Our New Shelter

       Our new shelter is located on a 10 acre parcel of land in the town of Cullowhee, North Carolina. The main shelter building now complete is occupied by cats awaiting adoption. Dr. Harold Sims and his wife, co founders of Catman2 Inc., live in a home near the shelter. There is plenty of room for an expansion of cat related facilities. The entire complex is three miles from the main gate of Western Carolina University.

     The new shelter building, corner stone of the planned complex, contains a little less than four thousand square feet. There are three large cat rooms, each with a large screened and fenced outside porch. Another room houses incoming cats and cats that may not be social enough, as yet, to join the general population. These cats live in large, spacious cages. In the center is a room furnished like a living room. Here people wishing to adopt a cat can introduce it to themselves and  perhaps another pet it may live with. This room will also be used as a teaching arena where it is hoped local school children will be brought to view videos dealing with pet behavior and on caring for their cat. Adult groups may also meet here to discuss and work on cat related problems. The large entrance room will house a small retail store to sell cat related items and is used as an office. There is a storage room with shelves filled with food and cat supplies. The entire complex was built to accommodate the handicapped and people in wheel chairs. There are two bathrooms, one for the public and the other for staff. The staff bathroom contains a large tub to wash cats and cat related equipment.

     People who visit the shelter will enter the large entrance room then  traverse one of three wide hallways where large windows allow a view of each of the (15 by 24 foot)  cat play areas. Here the cats have overhead runways to walk on, boxes to hide in, and toys to play with. There is even a small  closed circuit TV set where, from time to time, cat videos can be screened. Classical and mood music flows from ceiling speakers. Large windows on the outer wall allow sunlight to beam in and provide the cats with a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside while enjoying the warmth of electric heaters in winter or cooling fans during summer. The outer porches are accessible by two cat doors. Each room has a separate air purification system and Hepa filtration. One might think of a visit to this shelter as a visit to an aquarium, but instead of seeing colorful fish in tanks, colorful cats may be watched as they play, rest, and interact. Wide windowsills provide a face to face view of the more friendly cats. People may enter the cat rooms to interact with the cats and perhaps a chosen  candidate will be taken to the secure living room where a more personal interaction can be made.

     Besides providing a view of the cats the walls of the halls are bedecked with the Sims’ collection of cat art. An upper room contains a collection of Chessie collectibles for those who are interested. Chessie, a small cat sleeping on a pillow, was the corporate logo of the C & O Railroad beginning in 1933. She was used to promote Pullman sleeper train travel. The caption reads “Sleep Like A Kitten and Arrive Fresh as a Daisy” Calendars and other assorted items depict Chessie and her family. This room may also be used for overnight guests.

     A two acre area adjacent to the shelter building may become the site of arts and craft shows, flea markets, and other events to generate money to help operate the shelter. Other land may be used for expansion.     Link to:How You Can Help.

See photos:  Shelter Photos , additional Shelter photos.