picky feeders, and improve overall trapping success.

    You'll learn why cats perceive drop traps differently than standard box traps, how to set up the equipment for maximum effectiveness, and what to do once you've got your feline in the trap. From practical gear lists to step-by-step demos—including videos of actual drop trapping scenarios—you'll get a front-row seat to best practices for selective trapping. Bryan also covers safety tips, troubleshooting misfires, and how to ensure a smooth transfer once you've successfully made the catch.

    Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your TNR skills, this episode lays the groundwork for humane, strategic trapping that gets results.

    Press Play Now For:

    • The psychology behind why drop traps work better for wary cats
    • Gear breakdown: what you need to trap successfully
    • How to pick the perfect drop trap location
    • Real-world video demonstrations of drop trapping
    • Common mistakes and how to avoid them
    • When (and why) to use a drop trap instead of a box trap

    Mentioned Resources:

    • Tomahawk Drop Trap Model DT1 (https://www.livetrap.com/)

    Sponsor Links:

    • Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies636)

    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.
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Building Political Power for NYC Community Cats Featuring Allie Taylor (Allie Feldman Taylor), Founder & President, Voters for Animal Rights (VFAR)

    Building Political Power for NYC Community Cats Featuring Allie Taylor (Allie Feldman Taylor), Founder & President, Voters for Animal Rights (VFAR)
    Oct 21 2025
    "Imagine if you told New Yorkers, 'Well, you want someone to take your trash away from your block? Oh, you're gonna have to find a volunteer to do that.' That's exactly what's happening here. But with animal care." This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund. Stacy LeBaron talks with Allie Taylor, founder and president of Voters for Animal Rights (VFAR), an organization she started in 2016 to bring political voice for animals throughout New York State. Allie is a volunteer TNR rescuer in Brooklyn who has successfully passed numerous landmark laws including banning foie gras, banning wild animals in circuses, prohibiting the sale of guinea pigs in pet stores, and prohibiting backyard breeders. When she moved to Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn in 2016, she was struck by the overwhelming number of community cats and decided to get TNR certified and start trapping her block—like many cat advocates, quickly learning that you don't have to go much further than your own block to find plenty of cats that need help. In this episode, Allie discusses the broken system for community cat care in New York City, where everything falls on volunteers with no government support despite NYC having one of the worst per capita spending rates on animal care in the country ($2.89 per capita compared to $10 in Los Angeles, $13.70 in Miami-Dade, and $15 in Dallas). She shares the historic September 2024 City Council hearing where hundreds of cat rescuers testified, leading to the first-ever city funding for animals—$500,000 (later increased from the originally proposed $1.5 million) for spay/neuter services that will provide 3,500 additional surgeries. Allie also discusses VFAR's Community Cat Fund that has distributed $30,000 in grants to rescuers and organizations, including the largest grant to Bronx Community Cats to establish a trap bank in the Bronx. She explains why New York City desperately needs a fully staffed and funded Department of Animal Welfare, professional paid TNR workers, and free/low-cost veterinary care for all income levels to address the city's massive cat overpopulation crisis. Listeners will learn about the power of political organizing and advocacy to create systemic change for community cats, how to work effectively with city councils and state legislatures on budget processes, the importance of getting TNR advocates involved in local politics, and why addressing income inequality and providing resources to underserved communities is essential to solving cat overpopulation. Allie's work demonstrates that grassroots organizing, strategic lobbying, and holding elected officials accountable can lead to landmark victories that create lasting infrastructure for animal welfare. Press play now for: Why NYC's per capita spending on animal care ($2.89) is shockingly low compared to other major citiesHow hundreds of cat rescuers organized to testify at a historic September 2024 City Council hearingThe first-ever NYC budget allocation for animal welfare: $500,000 for spay/neuter servicesWhy TNR in NYC is completely volunteer-based with no city support or scheduling systemThe challenge of accessing ASPCA's free spay/neuter clinic as a newly certified TNR rescuerVFAR's Community Cat Fund that distributed $30,000 in direct grants to NYC rescuersThe $5,000 grant to Bronx Community Cats to establish a trap bank in the BronxWhy NYC needs a fully funded Department of Animal Welfare (not just a one-person mayor's office)The connection between income inequality and cat overpopulation in NYC's boroughsHow getting TNR advocates involved in local politics creates lasting systemic changeThe importance of making major investments in public education about keeping cats indoors and spay/neuterWhy paid professional TNR workers could transform the city's response to cat overpopulation Resources mentioned: Voters for Animal Rights (VFAR) (https://vfar.org/)VFAR on Instagram (@votersforanimalrights) (https://www.instagram.com/votersforanimalrights/)ASPCA Spay/Neuter Clinic (https://www.aspca.org/)Brooklyn Cat Cafe / Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition (https://catcafebk.com/)Bronx Community Cats (https://www.facebook.com/bronxcommunitycats/)Flatbush Cats (https://www.flatbushcats.org/)NYC Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare (https://www.nyc.gov/site/animalwelfare/index.page)Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) (https://www.nycacc.org/) Sponsor Links: Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies635) 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.
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • Managing Greece’s Largest Cat Care Project on an Island Paradise Featuring Isabel Borst, Communications, Engagement & Education Lead at Animal Action Greece – Paros & Antiparos Community Cat Care Project

