High Peaks Cat Shelter: About the Shelter

About High Peaks Cat Shelter

The cat run seen from above.

High Peaks Cat Shelter, a non-profit, 501c (3) organization, is located in the small mountain town of Coaldale, in southwest Colorado. We have been a working shelter for almost seven years now, but our love and concern for these wonderful feline creatures started over 25 years ago in southern Florida. Out of sheer necessity, because there are homeless, starving, abandoned cats everywhere in this country, we started a shelter and rescue program there. When we were ready to make a move and head west, we packed up our cats, each in an individual cage with food, water, and litter box, put them into our RV, and headed west! It was quite an adventure for both humans and felines!

Once settled in their new surroundings, the cats seemed to love it out here as much as we did; however, the need to provide ongoing help to many more felines necessitated our expanding our space to accomodate more cats, as well as offering a host of other services.

The cats enjoying the cat run.

High Peaks Cat Shelter houses up to 50 (or so) felines at a time; when we are able to expand our facilities, we hope to be able to help more of them. Right now, we are at full capacity, and have to refer to other shelters in the area. We offer trap/release assistance to those that may have a ‘problem’ cat that needs to be seen by a vet, or relocated to an area of safety (if it is feral). We are trying to make the general public see the necessity in the spay/neuter of their pets, even if it's just a ‘barn cat’ to them.... Many of these cats, who live in the barns of many property owners to keep the mouse population at bay, are allowed to have litter after litter; these kittens are at risk of being killed by fox, coyote, or other predatory creatures out here in the country. I try to talk to as many people that will listen that this is not the way to go! We are working on setting up a spay/neuter assistance program with a local vet so that all who want to spay/neuter their cats may be able to do so. We also try to stress the importance of necessary vaccines.

Our shelter provides a loving home to stray and abandoned cats, as well as to cats whose owners are no longer able to care for them do to age, sickness, or ‘moving away’ problems.... We have a few felines up for adoption, but the majority are older cats, some with medical problems, that will live out their lives here in a safe, caring environment. We hope that we are always able to help these intelligent, loving creatures.