Nearly-closed cat boarding facility seeks homes for remaining animals

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Portland business that boards and fosters cats will shut down after almost 14 years of operations. Owners are now hoping the community can help find homes for the remaining kittens.

On Monday, Mittens Motel in Northeast Portland notified customers that it’d be permanently closing its doors on Jan. 31. Business owners Brandy Slack and Denise Struzan said they’d been struggling with the decision over the past six months, after their plans to open a new location failed.

Ultimately, they cited the economy, homelessness, crime and health concerns as their reasons behind the closure.

”With the economy [being] what it is, the homelessness/crime around our location and our health on the decline for the past two years, we just can't keep the business going any longer,” Slack and Struzan wrote to clients. ”This has been very difficult on us and we feel extremely sad, guilty and overall remorse that we have to do this. Just writing this is hard through our tears.”

The business will continue boarding services through the month. Afterward, owners have referred customers to Bunnies-N-More for in-home pet-sitting or Kitty Cat Condos — another cat boarding facility located less than 20 minutes away from Mittens Motel.

The owners are still seeking new caretakers for the well-socialized animals that are in “desperate need of homes.” Slack told KOIN 6 the remaining cats are up to 5 years of age, although most of them are under 2 years old.

She said the animals are rescues or bottle-feeding kittens handed over by customers. The owner offered to have the animals spayed or neutered for those who are considering adopting.

Potential cat owners can contact the business at mittensmotel510@gmail.com or 503-819-8177.

“Thank you for the best 13.5 years of letting us take care of your fur babies. We will miss you very much!” the owners said.