Grand reopening of the uptown porch

On your mark, get set, go!!!

Uptown porch fully furnished.

It all started with a few cracked tiles. The inside part of the Uptown section of the sanctuary was tiled when it was originally built more than ten years ago. With all the wear and tear over the years, it was inevitable that things would start to wear out. But when you have a couple dozen cats sharing an area, and that area is mopped and cleaned every day, a few little cracks in the tile can become a major problem in a hurry if the problem isn't corrected. And like most home repairs, it turned out to be a bigger repair than we first thought.



The screen porch section of Uptown wasn't tiled when it was first built - due to the cost, it was left as a wooden deck. That wood deck was really hard to keep clean with more than a few "litterbox-challenged" kitties occupying it over the years. And when it did get cleaned, water and debris would drip down onto the area below which was used by the Outback kitties. As the wood began to show signs of serious wear, it became clear that this room needed to be tiled too.

 

Until recently we would have been at a loss for how to deal with this - it's been an ongoing challenge the past few years just to keep our kitties fed, cared for, and the sanctuary kept clean. But lately we've felt such a surge of support - both financially and emotionally - from so many new friends that we decided to take a leap of faith and ask for your help. And we were so confident of your help that we began work on this project even as our first calls for your support were just going out.

Your response has been overwhelming and heartwarming beyond our wildest dreams! We just announced the "Tiles Across the Miles" project on Monday, and five days later we have received enough support from you to pay for the entire project! And we're certain that it's no mere coincidence that Friday, just as your tile sponsorships were pouring in to meet our goal, that the work was being completed. After being cooped up in half their normal space for the past week, our Uptown kitties were turned loose on their newly tiled porch to check it out. And it is BEAUTIFUL! Besides being solid and easy to clean, it has really brightened up the look of the screen porch compared to the old dark and deteriorating wood floor. All the broken tiles on the inside porch have been replaced too, and the floor is all set now for many years to come.

This would simply have not been possible without your help. And what's even more heartwarming than the glow of your support has been seeing all the wonderful dedications on the tiles you have sponsored. We'll soon have a plaque made that will be permanently displayed on the porch that you helped to build, and we'll see all your heartfelt tributes every day as we continue to provide lifetime care to all the little angels at our sanctuary. There simply aren't adequate words to say how much we appreciate your support, and how uplifting it has been to be the recipients of all of your expressions of caring. Shadow Cats is much more than a few volunteers caring for our kitties - it's all of us together, literally across the globe, united in our love for not just these cats but all cats everywhere. We are honored to be a part of a community of such wonderful people!