About Us

Our Story

Conceived in 1996, Catman2 Inc. 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 30 - 50 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 unique 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 or "catio". 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, ICU incubator, and other 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 large cages for quarantining cats with infectious diseases before they are well enough to enter the main building. Another outbuilding serves as an area for wildlife rehabilitation.

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 some of Sims's collection of cat art, the rest of which are on display at The American Museum of the House Cat.

Q: Who is Dr. Harold Sims?

Dr. Harold “Catman” Sims (4-8-1935 - 11-17-2025)

Dr. Harold “Catman” Walter Sims Jr. passed away on November 17, 2024 at age 89. He was born on April 8, 1935 in Mount Vernon, NY and his early years were spent working on dairy farms and being involved in the 4-H Club. When he left home at age 18, he had the clothes on his back and $35 in his pocket; he then proceeded to carve out an extraordinary life for himself in which he made the world a better place. In 1954, he enrolled in the U.S. Navy for three years, allowing him to later enroll in college using the GI Bill. He went on to earn his Doctorate of Education. His 30-year career included a move to Florida where he worked for the State of Florida Department of Natural Resources, the Hillsboro County Board of Health, and St. Petersburg Junior College, where he taught biology and ecology for 22 years. He was involved in environmental non-profit organizations, including the National Audubon Society and the Sierra Club.

After volunteering at an animal shelter during the gap between his and his wife's retirement, he discovered a deep love for cats and compassion for their plight. This chance encounter catapulted him into his post-retirement career as The Catman. He founded and built the first “no-kill” shelter in Jackson County; first out of a small storage shed in his home in Glenville, and then along with his retired contractor friend Jack Nowlin, he began building the official Catman2 Shelter in Cullowhee. The shelter opened its doors in 2002 and has been a unique, cage-free safe-for-life sanctuary for needy cats.

After collecting cat art and memorabilia for over 30 years, Harold set out to create The American Museum of the House Cat. In 2017, the museum was opened within a wing of the Old School Antique Mall. It was overwhelmingly popular and needed its own permanent home, so Harold once again used his savings to build a 4,000 sq. ft. museum filled with over 10,000 treasures from his vast collection. His biggest wish was to expand the museum and for more people to see and support his mission to inspire, entertain, and educate cat lovers around the world.

Never one to follow the crowd, Harold was a free thinker and accepted people from all walks of life and those who were different from himself. He was a strong supporter of civil and human rights and created an anti-hate campaign through his cat museum called “Mother Cats No Matter Where They Mate, Never Teach Their Kittens to Hate” which aimed to teach people to be kind and not discriminate against others. He also wrote several books, including a children's series with anti-bullying themes.

Q: Who works at the shelter?

In 2011, Harold hired Kaleb to be the shelter director, webmaster, coordinator of adoptions and volunteers, and all around "pool boy" for the cats. Kaleb enjoys volunteering in the community in various capacities with other animal welfare agencies and other organizations like Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America . He is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and particularly likes raising baby groundhogs and opossums. Kaleb enjoys continuing his education and training in animal welfare and likes to do crafty things in his "free" time. Naps with his cats and little dog Fred are a favorite pastime.

SAMPSON is our 17 year old Siamese fella who acts as "The Doorman" for a few hours a day. He has lived with us for over a decade after being passed around on yard sales pages on Facebook due to behavioral issues.

FRED is Kaleb's little dog who guards the shelter every morning but he's not very good at it. Luckily he is cute. He is affectionately known as our Most Useless Employee.

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 their staff are wonderful, caring people and they've been helping our kitties for 20 years. We also use Smoky Mountain Integrative Veterinary Clinic for special needs cases - Dr. Tami 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. And our friends Dr. Aiken and Dr. Pryor at Cope Creek Animal Hospital have helped us out, too! We love and appreciate them all!

Q: Why can't you take all cats people bring you?

We partner with the Jackson County Animal Shelter to pull cats directly from the shelter, in the interest of keeping our county shelter from having to euthanize adoptable cats due to space. We usually take cats and kittens who would otherwise not be able to be adopted due to treatable illness, injury, or other special needs.

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. Because we are a licensed safe-for-life 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: 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. We use 24PetWatch microchips.

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 unnecessary 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 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? Or a cat or kitten who needs more socialization? You can call Kaleb at 828-293-0892 to discuss fostering. You must live within 30 minutes of our shelter or vet's office.

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 when possible! Kaleb is one of few Certified Humane Education Specialists in NC. 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 [email protected]