ABOUT US
House of Dreams is a non-profit, all volunteer
operated
no-kill cat shelter located in the North Tabor area of Portland. It
began in April of 1999 when five volunteers took over a pre-existing
shelter when the owner decided to retire. At that time, 97 cats were
living at the shelter. The five volunteers tirelessly worked seven days
a week cleaning, painting and re-structuring the shelter while feeding
and loving the cats.
Today, House of Dreams provides long-term care for 50-60 cats. We have
40-50 volunteers. About 35 of these volunteers come in weekly or every
other week. The rest help out with events or come in from time to time
as their schedule allows.
House of Dreams is the only cat shelter in the Portland area where the
cats are allowed to live out their natural lives in a free roam
environment. Our mission is to find loving, responsible homes for our
kitties with the policy being that they are indoor only companions. As
we do not discriminate based on age or medical history, many of our
cats are what some would call "difficult to adopt". Some of these
older, medically challenged cats will spend the rest of their lives at
House of Dreams (and we are happy to have them!). At the shelter they
have friends (human and feline), regular meals, and quality medical
care. Think of it as "assisted living" for cats.
In addition to being grateful for all donations, monetary, or
otherwise, we can always use more volunteers - not only to help with
the cleaning, feeding, and grooming, but also to help organize our
fundraisers, write grant proposals, and help with a myriad of other
tasks.
Every day, rain, shine, holiday or not, 36 kitty boxes are cleaned,
(13,140 a year!), water bowls refilled, cats fed, the floors mopped and
surfaces scrubbed, and the kitties are loved and played with.
In a separate area of the shelter, House of Dreams is one of the few
shelters to house feline-leukemia positive cats. With proper care, they
can often live long and happy lives.
House of Dreams is literally a small house, 900 square feet, and people
are constantly amazed when they first enter at the fact that there are
cats everywhere! On top of the refrigerator, in cupboards, on the bed,
in the windows. As we tell people, this is their house!
All our cats have been spayed or neutered and are current on all
vaccinations. We also provide any additional dental and medical care
the cats may need.