Published: July 07, 2009 10:40 pm      

Cats enjoy new digs in Lawrence

Sanctuary at shelter caters to needs of felines

Louisa — Cats have always held a special place in the hearts of staff members at the Lawrence County Humane Society Animal Shelter, and now they share a sanctuary dedicated to the needs of felines.

Warm windowsills and sunshine in large rooms with shelves for perching and a tree for climbing now await cats delivered to the shelter, following the recent completion of the new cat sanctuary building. Cats formerly shared shelter space with dogs, where they were housed in large cages, according to shelter spokesman Beverly Pack.

“Our cats and kittens were all housed in cages here — not cramped cages, but cages,” Pack said, explaining shelter staff had developed a rotation system to provide a few of their cats with a chance to spend the evening in a room and out of their enclosures after people were gone for the day.

Pack said shelter supervisor Leonika Allen first mentioned the concept of a dedicated sanctuary for cats about two years ago.

“It was something we saw a need for. Everywhere you went in the community you saw cats,” Allen said, adding there is a noticeable difference in people’s attitudes toward stray dogs and stray cats.

The first cats to inhabit the new sanctuary have made themselves at home, she said.

“They are sitting in the windowsills and on the ledges. They are playing and jumping around. They just seem to be happy and not stressed,” Allen said. “There is no noise and no barking.”

When state Rep. Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, toured the shelter during an open house and asked what he could do help their cause, Pack said she had their answer ready. Adkins found $75,000 in coal severance funds for the cat sanctuary and shelter supporters, including the Louisa Coca-Cola distributor and Walmart along with participants in the annual Walk For the Animals event and a $1,000 grant from the SPCA, raised the remaining balance to pay for the construction and furnishings.

Pack said the first cats were moved into the sanctuary last week, and certainly seem to approve of the new facility.

“We started Thursday and moved the first group of nine kittens. We put them in the kitten playroom. This is probably as close to a home environment as we can give them,” she said, noting anyone interested in adopting a cat from the shelter will have a better chance to interact with the felines and gauge their personalities in a relaxed atmosphere.

A ribbon-cutting, dedication and open house is being planned for the new cat sanctuary, Allen said. For more information about the shelter, volunteer opportunities and animal adoption programs at the shelter, visit lawrencecokyanimalshelter.com or call (606) 673-4509.

The shelter is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with weekend appointment visits also available.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2651.