Welcome to the "Meow House"

Purrito, a kitty found in the parking lot of a Taco Bell, eats her breakfast on the kitchen counter. Six-Pack, who has an extra toe, takes naps on the living room couch. Bandit, named for the grey coloring around his eyes, plays with the neighbors. “It’s raining cats (and dogs)” is an understatement at Meow House, a local rescue currently housing over 60 cats.

“It's not like we're doing this to make money,” founder Heather Steinman said. “We're doing it to help the cats. So I was like, ‘Bring them on.’"

Owned and operated by Steinman and Tim Allen in their Canton home, Meow House (recently changed from Strays4Days) houses, vets, medicates and cleans strays so they are ready for adoption.

The couple started the rescue in 2023 after a feral cat (named Cheeks after his chubby face) showed up at their doorstep. Steinman, an animal lover who also runs an equestrian boarding and training facility called HMS Stables, knew she needed to trap him and get him neutered.

“We were so excited,” Steinman said, reflecting on how uneducated she felt in the beginning. “I put him in the guest bathroom, and I can show you the damage. It’s still in there…I let him loose, and he completely destroyed the bathroom. Feral cats will literally run straight up the wall, and I never knew that.”

*Itty Bitty Kitty resting in a blanket.*

Soon after, neighbors began reaching out to report strays, and Meow House started a process called TNR (trap, neuter, release).

“The point is to trap them, fix them and return them outside,” Steinman said. “But I started thinking, ‘Some of these cats are friendly. Why can't we make them pets?’"

And so, Meow House was born. Steinman got a call from Amanda, a local woman with more than twenty cats ready to be rehomed. Initially planning to take 4 off Amanda’s hands, Steinman left with 9.

“That was the moment,” she said. “Driving home, I thought, ‘This is more than just us helping kitties. I think we need to become an actual rescue.’"

According to Steinman, the most memorable (and challenging) moment from running the rescue was when Luna, one of their smaller kittens, developed a severe eye infection.

“The experience with her was one of those moments where I thought, ‘I don't know if I can keep doing this,’” Steinman said.

Her eyes, so badly infected that they were bulging out of her head, needed to be carefully medicated and cleaned. However, no veterinary clinic would operate on a cat under two pounds because of the risk of anesthesia. Steinman knew Luna wouldn't survive without surgery.

Eventually, Steinman reached out to CatSnip, a veterinary facility in Ball Ground, and found a surgeon willing to take a chance on Luna. After surgery, her eyes were swollen and stitched, but she survived. Although Luna is now blind, she has been with Meow House ever since.

Lacey, Meow House’s assistant who has been working with the rescue for two years, helps with daily feeding, cleaning and medication.

“As soon as I heard the word ‘kittens,’ I wanted to come over,” Lacey said. “I love taking care of them, and I love seeing them happy and thriving. I’ve always had a love for animals, so it has been great to have this opportunity. It’s very unusual.”

What differentiates Meow House from other rescues is that once the cats are healthy, they are allowed to roam freely through the household, gaining the socialization needed to adapt to a chaotic home environment.

A *kitty sitting on the couch with Jack and Bear*

For any readers interested in adopting, please reach out to Steinman at 404-428-5836. Meow House hopes to find comfortable households for as many cats as possible so they can continue operating without being overwhelmed.

“Sassy,” Steinman says, referring to a small outdoor tabby cat who lives up to her name, “is much less ‘sassy’ than she was when she got kicked out of the house. She’s actually very friendly; she just wasn’t interested in living in a house with 50 cats. I told her, ‘I get it.’”