Education Matters | Cat Depot: Leading the Way in Feline Education and Adoption Services

By Tom Reese • October 2023

Twenty years ago, a local cat shelter low on resources became completely overwhelmed with the number of cats it housed, including many that were malnourished and sick. Sarasota County was forced to step in and begin removing those cats, and euthanasia seemed like the most likely outcome. 

Hearing about the bleak situation, a group of residents led by Ken Slavin, and his wife Linda, set out to come up with a solution. They quickly came up with a plan and arrived at the shelter where they acquired 262 cats desperately needing new homes and love. They rented a temporary storefront to safely house and care for their new furry friends where they eventually were given legal authority for adoption processes to begin. With the help of the community, Cat Depot was born. 

Twenty years later, Cat Depot has found forever homes for nearly 20,000 cats and has become an exemplary leader in the animal shelter industry. In addition to adoption services, the nonprofit organization provides free cat food and supplies through a community food bank, affordable cat-specific veterinary care through their public clinic, and much more. 

Educational Outreach Programs

“When we say we’re a resource for rescue, adoption and education, we really mean all of it,” says Claudia Harden, Director of Communications and Development. “We definitely put a ton of our time and money into the education aspect.” 

Cat Depot prides itself on a variety of different programs and initiatives to educate the public on topics such as feline health, socialization, and behavioral traits. These programs target people of all ages, from children just beginning how to read, to seniors transitioning to retirement. 

One of the more interesting and popular programs, coined “Cats and Coffee,” is a monthly lecture series available to adults. Attendees will meet at Cat Depot’s Community Center where a panel of hosts discuss various topics such as teaching cats to walk on leashes, training to notice abnormal health issues, and much more. Cats will roam the room as everyone enjoys freshly brewed coffee and feline conversation. The next “Cats and Coffee” lecture will take place November 11, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and will feature a panel of experts explaining how to navigate busy holiday seasons with your cats to make sure they are safe and comfortable. 

The largest scaled educational program that Cat Depot hosts is actually geared toward children and teenagers. Critter Camp is a six to eight week summer camp where kids from the ages of 8-14 are able to attend. Each week carries a different theme such as interacting with kittens, learning behavioral traits of cats, and veterinary careers. Other activities include yoga lessons with cats, trivia, games, arts and crafts. 

Despite being hosted at Cat Depot, Critter Camp is not exclusive to cats and kittens. The camp also includes lectures and visits from guest speakers in all aspects of animal life. In 2023, camp attendees had the opportunity to learn from experts from organizations like Sixteen Hands Horse Sanctuary, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, and Sarasota County Animal Services. Registration for Critter Camp 2024 is open on Cat Depot’s website and costs $175 per week. 

Cat Depot also hosts a children’s program called Cat University. The one-day workshop takes place when kids are off from school for teacher grading days or minor holidays. Parents can sign up their children to participate in crafts, art projects, science projects, all while interacting and playing with the cats on site. The kids can leave the workshop with a sense of service as well, because some of the projects include creating toys for the cats or other staples such as bedding or trap covers. 

In addition to all of their in-person events, Cat Depot hosts an expansive online resource library for anyone to view. This includes instructional videos on a wide range of topics such as how to trim your cat’s nails, brush their teeth, caring for foster kittens, and advice from veterinarians on staff. This initiative also includes an entire virtual education center where people can explore their virtual classroom with 13 interactive icons that lead to videos, games, activities, and other resources. 

Fun Activities and Programs 

Reading to Rescues is a program designed to provide a fun environment for young children to continue to learn how to read. Parents and their children will enter one of the pods, individual rooms with rescued cats, and read stories out loud to them. This provides the cats with much needed exposure to children and humans to help build confidence and social skills. It also allows these toddlers to learn how to safely interact with cats and prevent possible accidents or harmful situations. 

“Although there are a ton of people in the shelter and we absolutely do play with the cats quite frequently, we’re not children,” says Susan Hanus, Executive Director of Cat Depot. “Having children go in there and having the cats exposed to all ages of people is very important.” 

Another fun program that allows the cats to interact with people is called Namastray Yoga. Hosted by Liana Sheintal Bryant, instructor at Rosemary Court Yoga, attendees can take part in an hour-long yoga session while cats and kittens run around and explore. This takes place twice a month at Cat Depot’s Community Center and registration can be found on Cat Depot’s website for a small donation. 

Namastray Yoga has actually helped some of the cats find their forever homes. On one occasion, a mother and daughter completely fell in love with one of the kittens during their yoga session, and came back the next day to adopt it. 

“We bring in cats and kittens that are up for adoption and turn them loose to rule the roost,” says Harden. “Sometimes people get booted off their yoga mats, sometimes they can’t move because they have a kitten laying on them. It can be a little chaotic but it’s a lot of fun and a unique yoga experience.” 

Recently Cat Depot has teamed up with an organization called Pets for the Elderly, which subsidizes adoptions for people 60 years or older. The main focus of this initiative is to pair senior people with senior cats who are at least eight years old. A majority of relinquishments of senior cars occur when their owner can no longer care for them. Sarasota is home to a large retirement community, so these numbers are much higher than other big cities.

“Whether it’s because the owner has passed, or moved into a nursing home, or whatever the situation is, these cats need a new home,” says Hanus. “They’re usually older, nice cats that have been well cared for and loved, but harder to adopt out because of their age.” 

This program allows these senior cats to find a loving home to live out the rest of their lives, while providing mental health benefits and companionship to their senior owners. It is common for elderly people to have a much better quality of life directly related to their adopted pets. Pets for the Elderly has facilitated over 100,000 adoptions since 2002, and Cat Depot is just the latest shelter to join their network. 

How To Get Involved

As Cat Depot continues to grow and expand beyond its 20th anniversary, there are a multitude of ways you can get involved to help. Once a month, income qualified individuals can pick up free cat food, toys, and treats at their community food bank. This year alone, Cat Depot estimates that 13,000 cats will be fed and cared for as a direct result of donations given for their food bank. You can visit their website to find Amazon Wish Lists and options to donate food and supplies through other websites like Chewy and Cuddly. 

While Cat Depot has a fairly large full time staff, the shelter truly runs off hard working volunteers. People of all ages can make a difference and help the cause. Whether it’s children creating toys and beddings during one of their activities, teenagers volunteering to complete community service hours, or even adults just looking for ways to help, volunteers are the backbone of Cat Depot. 

A vast majority of Cat Depot’s funding stems from monetary donations and fundraisers. They have not been able to host their annual gala the last three years due to Covid-19 and gathering restraints. However, this year it will be returning bigger and better than ever. Previous fundraising galas included silent auctions, live entertainment, art and fashion displays, and visits from kittens up for adoption. If you’re interested in participating in this year’s gala, or getting involved in other volunteer opportunities, visit catdepot.org for event announcements and details.