The Shelter Cats Podcast brings attention to all those wonderful people who have, in some way or another, helped the lives of cats.
Without them (the people and the cats), who knows where we’d be today.
If you’re a cat person or cat curious or are just looking for a fun way to pass some time, please give our podcast a listen or a watch.
Hosts:
Dan "The Cat Man" Trachtenberg
Michelle "The Meow Maven" Nielsen
Head to our website to learn more about The Shelter Cats Podcast, get all our links, and buy official merch!
https://www.sheltercatspod.com
Episode 83: Greetings from Catsbury Park, N.J. with DJ Bornschein
For Episode 83, we’re joined by DJ Bornschein, founder of Catsbury Park and the mastermind behind the world-famous Catsbury Park Cat Convention!
Catsbury Park started back in July 2016 right out of DJ’s Jersey Shore home as a small foster-based rescue caring for a handful of kittens. From opening New Jersey's first-ever cat café in 2017 to launching the massive Catsbury Park Cat Convention in 2018, DJ has dedicated his life to creating safe havens for rescue cats and connecting passionate animal lovers. DJ joins hosts Dan and Michelle to talk about grassroots rescue work, navigating the transition through the pandemic, and what to expect this weekend as the Catsbury Park Cat Convention returns on October 10 & 11, 2026 at Bell Works!
Connect with Catsbury Park & Get Convention Tickets:
Catsbury Park Official Site: catsburypark.com (http://catsburypark.com)
Catsbury Park Cat Convention (Details & Tickets):
catsburyconvention.com (https://catsburyconvention.com/)
The Shelter Cats Podcast Links & Resources:
Official Website & Merch: sheltercatspod.com (https://sheltercatspod.com/)
Shelter Cat Resources: sheltercatspod.com/resources (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://sheltercatspod.com/resources)
Follow Us on Social Media: Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and your favorite podcast platforms!
Follow Michelle on TikTok: @michellenielsen076 (https://www.tiktok.com/@michellenielsen076)
Hosted by: Dan "The Cat Man" & Michelle "The Meow Maven"
Producer: Dan Trachtenberg
Graphics and Merch Designs: Michelle Nielsen
Edited by: Jacob Haley
Contact Us:
dan@tylerthecat.com
sheltercatspodcast@gmail.com
6 Oct 2026
Episode 82: You Don’t Lose Cool Points For Compassion: Sterling "Trap King" Davis on TNR & Redefining Cat Rescue
The “TrapKing” himself, Sterling Davis, joins us as our special Season 5 premiere guest!
Sterling “TrapKing” Davis is a well-traveled, ex-military, music and cat enthusiast who has always loved entertaining and connecting with people. Growing up, he was often the only guy in his neighborhood championing a love for cats. While taking a hiatus from touring with his rap group, Sterling spotted a job opening cleaning litter boxes at his local shelter. Looking for a meaningful way to spend his time, he applied—and the trajectory of his life changed completely.
Sterling quickly fell in love with shelter work and was promoted to an outreach role centered on Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)—the proven, humane method for managing community cat populations. Recognizing his true calling, he stepped away from the music industry full-time to devote his life to feline advocacy.
In 2017, he founded the nonprofit Trapking Humane Cat Solutions, dedicated to hands-on TNR, community cat management, and grassroots education. Sterling’s mission breaks through barriers: shattering outdated stereotypes around men in animal rescue and bridging vital communication gaps between Black communities and predominantly white animal welfare spaces. He lives and breathes his defining motto: You don’t lose cool points for compassion.
Today, Sterling is an internationally sought-after speaker, headlining major events like CatCon, Cat Camp, and Meow DC, while championing grassroots shelters across the nation. Tune in as we kick off Season 5 with an inspiring conversation on reframing rescue culture, community outreach, and saving lives through TNR.
Find out more about Sterling “TrapKing” Davis:
Website: trapkinghumane.org (https://trapkinghumane.org/)
🔗 Guest Links & Resources
Episode Resources: sheltercatspod.com/resources (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://sheltercatspod.com/resources)
💖 Support the Show & Connect
👕 Official Merch: sheltercatspod.com (https://sheltercatspod.com/)
📱 Follow Michelle: @michellenielsen076 on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@michellenielsen076)
🎬 Production Team
Hosts: Dan "The Cat Man" & Michelle "The Meow Maven"
Editor: Jacob Haley
📩 Get in Touch & Submit Your Photos!
Email: dan@tylerthecat.com (https://www.google.com/search?q=mailto%3Adan%40tylerthecat.com) | sheltercatspodcast@gmail.com (https://www.google.com/search?q=mailto%3Asheltercatspodcast%40gmail.com)
28 Jul 2026
Episode 81: The Best Of Season 4 🐾
We made it through Season 4, and we’re celebrating with our first-ever "Best Of" compilation episode!
Whether you’re catching up or re-living the highlights, Dan and Michelle and editor Jake have pulled together the absolute best moments, advice, and laughs from an incredible run of guests. From legendary feline advocates to vet care experts and inspiring rescue stories, this episode is stacked with the heart of our community.
🌈 A Special Note from the Team Sending our deepest love and condolences to our editor, Jacob Haley, on the passing of his beloved dog, Gus. Rest in peace, sweet boy. You are so loved. 🐾
🌟 Featuring Highlights From:
Jackson Galaxy (The Cat Daddy himself!)
Rescue Advocates Of Long Island
Cat Amazing/Brook Fountains
Dr. Mary Manspeaker, DVM, MS
Urban Cat League
Hannah Shaw (The Kitten Lady)
Duane Hook (Get Meowta Here)
Hard Hat Cats: Sheila Massey
Amy Dudley from Weruva
🔗 Guest Links & Resources
Find all links, websites, and socials for every guest featured in this episode on our official resource page:
👉 sheltercatspod.com/resources (http://sheltercatspod.com/resources)
💖 Support the Show & Connect
👕 Official Merch: Grab your gear at sheltercatspod.com (https://www.sheltercatspod.com/)
📱 Follow Michelle: Keep up with the Meow Maven’s journey on TikTok! https://www.tiktok.com/@michellenielsen076 (https://www.tiktok.com/@michellenielsen076)
🎬 The Team
Hosts: Dan "The Cat Man" & Michelle "The Meow Maven"
Editor: Jacob Haley
📩 Questions, Comments, or Photo Submissions?
Drop us a line anytime—we’d love to hear from you!
Email: dan@tylerthecat.com | sheltercatspodcast@gmail.com
Who has been a guest on Shelter Cats!
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Terri Grow
Gemma Smith
Jeff Carstens
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
228,186
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Spotify
3.8 / 5
12 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 65 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
67
Social presence
0
YouTube
82
Engagement
75
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