St. Petersburg, Fla. – Friends of Strays, St. Pete’s oldest no-kill animal shelter, has opened “The Cat Box,” a new, cat-centric adoption center designed to provide a more comfortable environment for felines. The center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday to celebrate the move.
Dara Eckart, the shelter’s CEO, highlighted the benefits of the new facility. “At the former shelter, the cats were bombarded with dog noises and the smells from community cats coming in for spay and neuter surgery. It was just not a great space for them, making adoption harder,” she explained. Since moving into The Cat Box, the cats have become noticeably calmer.
The Cat Box features five adult cat rooms, three of which are cage-free, and two “hair bnb” rooms for cats that prefer to be alone. The goal is to create a safe space for cats, allowing them to thrive and get the attention they need.
The project, initiated in 2020, is a significant achievement for Eckart, who has been with Friends of Strays for seven and a half years. “We’ve gone from adopting out about 500 cats a year to almost 2,000 animals annually,” she said. “This space is crucial for our animals to thrive while waiting for their homes.”
The center also aims to strengthen its impact on the community and the state of Florida. Chris Steinocher, president and CEO of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the broader implications. “This is big for St. Pete and Pinellas County. It’s an economic development driver for our state, demonstrating that such initiatives can work.”
The Cat Box is located at 3015 46th Avenue North, just one street south of Friends of Strays’ current facility. The Schwartz Family donated $2 million to support the project, and Friends of Strays is also planning a new shelter for dogs that will triple their current space.
