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ssteezyy · 6 years ago

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Tiffanie McCullough: Passionate About Cats, TNR, Feline Nutrition, and Busting Stereotypes

I first met Tiffany McCullough at Cat Camp NYC earlier this year, but didn’t have much of a chance to chat with her until we saw each other again at CatCon. We only talked for a few minutes amid the (wonderful) craziness that is CatCon, but I knew right then and there that I had met a kindred spirit, and that I wanted to introduce you to this amazing woman.

Tiffanie is the Director of Trapking Humane Solutions, working with Sterling Davis to help the cats in their hometown Atlanta through TNR and adoption, and to bridge the gap in communication between black communities and animal rescue and local shelters.

Tiffanie is a Virginia native who has always loved animals. After getting her degree in business marketing, she spent eight years in corporate America, until one day, she had had enough of the stress and the mundane treadmill of the business world. She quit. “I flat out said forget this and walked out on my corporate job and never looked back,” writes Tiffanie on the Trapking website. “That night, once I actually had time to realize what I had done , I went online and saw a job for a cat attendant at Lifeline Animal Project.” She got called for an interview the next day. “I sat in a cat room in heels and a business skirt, with cats climbing all around me and purring.” She was hired four days later.

She served as an owner surrender counselor, worked with shelter cats, and became interested in animal nutrition. “My affinity for animals has become a full fledged movement,” writes Tiffanie. “I aim to break the stereotypes associated with not only black women and cats but black women and animals. That one risk of quitting my career has led me on a journey that has blessed me in so many ways and it continues to do so every second of every day.”

I wanted to learn more about Tiffany and her work, and I’m delighted to bring you this interview.

How did you get started with Trapking and Sterling?

I’ve known Sterling for years. He would let staff tag along on trapping sessions and that’s how I developed my love for TNR . I remember we were both working at the shelter. I was working the front desk at the clinic right before I was promoted to Owner Surrender Counselor. Sterling was the sole person doing TNR for the organization (a private shelter and two county shelters.) He would always talk about how there had to be a better way to spread awareness and to get more men and diversity involved with feral cats and TNR .

As time went on, it went from casual talking to him really wanting to see the change. One day he came to my desk and said “Pika, I’m starting a nonprofit – I have to do it. I want to do something different to help these cats and I’m calling it TrapKing. I want you to be my director. You can help keep things running smoothly and you have the background knowledge.” I was super excited, of course, and it blossomed from there.

How did you get interested in nutrition?

My initial interest came when I was working at the shelter. I’ve worked in intake, the kennel, the feline department, the shelter clinic, and a private vet clinic (editor’s note: Tiffanie is Fear Free Certified.) I’ve seen multiple facets of how diet affects shelter animals. They are usually fed whatever is cost effective or donated. I saw how a lot of the animals had skin issues and allergy symptoms. When a shelter is stretched to the max on a budget, it can be hard to meet nutritional needs.

It wasn’t until I began working at the private veterinary clinic in patient care that I was able to really be hands on and learn about food allergies, prescription diets and raw feeding. I noticed some of the owners would bring in freeze dried raw food or home made food for their pets who were boarding. A lot of them complained about how the prescribed diet wasn’t working. I looked at the back of a prescribed bag of food one day and was amazed at all of the corn, wheat gluten and other additives inside. My interest peaked from there.

You are an advocate for raw feeding. How did you come to understand that raw is the optimal diet for cats?

Education and research. The best thing any owner can do is arm themselves with knowledge. I’m not saying don’t take the advice of your vet, however, preparing yourself for more healthier options is a win for the pet and the owner. I took a job at a specialty food pet store that is a huge advocate for raw feeding for pets. I went through several months of training, and meetings with representatives of some awesome raw food companies.

The first thing I learned was that cats are obligate carnivores. Even the best kibble is still kibble. Not only can a raw diet improve digestion, the stool is greatly reduced in volume and odor, there is also better dental health and less shedding of the coat, which leads to fewer hairballs. I remember reading, and taking pages and pages of notes. It was like college all over again. I also met with a couple of veterinarians who advocate raw feeding.

How do you approach counseling potential adopters or cat parents who have never heard of raw feeding?

I encourage everyone to start slow. There are so many options in regards to raw feeding . Which is good, because cats are creatures of habit and change for them can be hard. I always try to give a little background on cats and how they function. For example: The amino acid taurine is exclusively found in animal-based proteins. Humans and dogs can easily synthesize it within their bodies with usually no problems. Cats, however have to get taurine from their diet. So what we feed our feline companions is super important. I talk to them about how taurine is critical for heart muscle function, fetal development, the immune system and vision. Salmon, red meat and poultry (especially organ meats) are great natural sources of taurine. You would be hard pressed to find a wild cat with a taurine deficiency.

