Stray Pets in Need Training Portal - Foster
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Welcome to the SPIN training portal for foster caregivers. Thank you for helping our cats!
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Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn practical tools to assess and respond to feline communication using Fear Free's Fear, Anxiety, and Stress scale.
This course is part of Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, monthly webcasts about pet behavior - supporting pets in our community and animal shelters.
This session provides practical tools to assess and respond to feline communication using Fear Free's Fear, Anxiety, and Stress scale. Through interactive exercises and video demonstrations, attendees will gain the confidence to advocate for the cats in their care, promoting better welfare and adoption outcomes.
Presenter: Tabitha Kucera, Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, Veterinary Technician Specialist (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She is also the creator of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training.
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/BehaviorC...
kewords Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, Tabitha Kucera, feline communication, feline behavior
Tabitha Kucera
VT, CCBC, KPA-CTP, Owner, Chirrups and Chatter
Chirrups and Chatter
Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, Veterinary Technician Specialist (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner.
She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training and serves as the animal behavior technician at The Gentle Vet in Ohio. Tabitha lectures nationally and internationally, helping audiences build stronger connections with animals through a deeper understanding of behavior.
Tabitha has held leadership roles with the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and the Pet Professional Guild's Cat Committee. She also served as a behavior consultant and mentor for the Cat Pawsitive Pro program for six years.
In addition, Tabitha works closely with animal welfare and veterinary organizations, including veterinary hospitals and animal shelters, to develop and implement training and behavior programs. She is a Fear Free certified speaker and coach, a Fear Free Practice Certification Consultant, and the host of the podcast Tails from a Vet Tech. -
Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
Through video examples, you’ll learn how to thoughtfully and confidently approach cats in different settings — from cages to carriers. Gain practical tools to reduce stress, improve adoption readiness, and advocate effectively for the cats in your care.
This course is part of Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, monthly webcasts about pet behavior - supporting pets in our community and animal shelters.
Building on Cracking the Cat Code, this session explores how to apply the Considerate Approach when working with cats in shelter environments. Through video examples, you’ll learn how to thoughtfully and confidently approach cats in different settings — from cages to carriers. Gain practical tools to reduce stress, improve adoption readiness, and advocate effectively for the cats in your care.
Speaker: Tabitha Kucera, Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, Veterinary Technician Specialist (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She is the founder of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training
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/BehaviorC...
keywords Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection, Tabitha Kucera, cat behavior, Considerate Approach, shelter cats
Tabitha Kucera
VT, CCBC, KPA-CTP, Owner, Chirrups and Chatter
Chirrups and Chatter
Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, Veterinary Technician Specialist (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner.
She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training and serves as the animal behavior technician at The Gentle Vet in Ohio. Tabitha lectures nationally and internationally, helping audiences build stronger connections with animals through a deeper understanding of behavior.
Tabitha has held leadership roles with the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and the Pet Professional Guild's Cat Committee. She also served as a behavior consultant and mentor for the Cat Pawsitive Pro program for six years.
In addition, Tabitha works closely with animal welfare and veterinary organizations, including veterinary hospitals and animal shelters, to develop and implement training and behavior programs. She is a Fear Free certified speaker and coach, a Fear Free Practice Certification Consultant, and the host of the podcast Tails from a Vet Tech. -
Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Help kittens thrive using the latest guidelines for kitten feeding and other kitten care
Did you know healthy neonatal kittens do NOT need to be fed every two hours? Learn about the latest guidelines for kitten feeding and other kitten care in this course. The course was developed by the Kitten College at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington in Arlington, VA to help their foster caregivers raise happy, healthy kittens. The first kitten nursery of its kind, Arlington went from saving 92 kittens a year in 2016 to over 1500 kittens in 2023. Since its inception, the Kitten College program has been implemented in a growing number of shelters and rescues across the country.
Watching kittens grow up and become ready for their own homes is a rewarding experience. Kittens are vulnerable and require special care and daily monitoring, which you'll learn about in this course.
