PET PRIDE CAT SANCTUARY & ADOPTION CENTER EXPANDS

BY SUZIE WELLS

Pet Pride Cat Sanctuary & Adoption Center, a no-kill sanctuary for cats on Route 251 in Victor, opened its expanded facility on January 21, 2023, with lots of space for cats to roam, play, and socialize with feline and human friends. Pet Pride is always open for visitors to socialize the cats, playing with them throughout the space and giving them lots of love and attention.

As human visitors enter the new space, the large vestibule allows for secure check-ins. Sta is friendly and welcoming, giving visitors space to casually meet and greet the cats throughout the facility, answering questions and giving anecdotal information about each cat.

Immediately inside the shelter is the Kitten Kingdom, a large room with lots of climbing structures and stimulating adventures for the littlest ones. Marlies Sullivan, Vice President of the Pet Pride Board of Directors and director of fundraising, says having a designated kitten space is crucial, as their immune systems are yet developing, so separating from the adult population is valuable.

Down the hall is the Community Room with oodles of cubbies for cats to explore or rest in as well as other climbing and resting spaces. Sullivan is so excited about the new Meet and Greet rooms for personal interactions between individual cats and potential adoptive parents/families. In the old space, people interacted with cats all in the same room, which was especially stressful for a lot of the cats, especially shy ones. With the new Meet and Greet rooms, Sullivan says they can have a proper meeting.

e new expansion includes a large kitchen with loads of cupboard and storage space for supplies. When my family visited on opening day, the kitchen was the centrally located place to be for the cats, as with humans in their homes. e previous outdoor enclosures (catios) allow cats plenty of fresh air and sunshine during nice weather, and the expansion includes additional outdoor space to enhance the cats’ experience.

Available adoptable cats now wear collars with their names, helping visitors bond. My daughters spent lots of time with Leila, who was ready to play even as she lounged, and Snickers, a plump gray cat ready to lay, be pet, and chat with the girls for hours.

Pet Pride currently has ve resident cats: Alli, Marge, Pine, Minnie, and Jonah. e sta says the expanded space makes Alli and other residents less grumpy. Herby, a long-haired with adorable, bright eyes has a spinal issue that impairs his movement, and while it does not pain him, this impairment makes him sort of a resident cat. Because his brother passed away and they both have the same condition, Pet Pride sta may wait and see with Herby. Herby’s issue does not stop him from bounding a er toys and playing oh so playfully with the other cats and human visitors. We loved playing with Herby on our visit.

While the previous space could care for 30-35 felines at one time, the new 4,500 sq. . space allows a capacity of 75-80. Sullivan said Pet Pride’s goal with the expansion is to expand their impact. Sullivan says they always have a long wait list of cats needing homes, and for every cat adopted, Pet Pride can take in another from that wait list. Sullivan says Pet Pride adopted out 570 cats last year, “so with the expansion, imagine how many we can adopt out and how much of an impact we can have.”

Sullivan said the majority of cats taken in at Pet Pride come from the streets instead of from people’s homes, so a big problem the previous facility had was separating new intakes from the rest of the Pet Pride cats. With the expansion, new cats can enter, be observed for contagious illnesses or other conditions that would otherwise need tending, await surgery safely and securely, and then be introduced into the rest of the sanctuary.

Another bonus to the expansion, Sullivan says, is the designated Healing Paws Medical Center, where Pet Pride vets perform in-house care. She explained that previously, Pet Pride was at the mercy of long wait times for veterinary service appointments such as spay/neutering, essential to adopting cats out to new homes. With the new in-house surgical suite, their own veterinarian can perform these surgeries, minimizing cats’ stress in those situations as well. Less stress means higher adoptability, Sullivan says.

A designated sick room with separate heating and cooling excites Pet Pride sta as well, as they now can mitigate risks of upper respiratory illnesses that otherwise spread quickly from new intakes to the current cat population.

With only ve paid sta at Pet Pride, they are always looking for volunteers and donations. Anyone can come visit the cats. Anyone interested in adopting a cat should stop in and see if they nd a good match. ey also seek additional veterinarians and vet techs interested in volunteering to spay/neuter cats through the Pet Pride Veterinary Alliance. Anyone interested in fostering cats (usually kittens under eight weeks old or pregnant moms) should contact Pet Pride. And anyone interested in donating funds toward Pet Pride’s capital campaign may contact Marlies Sullivan at 585-402-9878.

Visit Pet Pride at 7731 Victor Mendon Rd, Victor, NY 14564.

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