Harmony House For Cats

PO Box 18098 Chicago, IL 60618-0098

Frustrated with the short time limits imposed at Chicago's animal shelters in the 1960's, a small group of animal lovers began rescuing and adopting out cats and kittens on their own.

In 1970, they founded the not-for-profit organization, Animal Protective Association, with the motto of “Caring, not Killing.” For seven years, our founders would foster their rescued cats in their own homes, at veterinary hospitals, and even in the back of a small resale shop on Clark Street.

A generous bequest in 1977 enabled us to purchase a two-story building on Wrightwood Avenue, with large airy rooms for the cats to play and relax, and side rooms for admission and isolation areas. The warmth of this home-like environment allowed adopters to get to know all the cats before choosing a new pet. They could see for themselves who is a cuddly lapcat, or who wants to chase and wrestle with a cat buddy.

In 1988, we relocated to our current Kedzie Avenue location, with three full floors for the cats and kittens to run and jump, and with multi-tiered cat trees on every floor. APA adopted the name Harmony House for Cats to reflect the gentle nature of this unique haven for cats. We also adopted our new hugging cats logo, designed by Margrit Fiddle, as a symbol of a cat's ability to live peacefully in a communal setting. Far from being loners, many cats welcome the companionship of other felines, and can be found snoozing in a heap of furry bodies with paws sticking out from every direction.