    Managing Greece’s Largest Cat Care Project on an Island Paradise Featuring Isabel Borst, Communications, Engagement & Education Lead at Animal Action Greece – Paros & Antiparos Community Cat Care Project
    Oct 14 2025
    "Our goal here is really to work from the bottom up and help change the mentality, help the groups to negotiate better fundings with the municipality. We are only here for a limited time, right? So we wanna make sure that we are building a lasting, sustainable system." This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie’s Fund and The Community Cat Clinic. Stacy LeBaron talks with Isabel (Isa) Borst, Communications, Engagement and Education Lead for Animal Action Greece's groundbreaking community cat care project on the Cycladic islands of Paros and Antiparos. Originally from Brazil and having lived in Germany, Isa moved to Paros after the pandemic and never left, drawn by the island's active animal welfare community. She now coordinates the largest community cat care project in Greece, supported by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, which launched in April 2023 as a three-year initiative focused on mapping stray cat populations and building local involvement in humane care. In this episode, Isa shares the unique challenges of running a TNVR program on tourist-dependent Greek islands where the population swells dramatically during summer months. She discusses how the project has sterilized, microchipped, and vaccinated over 4,728 cats (averaging 200 per month), working with five local animal welfare groups, three veterinary clinics, and two municipalities. Isa explains the seasonal dynamics of trapping—winter brings concentrated colonies that are easier to trap, while summer disperses cats across tourist accommodations but brings increased visibility and tourist engagement. She also addresses the importance of building collaborative, systems-based partnerships with diverse stakeholders, capacity building for local organizations, and creating sustainable programs that will continue after the three-year project concludes. Listeners will gain insights into implementing large-scale TNVR on islands and in tourist-heavy locations, understanding how community cat programs must adapt to unique local conditions, and the critical importance of collaboration between municipalities, veterinary clinics, and welfare organizations. Isa's story demonstrates how thorough planning, community engagement, data collection through colony mapping, and a holistic approach can transform cat welfare while preparing local communities to sustain the work long-term. Press play now for: How Greece's largest community cat care project achieved over 4,728 sterilizations since April 2023The unique challenges of TNVR in tourist-dependent locations where populations fluctuate dramatically by seasonWhy winter is peak trapping season and summer focuses on education and tourist engagementBuilding collaborative partnerships with five welfare groups, three vet clinics, and two municipalitiesThe importance of colony mapping and health score tracking for strategic planning and advocacyCapacity building strategies to ensure local organizations can sustain the work after the project endsWorking with municipalities to secure funding and implement infrastructure like feeding stations and road safety measuresHow to balance requests from tourists with fresh eyes versus managing realistic expectationsCreating systems-based, holistic programs that address overpopulation, health, and community attitudesThe concept of proving a model on islands that can be replicated across other Greek islands Resources mentioned: Paros and Antiparos Cats Project Website (https://www.parosandantiparoscats.org/)Animal Action Greece (https://www.animalactiongreece.org/)Animal Action Greece on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/animalactiongreece/) Sponsor Links: Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies634)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 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.
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.