Julie Morriss has 30 years in animal welfare behind her, but the Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant Program still changed how she works. After taking the Community Cat Program Management course, she brought targeted trapping home to Waco, Texas.

The results came fast. Julie walks through a 40-to-55-cat colony that reached 99% sterilization in about seven and a half months and had no new kittens this year. She also shares how she uses trap training and drop traps on the toughest cats.

Stacy and Julie also discuss who the course is for and why every town needs a community cat expert. Julie’s message to everyone in the field is to keep going, because every cat counts.

• How a kid who was allergic to cats became a TNR advocate
• Why Julie applied to the Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant Program
• What an experienced trapper got out of the Community Cat Program Management course
• Targeted trapping vs. “willy-nilly” TNR
• Triaging calls and focusing volunteers on colonies of 10 or more
• Taking a 40-to-55-cat colony to 99% in about seven and a half months
• Asking caregivers to withhold food before trapping, the hardest part of the job
• Setting up a kitten pathway before you start trapping
• Trap training on a rural property, and when to switch to a drop trap
• Who the course is for, and how many hours a week it takes
• Being the town’s community cat expert
• Building transport relays with neighboring counties

Resources & Links

• Animal Birth Control Clinic
• Community Cat Program Management Certification Course