After successfully completing this course you will be able to:
- Prepare for the arrival of your kittens
- Monitor your kittens' health
- Provide age-appropriate housing
- Bottle feed and syringe feed
- Stimulate your kittens to eliminate
- Wean your kittens
- Bathe your kittens
- Socialize your kittens
The course was authored by Marnie Russ, National Kitten College Founder and CEO, a recognized expert on caring for at-risk kittens. In 2023, Marnie assisted UC Davis and the University of Wisconsin in updating their neonatal kitten guidelines for mass distribution.
This course has been pre-approved for 2.0 hours of continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and the National Animal Care & Control Association. This course has also been approved for 2.0 hours of credit in jurisdictions which recognize the American Association of Veterinary State Board's (AAVSB's) Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) through 4/10/2028.
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Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
Get the majority of your pets out of the shelter and into foster homes
This course will teach you everything you need to know in order to place 50% or more of shelter pets into foster homes. You will learn to utilize the seven guiding principles of foster programs to set your organization up for foster success; create a year-round, comprehensive foster recruitment plan that extends the invitation to foster to all members of your community; create a community culture of fostering to make foster the standard of care; create a process for marketing and adopting pets from foster care; and utilize staff and volunteers to assist with management of foster care.
Note: This course was previously titled A New Model for Shelter Care: Replacing Kennels with Foster Homes.
Human Animal Support Services, HASS
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Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
This presentation equips foster caregivers and adopters with essential knowledge about common infectious diseases in cats.
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 TimeThis 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:
Rachel Wooten, DVM
Medical Director
One Tail at a Time
Dr. Rachael Wooten, a passionate shelter medicine veterinarian with seven years of experience, proudly represents her Black and Puerto Rican heritage. She earned her DVM from Tuskegee University (2017) and after graduation she completed a shelter medicine specialty internship at the University of Illinois CVM. Currently serves as the Medical Director at One Tail at a Time Animal Rescue in Chicago, and has recently completed a Shelter Medicine Fellowship through UW-Madison and UC-Davis.
Dr. Wooten actively advocates for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the veterinary community. Her commitment to fostering an inclusive environment is underscored by her completion of the CARE REDI certificate and serving on multiple DEI boards, further enriching her ability to make a meaningful impact in the field of animal welfare.
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Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits
Clearing up common misconceptions and resolving conflicting information is crucial in ensuring that neonatal kittens receive the best possible care. Learn about conflicting information that often arises in neonatal kitten care, along with clarifications.
NOTE ON NEONATAL VACCINATION: When exposure to panleukopenia, parvo, or distemper is a meaningful risk in shelters, immediate vaccination of puppies and kittens with DAPP and FVRCP respectively, beginning at the time of birth, intake, or prior to intake is a potentially life-saving practice that poses only very rare and largely theoretical risks. New guidelines recommend that all pets be vaccinated on intake, REGARDLESS OF AGE, when reasonable expectation of risk of disease exists. See guidelines here: https://sheltermedicine.wisc.e...
Neonatal kitten care has seen significant advancements over the last decade. At the same time, social media had created thousands of influencers sharing information on the best ways to save these little ones. This information is often conflicting. In 2023, several major shelter medicine programs and animal advocacy groups updated their guidelines for caring for neonatal kittens which added even more confusion and debate about the best ways to care for underage kittens.Dr. Julie Levy and Marnie Russ review changes and offer clarification about feeding schedules, weaning age, temperature regulation, euthanasia rates, medical interventions, combining litters, socialization, and adoption. Come away knowing how you and your shelter can provide neonatal kittens with the best possible care. 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. It has also been submitted for approval for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize the Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) approval.
Clearing up common misconceptions and resolving conflicting information is crucial in ensuring that neonatal kittens receive the best possible care. Learn some common misconceptions and conflicting information that often arise in neonatal kitten care, along with clarifications.
Presenters :
Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DAVBP, Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education at the University of Florida
Marnie Russ, National Kitten College Program Administrator, Founder & Executive Director of National Kitten CollegeHost:
Monica Tarant, Chief Innovation Officer, Cincinnati Animal CARE and The Give Them Ten MovementThis 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. It has also been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval until 6/11/28. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit for RACE, CAWA and NACA.
