Chris Miller may not have nine lives, but the one she has is devoted to saving as many stray, deserted and homeless cats that she can.

Miller, who lives on Chestnut Street in a 2,500 square foot home with a large garden and garage, is sharing just about everything she has with 30 cats she has either found wandering her neighborhood, have come to her door begging for food or she has rescued from the county animal shelter.

“I’ve been an animal lover all my life,” Miller said. “I can’t stand to see an animal being neglected, abused or lost. It breaks my heart.”
Miller, who started taking in cats in December, said her dream is to be able to rescue as many as possible from the area and place them all in loving homes.

“That’s my dream,” Miller said as two kittens, a calico and a gray stripped older male, played with her on the couch. “But, so many people don’t seem to understand that when you get a cat, it’s a commitment and responsibility for at least the next 10 to 20 years.”

All sizes, colors and ages are the cats that peer at you from under tables, on the bed upstairs, the couch, bookshelves, beams in the garage, and on the back porch amid their own little jungle of houseplants.

Miller said she was at the animal shelter in December and thought she’d rescue “just a couple of cats to see if I could do this,” and ended up taking a couple home.

By February she was visiting the shelter four to five times a week and taking one or two cats at a time.

Miller has been able to adopt out about 25 cats and kittens and she, herself, has adopted out another 25.

As Miller gives a tour of her home, cats and kittens peek out at you from all corners, some shyly, some braver as they rub against your legs, mewing softly.

“I have several that were an elderly woman’s pets and she had to go to a nursing home,” Miller said as she stroked one of the cats. “They’ll never be able to be adopted out until the lady passes away because I would just feel too bad. But, at least they didn’t have to go to the shelter and risk having to be put down. Here they’re safe, well fed, get to play with other cats and if need be, get medicine and care.”

While Miller wishes she could open a store front shop on Main Street, she believes at this point that’s not going to happen for a while.

“Right now I need money,” Miller said. “With it costing me about $500 a month in food, litter and just basic medicine, I had no idea it was going to cost me this much. I hope people will see what a great need this county has and can find it in their hearts to donate to this shelter.”

She is hoping to have a garage sale in August to help offset some of the expenses she’s accumulated over the past several months.

Miller, who pays special insurance for having the rescue, said she is hoping to turn her two-story garage into a place for her rescued friends, especially pregnant cats.

“Those are the ones that have the roughest times,” Miller said. “I’ve had a lot of mommies come to me and they need to be kept apart from the other cats. That gets hard sometimes and the garage would be a perfect place to keep them in separate compartments.”

Miller has a few basic rules for those who want to adopt a cat from her.

“The cat has to stay inside,” Miller said. “When they leave here, they’ve been spayed or neutered, had all their vaccinations, are clean and healthy. I want them to stay that way.”

Miller also requires a home that doesn’t have children under the age of three.

“Small children just don’t know how to handle cats or kittens,” Miller said. “They can get rough and that will scare a cat causing it to scratch or bite. I don’t want to see any child hurt or the cat scared like that.”

Miller also requires renters to produce a letter from their landlord saying the cat may live in the house or apartment with it’s new owner.

“That’s another big problem,” Miller said. “Most people don’t like to rent to someone who has a pet, so I want to be sure that we’re not continuing a cycle by adopting this kitty out and then having it going to the shelter three or four months down the road because the landlord discovered it and threatened to kick the renter out.”

Basically Miller just wants pet owners to “be responsible.”

“And, I have quite a few cats to adopt,” Miller smiles. “I’m always looking for the purrfect home.”