Developed by the team at First Nations Veterinary, this course will teach you how to create and deliver high-volume spay/neuter veterinary care. The course is specifically geared toward clinic work on Native American reservations, but can be applied to any mobile or MASH-type setting. In this course we examine key decisions in service delivery, with an emphasis on ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance protocols and real world experience.

The First Nations Veterinary mobile unit delivers six clinics a year on multiple reservations. They provide spay/neuter surgery for cats and dogs as well as offering preventatives and addressing minor wellness issues. In their years of delivering clinics, they've honed an efficient process that minimizes stress for both pets and humans. In this course, you'll receive everything you need to deliver a clinic in a mobile or MASH-type setting, including protocols, contracts and inventory spreadsheet.

Note: This course has been submitted for approval for 3.0 hours of credit from the Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) program of the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). If you complete the course prior to approval, check back to take a 15-question quiz and receive a RACE-qualifying certificate. 

Maddie's® Insights is our ongoing webcast series with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people. 

Presenters: 
Peter J. Wolf, Research and Policy Analyst, Best Friends Animal Society
Amanda Weiss, PsyD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Program Description: Shelters and rescue groups have shown great resilience, finding innovative ways to save animals despite major challenges. However, many workers face burnout and compassion fatigue, leading some to leave the field.

In 2023, Best Friends conducted the largest U.S. survey on shelter staff well-being. Nearly half of respondents reported high compassion satisfaction, and most plan to stay in their roles. Yet, over half showed high burnout, and over 90% had high compassion fatigue, raising concerns about staff well-being and the sustainability of lifesaving efforts.

This presentation will focus on positive solutions and how shelters can learn from veterinary well-being practices to support staff and volunteers.

Learning objectives:
Participants will learn about (1) the difference between burnout and compassion fatigue (2) the results of our well-being survey, and (3) what we can learn from innovative veterinary well-being practices.

Specifically, attendees will learn to:

1.     Feel validated for working in a profession in which multiple (potentially sensitive) factors are always in play: financial pressure, emergency cases, humane euthanasia, fast-paced environment, a steady influx of more animals to help, etc.

2.     Understand that we can manage our own responses by implementing and practicing skills, and that our reaction influences those around us.

3.     Trust that the strongest intervention to burnout and compassion fatigue is thoughtful and deliberate prevention, especially in the context of not being able to fully predict or control our work environment.

4.     Appreciate that proactive conversations will likely need to occur with many colleagues and within all levels of leadership, including needs assessments, expectations, deliverables, and healthy boundaries. 

Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit until 1/31/2027 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.

Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MIwebcast...

keywords  Maddie's Insights, Peter J. Wolf, Amanda Weiss, PsyD, animal shelter staff well-being, Best Friends Animal Society

This course is part of Maddie's Monthly Foster Connection, monthly webcasts about foster care - supporting pets in our community and animal shelters. 

This presentation provides foster caregivers and adopters with the tools to recognize, prevent, and manage common infectious diseases in cats. Topics include ringworm, panleukopenia, calicivirus, upper respiratory disease, toxoplasmosis, parasites, FeLV, FIV, and FIP. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of what these diseases are, how they spread, and any risks they may pose to humans. We review symptoms, disease severity, prognosis, and prevention strategies, empowering participants to confidently care for their feline friends.

Presenter: Dr. Rachael Wooten, Medical Director, One Tail at a Time

This webinar has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association.

Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: 

This lecture offers a thorough exploration of kitten socialization, addressing common misconceptions and providing actionable strategies for fostering lifelong learning behaviors. Attendees will gain insights into effective socialization techniques through practical examples applicable in diverse environments such as foster homes, shelters, and veterinary settings. By arming participants with both practical strategies and an understanding of kitten development, this lecture aims to empower individuals to create optimal socialization experiences for kittens, ultimately contributing to their long-term health and well-being.

Key take-aways:
1. Understanding Kitten Development: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the developmental stages of kittens and how these stages influence their socialization needs.
2. Effective Socialization Techniques: Learn and implement practical socialization techniques tailored for diverse environments, including foster homes, shelters, and veterinary clinics, to ensure positive and enriching experiences for kittens.
3. Long-term Health and Well-being: Understand the long-term impact of early socialization on kittens’ health and behavior and apply strategies to promote lifelong well-being and adaptability

Speaker: Tabitha Kucera, RVT, CCBC, KPA-CTP, Owner, Chirrups and Chatter

This webinar was part of Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition symposium recorded on March 4, 2025. Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit between 1/2/25 - 1/2/27 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.

Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions https://maddies.fund/Pawsitive...

Keywords: Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition, Tabitha Kucera, Socializing Kittens, Kitten Care

This presentation discusses the programmatic development of the Kitten College at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington in Arlington, VA. Shelter and rescue staff and administrators are best suited to attend this presentation. Structure, foster recruitment and support as well as resource saving tips are covered.

Key Take-aways:
1. Learn how to look at kitten programs through a different lens by focusing on empowering fosters to keep kittens out of the shelter.
2. Divide fosters into categories that allow them to make manageable time commitments and specialize in an age they are comfortable handling.
3. Learn to maximize limited resources when implementing this program

Speaker: Marnie Russ, Founder, National Kitten College 

This webinar was part of Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition symposium recorded on March 4, 2025 Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit between 1/2/25 - 1/2/27 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.

Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions:  https://maddies.fund/KittenCollegeSmallProgramHugeImpactCampMaddieKitten

Keywords: Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition, Marnie Russ, Small Program, Huge Impact, kitten care

With shelters already stretched thin, this series provides critical insights from industry experts to help organizations scale up their responses to meet the needs of more vulnerable kittens in their communities. These webcasts are designed to equip participants with essential skills and knowledge to tackle the challenges of the upcoming kitten season which is expected to be particularly demanding.

Speakers are among the top professionals in this field:
• Dr. Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DABVP, Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine, University of Florida
• Marnie Russ, Founder, National Kitten College
• Monica Tarant, Chief Innovation Officer, Give Them Ten Movement
• Tabitha Kucera, RVT, CCBC, KPA-CTP, Owner, Chirrups and Chatter

For complete information about the agenda and speakers, visit https://forum.maddiesfund.org/...

Kittens are exceptionally vulnerable in the first months of life. Many kittens born outdoors are underweight, sick, or injured by the time they are discovered or may develop disease after they enter a sheltered environment. This session will dive into the Shelter Medicine protocols developed for preventive health care, surgery, and response to disease that often differ from those used in private veterinary practice. Topics will include vaccination, spay/neuter, and infectious diseases including upper respiratory infection, FeLV, panleukopenia, and FIP.

Key Take-aways:

1. Understand preventive care protocols designed for sheltered kittens. Attendees will learn how vaccination, parasite control, and housing protocols are designed for the unique challenges rescued kittens face and why they differ from those designed for private practice.
2. Prioritize resources to achieve the best outcome for the most kittens. Attendees will use population-level evidence-based decision-making to prevent and treat disease in resource-scarce conditions.
3. Embrace pediatric neutering. Participants will dispel unfounded fears about spay/neuter in young kittens to support the neuter-before-adoption ideal and create a decision tree for adaptation when spay/neuter capacity is insufficient to meet needs.
4. Respond to infectious disease threats. Participants will learn how to manage URI, the most common disease threat, how to mitigate risk from FeLV, and how to recognize and treat fatal infections like panleukopenia and FIP

Speaker: Dr. Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DABVP, Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine, University of Florida 

This webinar was part of Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition symposium recorded on March 4, 2025. Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit between 1/2/25 - 1/2/27 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.

Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/MedicalPr...

Keywords: Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition,  Dr. Julie Levy, Medical Protocols Tailored for Kitten Care, kitten care

Community cat programs are the cornerstone of feline lifesaving, but what happens when we come across kittens? How do they integrate into the broader community cat framework, ensuring fast yet responsible action for orphaned, socialized, or unsocialized kittens? This session will explore the critical decisions around returning or admitting kittens, and the unique challenges they pose, offering key insights for running a successful, kitten- inclusive community cat program to assure the right outcome for every cat.

Key takeaways:
1. Understand the role of kittens within community cat programs: Participants learn how kittens fit into the overall strategy for managing community cats and the key differences in handling them versus adult cats.2. Evaluate intake versus return options for community kittens: Attendees are equipped with decision-making tools to determine when to intake, foster, or return kittens based on their socialization, age, and health status.

3. Recognize the special care considerations for kittens in community programs: Participants explore the unique needs of kittens, including health, socialization, and development, to ensure proper care while aligning with community cat program goals.

4. Apply best practices for fostering and adoption pathways for kittens: Attendees gain insights into creating effective pathways for fostering and adoption that work within the community cat framework.

Speaker: Monica Tarant, Chief Innovation Officer, Give Them Ten Movement

Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://forum.maddiesfund.org/...

This webinar was part of Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition symposium recorded on March 4, 2025. Earn continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards 1.0 CAWA CEs. This webinar has also been pre-approved for 1.0 continuing education
credits by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit between 1/2/25 - 1/2/27 in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit.

Keywords: Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition, Monica Tarant, Community Cat Programs, kitten care

This course is part of Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, monthly webcasts about pet behavior - supporting pets in our community and animal shelters.

Despite our best efforts, the shelter can be a stressful place for cats. Some cats love humans but the separation from what is familiar coupled with exposure to a new and scary environment can cause them to shut down. Others may be poorly socialized and need assistance to form a positive association with humans. It is our duty to help them have the best possible well-being while in our care, and human-animal interaction as enrichment can play an important role in that. But how to bridge that gap from fear to friendship can be confusing/frustrating – some efforts can seem to do more harm than good. It can be difficult to know what approach to use, how to guide staff and volunteers on how to use it, and to know if your efforts are really helping. This webinar will guide attendees on a formal program for gaining the trust of the more fearful cats in your care, and a method for tracking their progress and welfare so that case managers can know when to implement additional interventions.

Presenter: Jacklyn Ellis, PhD, Director, Toronto Humane Society

This webinar has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association.

Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, access the resources, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/BehaviorConnectionFebruary2025   

kewords Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, Ellis, cat behavior modification

Let’s talk cats! While unwanted cat behavior is less common than in dogs, you wouldn’t know that by the number of requests for cat behavior content. There are a lot of cat people here on Maddie’s® University.

This collection includes our favorite feline content about body language, stress, enrichment, behavior modification, behavior concerns and adoption counseling.