Visit Maddie's Pet Forum to comment, follow a discussion or ask questions: https://maddies.fund/WebcastNe...
keywords guidelines for caring for neonatal kittens, kitten feeding schedules, kitten weaning age, kitten temperature regulation, kitten euthanasia rates, kitten medical interventions, combining kitten litters, kitten socialization, kitten adoption, neonatal kitten care, Dr. Julie Levy, Marnie Russ, Kitten College, animal well-being, medical, RACE CE
Dr. Julie Levy
VM, PhD, DACVIM, DABVP, Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine, University of Florida
Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at UF
Dr. Julie Levy is the Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education at the University of Florida, where she focuses on the health and welfare of animals in shelters, feline infectious diseases, and humane alternatives for cat population control. She founded Operation Catnip, a community cat trap-neuter-return program that has spayed, neutered, and vaccinated more than 80,000 cats in Gainesville since 1998. A decade later, she joined Dr. Cynda Crawford to launch Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the College of Veterinary Medicine. This educational and discovery initiative has a global impact on the care of homeless animals and served as the academic home for development of the Fear Free Shelters program. She later teamed up with Dr. Kate Hurley to start the Million Cat Challenge, a shelter-based campaign that saved more than 5 million cats in shelters across North America and then Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge to create transformative “communities of practice” that deliver access to care through humane community-centric programming—inside and outside of the shelter—to achieve the right outcome for every pet.
Marnie Russ
Founder & Executive Director of National Kitten College
Kitten College
Marnie Russ created Kitten College when she saw the need for trained foster caregivers to save the most vulnerable animals in shelters. She tested and honed the concept at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington in Arlington, VA before bringing the program to shelters around the country. With Kitten College's help, Arlington went from saving 92 kittens a year in 2016 to 1547 kittens in 2022 all while maintaining a no kill live release rate. Marnie has been fostering neonatal kittens for over two decades, specializing in critical-care neonates and high-risk nursing/expectant queens. Marnie is a recognized expert on caring for at-risk kittens. She is co-founder of the National Kitten Coalition and speaks nationally about at-risk neonatal kittens. Her advice and expertise are sought from shelters and rescues across the country. In 2023, Marnie assisted UC Davis and the University of Wisconsin to update their neonatal kitten guidelines for mass distribution.
Marnie sits on multiple Boards for spay/neuter organizations throughout the county including Fox Hollow Animal Project in Montana and Caring Hands Animal Support and Education – International Advocacy. She annually travels to third world countries assisting in international spay/neuter projects to help impact the lives of street animals in underserved areas.
Monica Tarant
Chief Innovation Officer
Give Them Ten Movement
Monica Tarant is the Chief Innovation Officer with the Give Them Ten Movement and is helping create cat caring communities across the country.
A decade before anyone had heard of such a thing, she cut her teeth founding a trap-neuter-return organization in rural Illinois and pioneered one of the nation's first and largest working cat programs. In 2012, her move to Texas helped Austin achieve a citywide 98% live release rate for cats. Monica then spent years as an instructor for the Maddie’s Fund Lifesaving Academy, teaching shelters best practices and innovative programs, advancing research in shelter medicine, and progressing public policy as a City of Austin Animal Advisory Commissioner.
Monica is a frequent speaker and advisor on creative solutions for every cat, progressive community cat programming, transformative shelter leadership, and creating strategic visions for impactful, sustainable organizations. -
Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
How we talk about cats can influence public attitudes and behavior, so it is important to consider the words, images and stories we use - particularly when we are trying to change the way the public views and responds to our work.
How we talk about cats can influence public attitudes and behavior, so it is important to consider the words, images and stories we use - particularly when we are trying to change the way the public views and responds to our work.
Does the term “feral” hamper efforts to gain public support for community cat programs? How might your fundraising appeals accidentally create backlash against those same programs? In this fast-paced and thought-provoking webinar from Million Cat Challenge, we’ll see how we often talk about cats may actually be bad for them and make our work harder. We'll have time after the webinar for discussion and figuring this out together. Plus, there may be bingo.
Presenters:
Danielle Bays, Senior Analyst, Cat Protection & Policy, The Humane Society of the United States
Monica Frenden-Tarant, Maddie's Director of Feline Lifesaving, American Pets Alive!