Most of the time, switching from kibble to raw should be fairly easy. However, factoring in lifestyle of the owner and the cat, thawing out frozen raw food may be a challenge. Freeze-dried raw (which may require re-hydrating) is a great way to add raw to the diet or to transition. Raw goat’s milk is another way to add a raw element. I’d like to note that I wouldn’t give kittens raw goat’s milk. Their systems are much too sensitive. If kittens can’t nurse, a commercial kitten milk replacement is ideal.

Can you share some success stories you’ve had with raw food? You mentioned a cat named Lenny to me?

Lenny!! Ahh, my heartbeat. Lenny was pulled by Sterling from a county shelter, where he was facing euthanasia because they deemed him too feral. We ended up taking him to a vet for a severe open gash and to be neutered. After two more surgeries, Lenny went into foster care, where he was a lovebug. When he was finally healed, he made his way to me.

I noticed he had severe diarrhea. It was pretty bad. The kibble he had been eating was wreaking havoc on his system. I immediately got him some goat’s milk with turmeric and ginger to help with his tummy and to replenish lost moisture. I also started him on freeze dried raw chicken and salmon, which was 90% meat, organs and bone with 10% produce and supplements. Within 3 days, Lenny went from overbearing diarrhea (yikes) to solid stool that was small in size and had very little odor. The smaller stool was also a sign that he was absorbing a majority of the nutrients. He also really loves raw bone broth. Primal is his favorite brand of raw food. As days went, on his coat and overall health dramatically improved. He and I both decided to make it official, and I adopted him.

Tiffanie with Lenny

Tell us about your first cat.

My first cat was a calico named Nadia. I found her in the woods near my campus. I was 19 and in college at the time. She was malnourished and covered in fleas. I was so naive that I just gave her water, wet food and washed her with just a bar of soap. I kept her hidden in my dorm room. She thrived for about a month but was just so sickly. I remember taking my last bit of money and taking her to the vet because she had stopped eating. He told me she had a terribly infected abscess in her mouth, and was anemic. Her little body just couldn’t take it. I cried for days when she passed. I’ve thankfully learned so much more about cats since then.

How many cats do you have now?

Just one. Lenny Katvitz – he is my eartipped renegade but he is pure love and let me tell you, he is quite the entertainer. He is so inquisitive and when he gets excited – especially at feeding time – he becomes a chatterbox. It’s the cutest!!!

What is it like working with Sterling?

With Sterling everything you see is exactly what you’re going to get. If you took Lebron James, Jimi Hendrix and mixed a feral cat in there it would be Sterling… lol. He is outgoing, driven and determined. We are like a bonded pair of felines when it comes to TNR, our love for animals and life in general. We balance each other out, Sterl is more eclectic and stubborn. I’m more calm and open. I make sure everything is running smoothly behind the scenes. We always bounce ideas off of each other, too. We may bump heads at times, but we have fun. At the end of the day, we are both here for one purpose, and that’s to advance the awareness of all things feral and TNR. Besides who else could deal with that dude honestly? 😆

For more information about Tiffanie, Sterling and Trap King Solutions and the amazing work they do, please visit https://trapkinghumane.org/.

The post Tiffanie McCullough: Passionate About Cats, TNR, Feline Nutrition, and Busting Stereotypes appeared first on The Conscious Cat.

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lenaglittleus · 7 years ago

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What Is An Emotional Support Animal? + Why We Got Bodhi Certified

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Stella & Chewy’s as part of my year long partnership with them. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make THM possible.

I think it’s safe to say that you all know I’m obsessed with our dog Bodhi. From a distance you might think that that I’m just your average dog lover, or a tad bit crazy with my attachment to him, but there’s so much more to the story.

Bodhi isn’t just our dog, or even my best friend (though C and I will forever fight for his love), he’s actually my Certified Emotional Support Animal, or ESA dog for short.

Anytime I mention this to someone I always get questions as to why and how Bodhi got his dog certification, so I thought I would tackle them in this post. A lot of other people don’t know the difference between an Emotional Support Animal and a Service Animal, so I wanted to jump into that too. Years ago when I was researching this, I wish I had a full break down of how to get your dog ESA certified. So let’s jump in…

Why We Got Bodhi Certified

There is no doubt in my mind that Bodhi is my ESA. He is my confidante, best friend and the ultimate listener. When I’m feeling sad/depressed/lonely/anxious he provides immediate perspective. Watching him find joy in everything from a peanut butter kong to a stick reminds me to search for that same kind of joy in my life. He also helps me get out of bed on those days when I don’t want to (and trust me, I have those days) and get outside when I’d rather crawl into my anxious shell. Besides my medication I take for anxiety, Bodhi is 100% necessary for my mental health.

