Just outside Vancouver in Richmond, B.C., there's a place where hundreds of cats roam freely and visitors are welcome to hang out with them. The Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) Cat Sanctuary is the largest facility of its kind in Canada and one of the biggest in North America, caring for more than 500 rescued cats — many of them feral, older, or with health conditions that make them hard to rehome.
The sanctuary runs on the efforts of around 100 volunteers and has been open since 1999. Its residents come from across British Columbia, and the population includes cats with feline leukemia and FIV — conditions that would mean euthanasia at many other shelters. RAPS is a no-kill organization and one of only a few in the country that houses these cats, keeping them in separate areas to protect the other residents. Visitors needn't worry: neither condition affects humans or other animal species.
Tame and feral cats live side by side here, with veterinary care and even morning 'blanket therapy' on the routine. Most of the cats aren't up for adoption — they're feral, elderly, or have behavioural quirks — so the sanctuary is more a retirement home than a rehoming centre. That said, some adoptable cats do live there, and if one steals your heart you can sponsor it for a minimum of $25 a month (about $300 a year) to help cover its care. With an aging population needing dental work, blood tests and X-rays, that support matters.
Want to get more hands-on? Groups can organize a volunteer session, which comes with a full tour of the sanctuary and plenty of time with the cats and kittens.
Visiting is straightforward: entry costs $16.82 per person, booked online in advance, with time slots on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Slots sell out, and once capacity is reached you may be asked to wait. One rule to plan around: children under six aren't allowed in. The sanctuary is at 3380 No. 6 Road in Richmond, an easy trip from Vancouver.
For cat lovers, this is a genuinely unusual afternoon out — few places anywhere let you sit among hundreds of rescue cats, and your ticket directly funds their care. Pair it with a weekend in Vancouver and you've got a trip with a soft, purring heart at its centre.
