Cat Depot

Every kitten and cat deserves a loving home. The team at Cat Depot, in Sarasota, Florida, aims to find homes for as many cats as possible. The company started in 2003 with a simple mission, to find homes for hundreds of homeless cats left behind after an animal shelter closed. The cats were given temporary housing in a large, 2,500 square foot warehouse and Cat Depot was born.

The warehouse provided the homeless cats with a safe space to live, plenty of food and medical care. It was still months before the cats could be adopted, as legal details needed to be sorted out. In 2004, Cat Depot was granted custody and had permission to adopt the needy cats out. Once all of the original cats were adopted, Cat Depot decided to remain open, filling a void in the Sarasota area.

Since the day it opened its doors, Cat Depot has done nothing but grow. 2010 saw the opening of an 800 square foot activity center while a surgery center opened in 2011. The shelter houses over 100 cats from day to day. Since 2009, the shelter has made its residence in a 10,000 square foot facility. There's plenty of room for cats to play in outdoor suites and rooms designed to let the cats roam freely.

The team behind Cat Depot believes that cats and all animals have rights. While some shelters euthanize pets that are not adopted after a certain period of time, Cat Depot has a stringent no-kill policy. The shelter provides dedicated care for all cats until the day they are adopted.

The education center that was added in 2010 allows the shelter's staff to provide educational programming for people. The center also provides space for a children's camp. The three week camp is designed for children in grades two through five. The camp teaches kids how to get along with cats. Lessons include how to avoid getting bitten, how to care for a cat, and what to do when you find a stray animal. The camp also teaches children about a range of other animals, from dogs to horses.