This Woman Turned Her Home Into An Incredible Cat Sanctuary

Would you turn your home over to thousands of cats? That's exactly what Lynea Lattanzio did. She transformed her 4,000-square-foot California home into The Cat House on the Kings, which The Associated Press reports is "believed to be the largest no-cage cat sanctuary and adoption center" in the United States. The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved Lattanzio's home for a zoning variance in 1997, and The Cat House on the Kings became a nonprofit in 2002. In the sanctuary's many years of operation, it's saved roughly 24,000 cats, according to AP. As many as 1,000 of the furry creatures can live at the cat house at the same time. Lattanzio told AP that she started the sanctuary after learning about other shelters' euthanization policies for cats that haven't been adopted. By allowing the felines to live in her (former) home, she provides them with a comfortable life they wouldn't have at other shelters. "They've got this house. They've got 12 acres. They can climb a tree. They can go sit in the sun outside," Lattanzio told AP. "It just gives these animals a reason to live as opposed to just living in a cage just because no one wants them." As for Lattanzio, she reportedly now lives in a trailer on the 12-acre property.