Our Story
Conceived in 1996, Catman2 was founded by Dr. Harold Sims, a retired college biology professor and his wife, Kay, a retired school social worker. The cats live in a large shelter adjacent to the Sims’ home in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Tours of the shelter are available by appointment. We house 40 - 60 cats at most times of the year, and are sure to have “The Cat of Your Dreams”.
FAQ
Q: What is the shelter like?
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Q: Who works at the shelter?
Harold “Catman” Sims founded Catman2 and lives with his wife Kay in their home adjacent to the shelter. Harold enjoys collecting antiques (especially cat-related!) and spends most of his time at the Museum, where he shares his large collection of cat memorabilia with cat lovers around the world. Harold enjoys watching plays and musicals as well as regular old movies at home with his wife Kay. He's written a book on creating the Catman2 Shelter, as well as 3 children's books, and enjoys writing poems and short stories. |
In 2011, Harold hired Kaleb to be the shelter manager, webmaster, coordinator of adoptions and volunteers, and all around "pool boy" for the cats. Kaleb enjoys volunteering in the community as a Big Brother and in various capacities with other animal welfare agencies. He is licensed to rehabilitate small mammal wildlife and particularly likes opossums, squirrels, and groundhogs. Kaleb enjoys continuing his education and training in animal welfare and likes to do crafty things in his "free" time.
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Q: What vet does Catman2 use?
We use Sylva Animal Hospital for all of our shelter cats AND our personal house cats. Dr. Black and Dr. Bragg and their staff are wonderful, caring people. We recommend them to anyone looking for a vet in Sylva. We also have a relationship with Dr. Shearer at Shearer Pet Health Hospital/Smoky Mountain Integrative Veterinary Clinic for special needs cases - she even did laser therapy on a domestic rabbit we rescued! Our veterinarian who helps us treat injured wildlife is Dr. Robbie at Cherokee Animal Care Clinic.
Q: Why can't you take all cats people bring you?
In the interest of keeping our county shelter from having to euthanize adoptable cats due to space, we have decided to take cats directly from the shelter rather than fill up with public surrenders.
While we would love to be able to help every cat we are asked to take, we simply do not have the room, the people power, or the funds to be able to do so. We usually operate at capacity. We also cannot take cats who are FeLV/FIV+ due to lack of facility space to isolate these cats, or unweaned kittens due to lack of people power to care for them. However, we may be able to help give you other resources to try for these situations. Because we are a licensed no-kill shelter, we do have state regulations to follow and have to draw the line somewhere. We do not have a large staff - in fact, we only have one employee.
Q: What if I don’t want my cat spayed or neutered? Can I adopt one that’s not fixed? Would it be cheaper that way?
Tough. And no. For every litter born, more animals have to be destroyed because of overpopulation. Millions of pets continue to be euthanized in our country. If you don’t spay/neuter, you’re part of the problem.
Also, spaying/neutering is good for your cat’s health and lifespan. The reasons include: decreased aggression towards other animals, prevention of behavioral problems, reduced chances of cancer, increased life span, reduced instances of disease or injury, reduced urge to roam, etc.
Q: Are your cats all microchipped?
Yes, we began micro chipping in 2016 and are very happy to provide our adopters with the peace of mind of having a chipped kitty.
Q: What is Catman2′s stance on declawing?
We at Catman2 DO NOT SUPPORT THE DECLAWING OF ANY CAT. Declawing is an irreversible surgical procedure that involves the amputation of the last joint of the cat’s toes. It is a very painful surgical operation which is followed by a long, painful recovery period for the cat. Cats walk on their toes – think about that kind of pain! A cat’s claws are a vital part of its anatomy, vital to its balance, mobility and survival. Scratching is as normal as is eating and breathing. It is unrealistic to try to prevent a cat from scratching. PROVIDE YOUR CAT WITH SCRATCHING POSTS. Deprived of its front claws, a cat may become insecure and distressed. Feeling defenseless without their claws, kitty may become hostile towards people and other animals, and become more likely to bite making them less safe around children and babies. After all, a cat’s front claws are its primary defense.
We often have a few cats who had previously been declawed living at the shelter. We recommend that if you want a declawed cat, you adopt one who has already been through that kind of unnecessary, unethical, and painful procedure.
Q: What about fostering?
Would you be willing to foster a kitten/litter of kittens until they are 2 pounds and can be spayed/neutered and put up for adoption? How about being a long-term senior cat foster? Because we are a no-kill shelter, we have cats that have spent their entire lives here and are in their golden years. There are a few that would love to be fostered in a home with love and patience and time! You can call Kaleb at 828-293-0892 to discuss fostering. We do ask folks who are interested in fostering to join our shelter as a volunteer first.
Q: Does Catman2 participate in any educational programs?
In the past, we have gone to schools and spoken to classes about the importance of spay/neuter and held essays contests on the topic. We would love to do more educational programs! Kaleb just became a Certified Humane Educator. If you are interested in having Catman2 come to speak at an event, please call the shelter at 828-293-0892 or e-mail at kaleb@catman2.org