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 50-80 cats at most times of the year, and are sure to have “The Cat of Your Dreams”. 

FAQ

Q: What is the shelter like?


Our shelter is located on a 10 acre parcel of land in the town of Cullowhee, North Carolina in a quiet, residential area. The entire complex is three miles from the main gate of Western Carolina University.  The main 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. In the center is a kitten play room complete with a slide, climbing apparatuses and hiding places - and chairs for guests to sit and watch them play. There is an office with storage space for shelter supplies. The entire complex is accessible to those who use wheelchairs. The backroom serves as an intake room which has a few intake cages, a large washtub, and cat related equipment. Outside is a separate shed which is used as an Isolation Room and a Nursery during kitten season. It is equipped with power, heating/cooling, and three large cages for quarantining cats with infectious diseases before they are well enough to enter the main building.

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.  Besides providing a view of the cats, the hallway walls are bedecked with Sims's collection of cat art, including a collection of Chessie collectibles.  (If art is your thing, check out The American Museum of the House Cat!)

Q:  Who works at the shelter?

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​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, and coordinator of adoptions and volunteers. 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. 
Shirley Bones is a 10 year old big goofy hound dog who LOVES cats. She is our Feline-Canine Relationship Coordinator and assistant nurse to sick kitties. She lives with Kaleb and comes to work with him every morning. 

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