It takes a lot of heart, hard work and patience to rescue feral cats. But in Utica, Nicole Stephens opened up her home to the neighborhood cats, offering them the warmth and love they were missing.

When she moved to Utica four years ago, Stephens never imagined being a cat person. Now, she’s working to open “Healing Hearts Cat Cafe” for those cats which rule her home and her life.

“I never had cats, never had a desire to have cats, and then it was like, I’ve missed out on all these years!” Stephens said. “It’s funny because I never really had a purpose or felt like I had anything that I was passionate about until the cats came along.”

Three years ago, Stephens’ first cat, Tigger, showed her that cats have unique personalities and are often misunderstood.

Tigger was Stephens’ first cat. She named him after the famed Winnie the Pooh character because he “likes to pounce on everybody.” Credit: Mia Fischel

For a while, it was just Tigger and her mom’s cat, Mr. Kitty, in the house. Then it grew to 12 cats. In the past four months, when temperatures often dipped below freezing, that number has grown.

“I started noticing more and more around town the need for a rescue,” Stephens said. “I have been trying to get the community involved to help with getting the cats spayed and neutered to cut down on the population.”

The feral cat population is an issue in central Ohio. Trap Neuter Release (TNR) is a humane method of population control which includes spaying, neutering and vaccinating stray cats. Stephens’ funds these procedures out of pocket, and it gets costly.

One of her rescue cats, named Itty Bitty for her abnormally small-size, suffered from worms and giardia for several weeks, requiring many veterinary visits. 

Stephens named one cat “Itty Bitty” because of her teeny tiny size. Credit: Mia Fischel
Someone contacted Stephens in September last year because they found a newborn kitten, with its umbilical cord still attached, in their driveway. “I bottle-fed her for eight or nine weeks,” Stephens recalled. “She’s still really tiny, but she’s got a big personality.” Credit: Mia Fischel

“Even when she wasn’t feeling well, she was energetic,” Stephens said. “But you can see it in her eyes.”

Now, Itty Bitty is healthy but still in the process of recovery.

Stephens has rescued other cats from barns, recycling plants, construction sites, trailers and the occasional call from a neighbor. She also works full-time from home with Nationwide Insurance, taking care of the cats during her breaks.

“I get up two hours prior to when I have to sign into work. I get them fed, clean out litter boxes, clean up messes, puke, whatever,” Stephens said.

Her living space is dedicated to the cats. The right side of the sink is for Stephens’ dishes, and the left side holds the cats’ dishes. The kitchen floor is covered in cat bowls. Litter boxes sit upstairs and downstairs.

“I really don’t think I can take any more right now… my house is only so big,” Stephens said. “But they’re worth it.”

The dream is to build a sanctuary so she doesn’t have to turn any cats away. Over the past year, Stephens has worked toward starting the cat cafe. 

Glen Richards, Utica’s village administrator, said Stephens has been in touch with village leadership about her rescue operation, and her plans for a cat cafe somewhere in town. 

With a 501(c)(3) certification, all she needs is a building to lease, but it’s been more of a challenge than she anticipated.

In the meantime, she has built a shelter in her garage for the outdoor cats. Heat lamps, beds and extra insulation keep them — and some opossum friends — warm during the winter.

Stephens has a heat lamp set up in the garage so outdoor cats still have a place to keep warm during the extreme cold. Credit: Mia Fischel
Cat food dishes line part of Stephens’ kitchen. Credit: Mia Fischel

It takes some cats more time to warm up than others. It took two years before Patches, an alley cat, approached Stephens. Gaining a cats’ trust is a heartwarming process for Stephens.

“You have to be very patient with them because they’ve been abused and neglected, so they’re very skittish and leery. If you are patient and kind with them they start to come out of their shell and learn to trust,” Stephens said.

Stephens said that the cats have been healing her, too.

“I used to have a lot of anger issues, but you can’t be mad at them. You can’t raise your voice either, because they get scared,” Stephens said. “They’ve helped rescue my heart.”

If you are interested in helping, Stephens is looking for foster families, volunteers, and any donations. Reach out to her on Facebook or at healingheartscatcafe@gmail.com for more information.

Mia Fischel writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.