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CTMQ > Everything Else > Biology & Geology > The Last Post Cat Sanctuary

The Last Post Cat Sanctuary

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Crazy Cat Lady (and Damian) Paradise
The Last Post Cat Retirement Home, Falls Village
April 3, 2010

In early November 2011, this place suffered a terrible fire which destroyed at least one building and killed a bunch of the cats. They have no web presence in 2020, but I can’t confirm if they’ve closed.

I have no memory of how I found out about this place. But it has intrigued me for a couple years, so I was glad to have the opportunity to get out there with avowed cat-lover Damian to check it out – and to figure out just what the heck this place was.

Hoang had to tend to some business at the homestead (hey man, she wanted to paint the kitchen cabinets, not me), so Damian and I had a guy’s adventure. A cool little hike to an awesome waterfall in Norfolk, a manly old school diner lunch in North Canaan, and of course, what kind of Man Day would it be if we didn’t surround ourselves in a bunch of … um … cats?

Ahem.

The Last Post is located off of Belden Road in the beautiful hamlet of Falls Village in Canaan. Down, down, down a winding gravel driveway, The Last Post is set in several buildings and fenced in areas. It is inviting to visitors and signs guide the way to the parking lot and the tame cats we came to visit.

My word, there are a LOT of cats here. Amazingly, while of course it did smell like “cat,” it wasn’t too bad at all. All the cat rooms we saw (4 of them) were large and clean. There’s not much more background to add… So here’s what they said about themselves on their (now long gone) website:

The Last Post is an animal sanctuary and cat retirement home located in Falls Village, CT. It has been in operation since 1982, and currently is the home to more than 200 cats, several dogs, and a pair of pigs as well as a goat.

Many of the cats are available for adoption and all are kept up to date with vaccinations and medical examinations.

When you come to visit, you will be able to walk through the main day rooms for the cats, and on the deck just outside of the day rooms. The cats may be a little shy at first, but they usually warm up to visitors, and like to get attention from them.

Located in Falls Village, the Last Post has 37 acres of a natural wildlife preserve. Many people bring cameras to capture some of the beauty of the setting, as well as the cats themselves.

I’m not sure it’s an actual “wildlife preserve,” but you know how cat ladies sometimes get a little fantastical. The Last Post was founded by Pegeen Fitzgerald, a New York radio personality, advertising executive, author and animal advocate. It is a project that is sponsored by The Vivisection Investigation League and The Millennium Guild, both organizations which Mrs. Fitzgerald had been President of until her death in 1989.

The Last Post’s primary purpose is to provide a safe, homelike surrounding for animals whose previous owners have died or gone into nursing homes. Animals are left to the Last Post in wills, or special arrangements are made by contacting our attorney.

Now, I happen to love cats and Damian does too. (Hoang’s rather allergic, which is a bummer.) Do NOT go here if you don’t really like cats. They are very friendly and there are a billion of them – and they are not shy either. Most of them are very cute and cuddly and all appear pretty healthy, despite being fairly old. (Many of the less friendly ones are kept in different areas of the compound.)

I want to point out how well taken care of these cats are – they get regular checkups, all of their shots, and are all digitally tagged in case they escape the compound.

Damian and I had a lot of fun here. Only one cat swiped at him which is amazing when you realize he’s a curious and impolite little boy sometimes; pulling on tails, waking from slumbers, touching noses – all that good stuff.

In the end… Yeah, okay, just another excuse to post a bunch of pictures of Damian. And just for that eye-roll, I’m throwing in some extras:

This is one of the 3 main “day rooms” the cats enjoy.







“I’ll be seein’ you cats.”

Oh yeah… There’s also a goat there:


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Comments

  1. 1) You might want to consider changing the title of this page. Maybe it’s too early and my caffeine hasn’t kicked in, but I saw “The Last Post” and was terrified that you meant the last BLOG post!

    2) You should enter that picture of Damian with “James Brown” in a contest. The lighting in that is beautiful.

  2. HaHa… That never crossed my mind – perhaps simply because I have 50 thousand other posts to write still.

    re: the sun pictures – yeah, when those scenes presented themselves, I really wished I had better than a hundred dollar tiny camera I barely know how to use. Oh well… And thanks.

  3. Hello. How can I get my cat to retire here? I am leaving the state and cannot take her with me.

  5. The Last Post had a fire 11/4/2011 which I just found out about the next day. Please if you really loved your visit, could you revisit that information to all who must follow your wonderful posts & photos to help them get thru the loss of two buildings & 20 cats. thank you, just another citizen cat lover. PS dog & goat were rescued also.

  6. I was at this wonderful place in 1986. I live in Florida but used to live in New Fairfield and my family is still in Connectiut. My brother made a spiral wrought iron stir case for the cats though I do not see it in the pictures. The cats love the steps and being up high. I brought a mama cat who was feral and was hit by a car there. They tried to save her but couldn’t. The place is kept immaculate and the cats are friendly.. one was too friendly jumping on my relaties shoulder and it frightened her. The people who work there are very nice and also so dedicated to the care of the cats. This is a wonderful place and its just a shame there aren’t many more places like this around the country. The animal controls in any city just catch the poor cats and put them down. There should be FREE totally~ free a spay/neuter clinic in every city in the U.S. and there wouldn’t be so many cats and dogs. It doesn’t help that the American Kennel Club encourages the back yard breeder of cats and dogs either. Having a cat or dog just to use them to breed and taking away their litters and selling them over and over again. These rescue people do a great service to the people of the Connectcut area. God bless them . . .

  8. Your place looks wonderful. Looks like the animals are being cared for very well I have 3 cats 2 of which I rescued from the street and I am taking care of them. Also have 1 Bloodhound dog Gracie and a little dog Tyler
    Everybody gets along.

    I would love to see your place and maybe if needed I could give some volunteer hours to devote to the animals
    Sincerely,
    Mary Gregory

  11. I have a lovable cat that I rescued back in May. Did to my husband and my being disabled, we need to surrender. She is a weaver and my husband having Muscular Dystrophy has almost fallen several times as have I. He’s failing quicker than we thought he would. We regret having to do this sad thing. Hopefully you can help us with this matter.
    Regretfully,
    Debbie

  14. Hi, my name is Christine, and I am looking to donate some time to a rescue group. I live in Canaan. If you could use some help with the kitties I would love to help.
    My email is: [REDACTED]@frontier.com
    My address is [REDACTED], Canaan Connecticut 06018, United States. It looks so comfy at the last post.
    Thank you

    Christine Luchini

  15. Sigh. It takes effort to literally not read a URL, a title, a word, or a commment and then to take the time to comment with personal information. Congrats, Christine Luchini of Canaan, CT of the United States.

  16. I want to assure folks that Last Post is still open. I was just there today, November 10, 2021. I was able to donate 88 lbs+ of food my cats wouldn’t eat. This was due to the generosity of Chewy. They refunded my money and told me to donate the food to the shelter of choice. Please spread the word. The folks at Chewy are top notch. And the folks at Last Post were very happy to receive the gift.

  17. Hello my name is Jean I am a Trapper out of Waterbury Connecticut I have a semi-feral male cat he likes to talk to people but he still nervous I’m being touched pain for a couple months now I was working with him I do have him to where he is walking next to me now I’m fortunate because I am a Trapper I cannot keep him and I do not want to release him I am looking for a nice home for him when I have trapped him he was getting along with another cat which I trapped and had already home. I do have pictures of him that I could send you a like to know if you could send me an application if you have room for him

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