Julie Levy, Co-Founder, Million Cat Challenge, Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at University of Florida
keywords
community cats, Million Cat Challenge, Animal & Population Management, marketing, Keep companion animals in their homes and neighborhoods, Rehome Pets Without the Shelter System, foster care, maximize in care welfare, optimize foster care
Dr. Julie Levy (Moderator)
VM, PhD, DACVIM, DABVP, Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine, University of Florida
Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at UF
Dr. Julie Levy is the Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education at the University of Florida, where she focuses on the health and welfare of animals in shelters, feline infectious diseases, and humane alternatives for cat population control. She founded Operation Catnip, a community cat trap-neuter-return program that has spayed, neutered, and vaccinated more than 80,000 cats in Gainesville since 1998. A decade later, she joined Dr. Cynda Crawford to launch Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the College of Veterinary Medicine. This educational and discovery initiative has a global impact on the care of homeless animals and served as the academic home for development of the Fear Free Shelters program. She later teamed up with Dr. Kate Hurley to start the Million Cat Challenge, a shelter-based campaign that saved more than 5 million cats in shelters across North America and then Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge to create transformative “communities of practice” that deliver access to care through humane community-centric programming—inside and outside of the shelter—to achieve the right outcome for every pet.
Monica Tarant
Chief Innovation Officer
Give Them Ten Movement
Monica Tarant is the Chief Innovation Officer with the Give Them Ten Movement and is helping create cat caring communities across the country.
A decade before anyone had heard of such a thing, she cut her teeth founding a trap-neuter-return organization in rural Illinois and pioneered one of the nation's first and largest working cat programs. In 2012, her move to Texas helped Austin achieve a citywide 98% live release rate for cats. Monica then spent years as an instructor for the Maddie’s Fund Lifesaving Academy, teaching shelters best practices and innovative programs, advancing research in shelter medicine, and progressing public policy as a City of Austin Animal Advisory Commissioner.
Monica is a frequent speaker and advisor on creative solutions for every cat, progressive community cat programming, transformative shelter leadership, and creating strategic visions for impactful, sustainable organizations.Danielle Jo Bays
Senior Analyst, Cat Protection & Policy
The Humane Society of the United States
Danielle Jo Bays is the senior analyst for cat protection and policy at the Humane Society of the United States, with more than 20 years of experience advocating for various animals. Danielle began her journey to professional cat lady by conducting trap-neuter-return in her own backyard. Now she works with animal shelters, cat advocates, policymakers, and other stakeholders to broaden support for and increase the impact of community cat programs nationwide. She is a co-author of The Return-to-Field Handbook, which recently won a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers Association. Just prior to joining the HSUS in 2015, she spent 5 years building a pro-active community cat program in Washington DC and has TNRd more cats than she can count. Danielle holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University and a M.S. in Animals and Public Policy from Tufts University. She lives with five cats and a catio in Washington, DC.
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Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits
Learn to safely handle and treat feral and fractious cats
This is a practical course covering treatment and handling of feral and fractious cats. Videos demonstrate handling techniques. This course is authored by Monica Tarant, Chief Innovation Officer: Feline Lifesaving at Cincinnati Animal CARE with The Joanie Bernard Foundation.
keywords: community, cats, medical, treatment, panleuk, URI
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Contains 3 Component(s), Includes Credits
Get pets out of your shelter and into foster homes in all kinds of emergencies, including space crises
Emergency foster programs are helping organizations across the country continue to save lives during population spikes, natural disasters, outbreaks of contagious illness, hoarding situations, building renovations, and more. You might call emergency foster programs the "backup plan" for situations that put animal welfare organizations in crisis, including simply running out of space. After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:
- Recognize the power of an emergency foster initiative to build your supporter base
- Identify and tailor your initiative to a range of shelter emergencies
- Recruit emergency foster caregivers using a variety of strategies
- Successfully message your community about your foster initiative
- Know where to find support
This course is authored by Kelly Duer, Senior Community Solutions Specialist for Maddie’s Fund®. This course is pre-approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit from the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA) and the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA).
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