Bodhi goes above and beyond for me in ways I could have never imagined. I grew up with a dog, but it’s not until I got one of my own that I realized how in tune they are with your energy. Those days when I just need a little extra support, he totally knows it and will literally sleep at my feet all day or nuzzle his cold, wet nose into my hands to remind me he’s there. Because of this I definitely go above and beyond for him. Feeding him kibble that is full of nutritious ingredients is just one of the many ways I return my love for him. That and sneaking him bites of my banana…his favorite treat!

How To Register For An Emotional Support Animal

You need a licensed mental health professional to write you a letter in order to qualify for an emotional support animal. This letter outlines that your pet is necessary for your mental health and wellbeing. This can be a doctor (including a psychiatrist), psychologist or social worker. So long as the person is licensed to care for your mental health they may write the letter.

I have been in therapy for over 10 years. My psychiatrist would tell you that Bodhi is my emotional support animal, however when we moved to the US, we were still sorting out our health insurance so I didn’t have a mental health professional in place yet.

Luckily, there are online services that can connect you to a licensed mental health professional to provide a letter for you if you are in this situation. I used CertaPet and while it wasn’t cheap ($180), it did allow for me to get a new letter written in the US while we were transitioning. They require you to fill out a questionnaire that asks you about your mental health and speak with a mental health professional. Do I think that some people abuse this service? Yes. But if you’re in a pinch, like I was then it’s a great option.

Do you need the dog vest? CertaPet and the likes (there are others out there), will try to sell you the vest and the card. You do not need either of these to have your dog certified. All you need is the letter from your mental health professional to be eligible for ESA benefits.

Emotional Support Animal vs. Service Animal – What’s the Difference?

This is where things get confusing. People think that because Bodhi is my ESA that I can take him everywhere. Do I wish I could? Yes, but unfortunately that’s not the case.

Emotional Support Animal – gives you certain privileges in cases where dogs may not typically be permitted. The two main ones are for landlords who disqualify pet owners and for people with a fear of flying. Getting your dog certified means that landlords must accept you and your dog even if they’re a dog-free building. If your dog is qualified to fly with you, that means they can come on the plane with you and sit at your feet, even if they are above the weight-limit. Having an ESA means you have an emotional disability and your dog is necessary for your mental health.

Service Animal – these are highly-trained dogs that help individuals with physical disabilities. Whether it be seeing-eye dogs, hard of hearing dogs or provide another physical service, these dogs have gone through rigorous training and are working 24 hours a day with their owners. They are permitted everywhere. They get all the same benefits of an ESA but it also goes beyond by allowing you to take your dog with you wherever you go.

How To Care For Your Emotional Support Animal

I think it’s pretty inherent that if your dog (or other pet) is expected to provide a service for you, you would ensure the best care for them. We certainly don’t mess around when it comes to Bodhi’s health. He’s an active dog that requires the right kind of fuel to support his level of energy. That’s why it was important to us that we be feeding the best possible food for his breed.

Mealtime is 100% the highlight of Bodhi’s day. Not only does he get his morning and evening affirmations (see here), but he also INHALES his food. We feed him Stella and Chewy’s Raw Blend Kibble and there is no question that he loves it. More importantly, it is made from organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed or cage-free meat, and has a combination of freeze dried raw meat and gently-baked kibble, so it is easy on his stomach and convenient for us. It’s also 100% grain-free.

To learn more about what you should be feeding your dog check out this post, but having now recommended Stella and Chewy’s to three different dog parents, all of whom LOVE the food I can safely say that you will love it too. And no, this isn’t just my sponsored voice talking – I genuinely think it is a fantastic choice for your pet.

Some Final Thoughts

I was having a chat with a friend who also has an ESA and she was telling me about an experience she had while flying with her dog. She has a fear of flying and her dog has allowed her to get on planes to go visit her family. While most people were respectful, she did encounter some people who required her to explain why she had her dog with her. I understand people’s curiosities, but not everyone wants to explain why they have an ESA. In the same way you wouldn’t ask someone with a Service Animal to explain why they have one. I’d rather not have to describe my anxiety to random strangers and likewise, she should not have to explain her fear of flying. This is just my short PSA to be respectful of everyone’s situations and not assume that every person got their pet certified simply because they love them – which most pet parents still do.

This last point is for anyone who already has an ESA. If you are flying with them, try to be as respectful as possible with your neighbors. Though we haven’t flown with Bodhi yet, when we do, we will reserve the front bulkhead seats as he is a big dog and requires more space. If your dog is small, that’s much easier, but for bigger dogs try to reserve a seat with more leg room (besides the emergency row which cannot be blocked) so that your pet isn’t taking up your neighbors space.

Do you have an ESA? Have you ever heard of an ESA before this post?

The post What Is An Emotional Support Animal? + Why We Got Bodhi Certified appeared first on The Healthy Maven.

from News About Health https://www.thehealthymaven.com/2017/11/what-is-an-emotional-support-animal.html

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