A home for the rest of their nine lives

The first thing a visitor notices when entering the main building of The Last Post is the smell.

There isn’t one.

This is noteworthy because the room is filled with cats.

The Last Post is a private cat sanctuary in Falls Village that provides a permanent home to more than 140 cats.

The organization was founded in 1982 by Pegeen Fitzgerald, a New York radio personality and animal welfare advocate.

Executive Director Susan Leach-Gregan said Fitzgerald started taking in cats at her city apartment, but the number of animals increased to the point that she began looking for more room.

The Belden Street property in Falls Village had been a camp for New York City firefighters. That concept faded, and Fitzgerald bought the property in 1982. The Last Post opened in 1984.

The organization does not allow people to adopt cats. Leach-Gregan said adoptions were possible early on, but “we ran into trouble with unsuitable applicants.”

The cats are left to The Last Post in wills and through estates. When they arrive, they are kept in a separate area until they become accustomed to their new surroundings.

The Last Post takes care of the cats’ medical needs, using Sand Road Animal Hospital in Falls Village as its primary veterinary provider.

Lauren Mucha described her job as “cat caregiver and executive assistant.” She has been at The Last Post for 10 years.

While showing a visitor around, she greeted the cats by name: Othello, Rocket, Stormy, Fuzzy Wuzzy and Max.

The cats also made the visitor welcome.

The Last Post in Falls Village is home to about 144 cats.Patrick L. Sullivan

While moving from one building to the next, a man carrying a bag walked down the driveway.

He explained that his cat had died the night before and that he wanted to donate his stock of canned cat food, which Mucha accepted with thanks.

In another building, several older cats lounged outside on the deck with two women. Mucha explained that the women are regular weekly visitors who come to see the cats they brought to the sanctuary.

The man whose cat had died came out on the deck with a cat on his shoulders.

“You can’t put your head down or you end up with a parrot,” he said with a grin.

The cats in the main building have outdoor access, including a fenced-in yard.

Mucha said they mostly congregate on the deck.

The cats stay at the sanctuary for the remainder of their lives. Mucha said that a few years ago, the sanctuary had a large number of older cats that died, so the population is currently somewhat younger than usual.

Generally, the cats come in ones or twos, but sometimes the sanctuary gets a call from someone with more. Mucha said 14 of the cats in the main building came from the same home, where an elderly couple was in failing health.

Mucha said the facility has undergone significant upgrades during her tenure, in particular a new HVAC system that helps keep a room full of cats odor-free.

Large plastic tubs lining two walls serve as litter boxes. They are filled with sawdust and changed daily.

“The sawdust helps with the smell,” Mucha said.

The Last Post is at 95 Belden St., Route 126, in Falls Village. It is a nonprofit organization and accepts donations. The facility is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead, especially on holidays, at 860-824-0831.