Giving Grace: Cats Are Us care of Clarksville’s feline friends is purrfect

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Giving Grace starts the new year with an organization that has been serving the community for over 20 years with their love of those wonderful felines, Cats Are Us.

President and Founder of Cats Are Us, Suzanne Harpel, said of all the cats taken in they are able to adopt out. That’s roughly 400 cats each year. At any given time there are around 80 cats at their shelter site off Providence Blvd.

“We do advise people on how to take care of their animals, if they have problems we give them advice, and we strongly urge spaying and neutering which will solve the problem immensely” said Harpel.

As with most nonprofit organizations, Cats Are Us is always in need of volunteers and Harpel said they can always use help scooping litter boxes, cleaning cages, mopping floors, and of course spending time playing with the cats.

When it comes to support, monetary donations help to go toward their veterinary bills, as well as food, litter and trash bags. Harpel said they use Purina cat food in the blue bags and Friskies canned food, adding that the cats go crazy over the canned food.

Harpel praised PetSmart in Clarksville for their partnership and support in finding homes for their animals. Cats Are Us has a number of their cats at the store where they can be seen and visited by the public which helps increase adoptions.

Pictured in our story is Sarah Hayden, a longtime volunteer for Cats Are Us. She is holding Peso, a long haired 18-month-old black kitty, who is awaiting adoption at PetSmart. Hayden helps clean the shelter house, takes care of the cats, and fosters many cats and kittens.

The Cats Are Us shelter can be found at 119 Providence Blvd. behind Tabernacle Baptist Church and across from Bikers Who Care. Harpel said you won’t see a sign because it blew down in a recent storm but they have a new one on the way.

Cats Are Us needs your help to continue their care and loving work with cats in Clarksville-Montgomery County. To learn more: follow them on Facebook, email catsareustn@aol.com, or call 931-503-0053.