Animal Protective Association / Harmony House For Cats

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.

We are committed to providing the highest quality care for the cats and kittens in our care. Every new admission receives comprehensive veterinary care including a thorough examination, spaying or neutering, vaccinations, testing for Feline Leukemia and FIV, treatment for fleas, earmites, and internal parasites, and an AVID microchip. We also treat many bite wounds, broken bones, and traumatic injuries received while living on the streets of Chicago.

No matter what costs are incurred in treating a injured cat or kitten, we charge an adoption fee of only $75 to the new adopter. We rely on the generous support of our donors to help pay for the many bills that our cats and kittens generate, and we are grateful for the countless hours that our volunteers devote to grooming and socializing the cats, planning special events that are the lifeblood of our fundraising program, and staffing outreach tables to introduce the public to our cats and our mission.

We hope that you will become involved with Harmony House by adopting a cat, making a donation, attending a special event, shopping online, or signing up to be a volunteer.

Note: PO Boxes will not show correctly on the map below.