1719 SW Gage Blvd.
Topeka, Kansas 66604
Need a map?

Hours
Tues-Fri 11am-5:30pm
Saturday 11am-4pm
Summer Hours
Memorial Day-Labor Day
Saturdays Close at 2pm

Cats may be seen
after 11:30 am

The Cat Association of Topeka (C.A.T.) began its operation in the spring of 1988 and since then, has placed thousands of cats and kittens in loving homes. In July of 2003, the organization moved into its current facility. The new shelter features colorful cage-free rooms with lots of cubby-holes, ramps, ledges, ramps, and steps for cats to play or just escape for a much-needed nap. Secure screened in porches provide views of nature and visits from a neighborhing squirrels and birds. Our quarantine room has its own air system, providing a safe environment for recovering or ill cats.

Many fellow animal lovers showed their generosity and concern for the growing number of stray and abandoned cats by contributing to C.A.T.'s Building Fund. The new building was finished and we moved in July 1, 2003 to a new cage-free shelter. It is proving to be a warm and caring environment for the cats, and a fun place to visit for cat lovers. The new shelter is an ideal setup for finding homes for these wonderful cat companions.So what makes this shelter different from most others? The new shelter is located on a major street with easy access. Several publications say that adoptions nearly always double when on a main thoroughfare instead of "on the edge of town." The majority of cats are in free rooms without cages. Every publication we have read agrees that this is the healthiest situation for the cats, especially cats kept for a long period of time. Our cat rooms feature cat "playgrounds" of ramps, stairs, perches, and cubbies. Such an arrangement allows more opportunity for cats to play and exercise. It also allows the full height of the rooms to be used, allowing more cats. The public is also more "entertained" by the cats' movements and play. Cat Fancy outlined the benefits of such feline playgrounds in a May 2002 article, featuring pictures and interviews of Bob Walker's and Frances Mooney's home in San Diego. You can get a view at their website, The Cats' House. You can even see their elaborate feline-friendly home in their popular books, The Cats' House and Cats Into Everything. The books were a great inspiration for our cat rooms, especially the colors. Outside areas are available to cats in a traditional screened porch. It was part of our plan to provide our "residents" with as much of a natural life as possible. The new shelter was built to have a homey feel, not a traditional institutional feel. From several articles, the cutting edge practice in animal shelters is to make it feel as much like a home as possible and to avoid the institutional "hospital" feel that most shelters have.

We have provided a shelter where cat lovers can gather. We hope we have succeeded in creating a cheerful, friendly space where the public, volunteers, and supporters of C.A.T. want to visit and feel welcome.

The new shelter has better ventilation, natural lighting, and cats have the ability to move and exercise in comfort.

In the future we hope to be able to provide an area of admissions and exams away from the main residential area for a transition of new cats into our facility. We also hope to include a meeting room for board meetings, social functions, and education, a breakroom for employees and volunteers, and office space for administrative uses.

Our Catty Shack retail store sells Hill's Science Diet dog and cat food in a variety of flavors and diets. We have plenty of pet supplies from food bowls to grooming tools. There are unique gift items for pets and the people who love them. It's a fun place to shop and meet some of our feline "greeters". All the sales help to support the shelter and the care of the cats. Not a penny is wasted.

We know that C.A.T. provides a great service to our community and has been successful in developing a needed niche. Along with C.A.T.'s adoption program, every opportunity is used to educate the public on the need for sterlization and the importance of vaccinations, good nutrition and proper pet care. We also know, however, that much more needs to be done to help many more cats and kittens. We're still turning away far too many of our furry friends due to lack of space.

As we continue to grow we hope to establish a broad-based volunteer coalition, and increase the number of adoptions to caring homes. We are also working towards a coalition of other animal care organizations in our community, and increasing awareness in the community. We have a great many kind and generous supporters who help us. It's a great place to be a cat lover, or a cat!