About Us
A Place of Comfort, Dignity, and Peace
The Best Little Cat House in PA exists for cats who need comfort more than anything else.
Founded in 1980 by Lynn Stitt, we are one of the nation’s longest-standing feline hospice sanctuaries and a proud 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more than four decades, we have provided a safe, loving home for cats with life-limiting conditions — cats who are elderly, seriously ill, disabled, or simply out of time.
Here, every life is treated with respect.
Every day is shaped by care.
And every cat is allowed to live fully, gently, and on their own terms.
What Hospice Care Means Here
Hospice care is often misunderstood. At The Best Little Cat House in PA, hospice is not about giving up — it is about giving more.
This is hospice care — not life support.
We do not practice aggressive or heroic interventions. Our role is not to prolong life at all costs, but to support cats at the end of life with compassion, dignity, and respect. Decisions are guided by what is kindest for the cat, not by what is technically possible.
Just as in human hospice, the goal is comfort — not cure.
Our focus is on easing discomfort, maintaining dignity, and responding thoughtfully as a cat’s needs change. Pain and distress are never ignored. Care is adjusted with sensitivity and intention, always centered on quality of life.
Our Sanctuary & How We Care
Our hospice is entirely cage-free and thoughtfully arranged to meet the needs of cats with different conditions, while preserving safety, calm, and dignity for everyone.
The sanctuary is divided into peaceful living areas, each known by name.
One side of the shelter is home to cats with life-limiting, contagious illnesses, including FIV and FeLV. This space is called the Dome, named for the gentle curve of its dome-shaped structure. Cats here live freely in a dedicated, peaceful, cage-free environment designed specifically for their comfort and well-being.
The other main living area is known as the Well Room. This is where cats with life-limiting but noncontagious conditions — such as heart disease, cancer, urinary conditions, cerebellar hypoplasia, partial paralysis, etc — share quiet, cage-free spaces focused on comfort, mobility, and daily quality of life.
While needs may differ, both the Dome and the Well Room are guided by the same philosophy: peace, safety, and care without conditions.
Supporting Cats Who Navigate the World Differently
The Middle Room may also be home to a small number of cats who benefit from a more contained environment due to mobility challenges or other physical limitations, allowing them to rest comfortably and move safely within a space tailored to their needs.
As with every space in our hospice, care here is guided by respect, patience, and choice — allowing cats to feel safe in a world they experience differently.
In addition to the Dome and the Well Room, our sanctuary includes a dedicated space for cats who are blind or severely vision impaired, known as the Middle Room.
This area is thoughtfully arranged to provide consistency, calm, and safety. Layouts remain stable, pathways are predictable, and enrichment is designed to support confidence and independence without reliance on sight.
Cats in the Middle Room are never rushed or startled. They are allowed to move at their own pace, learn their environment through touch and sound, and settle into routines that help them feel secure.
Indoor Comfort, Outdoor Freedom — Safely
Both the Dome and the Well Room open onto spacious, fully enclosed porches that allow cats to enjoy fresh air, sunlight, and the sights and sounds of the outdoors — all while remaining completely safe. Cats have 24-hour access to these porches through secure pet doors, giving them the freedom to move between indoor and outdoor spaces whenever they choose.
These porches are built with sturdy, escape-proof enclosures and offer generous space to roam, stretch, and relax. On the porches, cats will find multiple perches and resting areas, with nothing able to get in and no cat able to slip out.
Each side of the sanctuary also has its own outdoor playhouse, providing yet another place to explore, rest, or retreat. Choice is central to hospice care — and here, every cat has it.
Sound, Stimulation & Familiar Rhythm
Throughout the day, gentle music plays throughout the sanctuary via SiriusXM radio. This steady presence of sound provides comfort, stimulation, and a sense of rhythm for all of the cats in our care.
For cats who are blind or severely vision impaired, sound is especially grounding. Familiar voices, music, and consistent background noise help create orientation, reduce startle responses, and make the environment feel predictable and safe.
Music also offers enrichment for cats who may be resting, listening quietly from a distance, or simply enjoying the comfort of a familiar routine. Like everything else here, it’s not forced — just another layer of calm, thoughtfully provided.
Honoring Feral Cats
About one-third of the cats in our care are feral. Like all of our residents, they meet the same hospice criteria and are housed according to their needs — contagious or noncontagious.
For feral cats, hospice care means safety without expectations.
They are never asked to socialize, perform, or change who they are. There is no unauthorized touching — each cat decides if, when, and whether contact is welcome at all. If a cat wishes to remain distant, quiet, or unseen, that choice is fully respected.
Here, even feral cats are allowed to simply be — protected, cared for, and left in peace.
A Final Home — Not an Adoption Facility
The Best Little Cat House in PA is not an adoption center.
Because we provide hospice care, we ask that every effort be made before admission to find a suitable private home for a cat, if a non-hospice future is desired. Once a cat comes into our care, this becomes their home for the remainder of their life.
We do not place cats into new homes, and we do not transition them out of hospice care.
What we offer instead is permanence — a safe, stable place where a cat can rest, be supported, and be loved until the end of their life.
Who Makes This Possible
The Best Little Cat House in PA is volunteer-run and entirely donation-funded.
Every meal prepared, every warm bed, every quiet comfort, and every moment of presence is made possible by people who believe that compassion matters — especially at the end of life.
This is the work of a community bound by kindness.
Our Promise
We promise:
To place comfort above intervention
To respect each cat’s nature and choices
To provide care without conditions
To honor every life, no matter how much time remains
This is a place where nothing is rushed.
Where love is quiet and constant.
Where every cat belongs.
