About Community Cats Central

Welcome to Community Cats Central — a home for cat lovers, caretakers, and advocates working to make life better for every cat. What started as The Community Cats Podcast in 2016 has grown into a full-fledged platform for education, collaboration, and action in feline welfare.

Founded by Stacy LeBaron, a compassionate leader and feline entrepreneur with over three decades of experience helping community cats in Massachusetts, Community Cats Central continues to build on the podcast’s legacy — turning passion for cats into lasting, lifesaving change.

Our Impact

Community Cats Central has been a catalyst for positive change, connecting and empowering individuals and organizations dedicated to the welfare of community cats. Through on-air stories, online workshops, and behind-the-scenes collaborations, we’ve built a thriving network that’s driving real-world impact — from neighborhood TNR efforts to national education and advocacy.

At Community Cats Central, we believe change happens when education meets action.

From thought-provoking conversations to hands-on learning, we deliver practical, compassionate cat-care education in ways that meet advocates where they are — online, on demand, and in their communities. 

Engaging Conversations

Join Stacy LeBaron on The Community Cats Podcast for in-depth discussions with experts, advocates, and innovators across the animal-welfare field. Each episode explores the real-world impact of programs like Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), Return-to-Home (RTH), and community-based rescue — sharing both data-driven insights and heartwarming stories of success. With more than 600 episodes in the archive and new ones released every Tuesday, there’s always fresh inspiration waiting for you.

Informative Blog & Online Resources

Our blog dives deeper into the world of community cats, offering articles, guides, and practical tools on everything from colony management and kitten-season preparedness to sustainable TNR strategies, mass-trapping guides, and community engagement.

Virtual Conferences

Connect with leaders shaping the future of cat welfare at our virtual conferences. These one- and two-day events bring together professionals, volunteers, and policymakers to share ideas, discuss challenges, and collaborate on innovative solutions. Our partners — including The National Kitten Coalition, United Spay Alliance, and others — help curate each event to deliver the most relevant, forward-thinking education in the field.

Certification Workshops & Free Webinars

Expand your expertise through our educational programs. From certification courses to free webinars, we offer accessible, evidence-based training designed to equip individuals, teams, and organizations with the tools and confidence to make a measurable difference.

Program Guidance & Strategy Sessions

Founder Stacy LeBaron offers mastermind sessions, one-on-one advising, and group strategy sessions for organizations and municipalities seeking to reduce outdoor cat populations through humane, effective approaches. Her work emphasizes data-driven decision-making, community engagement, and sustainable program design.

Public Speaking

Community Cats Central also offers experienced speakers for conferences, shelters, universities, and community events. Our team brings decades of experience and a passion for collaboration to every presentation, inspiring audiences to take practical, compassionate action for community cats. Whether you’re seeking a detailed presentation on sustainable program development, spay/neuter expansion, branding for shelters, gaining community buy-in, feline-welfare leadership, or many other cat-related topics, we can tailor content to your event’s goals.

Meet the Team

Stacy LeBaron, Head Cat, Founder & Host

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Stacy LeBaron has been involved in animal welfare for over 30 years and considers herself a feline entrepreneur. She currently hosts a weekly podcast called the Community Cats Podcast where she interviews nationally and internationally renowned experts helping with the problem of cat overpopulation and cat welfare. She has recorded over 500 episodes. In addition to the podcast, Stacy is committed to the model of virtual education by holding three weekend conferences; the Online Cat Conference, The United Spay Alliance Conference, and the Online Kitten Conference. She hosts day-long sessions covering specific topics around Feline Leukemia and Behavior. The Podcast hosts three certification programs covering the topics of Trap, Neuter, and Return, Surrender Prevention, and Return to Home. The Community Cats Podcast founded the Community Cats Grants Program helping small grassroots learn fundraising skills to raise the desperately needed funds for spay/neuter surgeries and match the money raised from the Community Cats Grants program. This program has assisted over 200 groups and is now part of the United Spay Alliance.

Her mission is to encourage folks to “Turn their passion for cats into action”.

In addition to her role at the podcast, she is a partner of the Community Cat Clinic in Woodstock and Duluth, Georgia, President of PAWSitive Pantry in Vermont and Massachusetts, Treasurer at the Vermont Humane Federation, Treasurer for the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, Treasurer at Community Cat Champions and Treasurer and Director of Strategy at the United Spay Alliance. She is a past board member of the Massachusetts Animal Coalition and the New England Federation of Humane Societies. She serves as the current administrative trustee for the LeBaron Foundation. Previous to starting the podcast, Stacy served for 16 years as president of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS).

In addition to the above Stacy is also available for individual and group consulting to encourage others to think strategically about how they are reducing cat overpopulation in their communities by utilizing the Community Cat Pyramid and Community Cat Calculator needs assessment.

Stacy graduated from Vassar College with a degree in Urban Studies. She now lives in Vermont and Switzerland with her husband.

Explore Other Media Appearances by Stacy

Kristen Petrie
Technical Tabby & Correspondent

Meet Kristen — a feline advocate, storyteller, and designer on a mission to make the world kinder and more cat-friendly.
Kristen Petrie is the Tech Tabby and Correspondent for the Community Cats Podcast and a longtime feline welfare advocate. Since 2005, she has undertaken a variety of roles in animal welfare, including adoption counselor, trapper, litter-scooper, lecture coordinator, and marketing consultant. Kristen served on the board of directors for the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society for nearly a decade and recently joined the board of Community Cat Champions.

A storyteller at heart, Kristen uses her graphic design, photography, and writing skills to educate and promote animal welfare initiatives and feline-friendly culture. She is Fear Free™ certified and, in her spare time, fosters quirky cats who need a little extra patience to thrive. Always ready for adventure, Kristen loves road trips, rollercoasters, and discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Elizabeth Finch
Content Calico & Strategist

Meet Elizabeth — an animal welfare leader passionate about community cat programs and helping others create impactful feline initiatives.
Elizabeth has been devoted to animal welfare since 2015, with a career highlighted by leadership and dedication. At Good Mews, a metro-Atlanta feline rescue, she served as president of the board of directors. Elizabeth played a key role in expanding Good Mews' impact, directing all marketing and communications efforts that significantly increased the organization's reach and support.

In 2020, Elizabeth developed a comprehensive community cat program at Good Mews, which served more than 4,000 cats annually. This initiative collaborated closely with municipal shelters and the community to ensure the welfare of community cats.

In early 2024, Elizabeth decided to transition into other areas of cat welfare, developing and co-instructing the Community Cat Program Management Certification Course at University of the Pacific and lending her skills to the Community Cats Podcast. She also shares her expertise through advising roles with other animal welfare organizations and nonprofits. When she's not working to help community cats, you can find her bending to the will of her own three little feline bosses.
A young orange cat laying on it's side and looking up.