When you walk up to Orphan Angels Cat Sanctuary, the friendly faces of cats in window welcome you in. Inside, there are close to 100 cats who are waiting to be taken home.
"We just try and match people with the best cat," said Adoption Coordinator Eileen Harrington. "We like to tell people when they come in that they think they come in here to adopt cats, we let them come in here so the cats can adopt them."
Employees there say there is a growing of number of stray cats here in Erie. Along with finding good, forever homes as they say, they're also educating people on how to control the cat population.
"The purpose we serve in this community is to help educate people, to help push the spay and neuter, since its the cheapest and best way to lower the population," said board member Sandy Traphagen.
In their four years, Orphan Angels has matched over 700 cats with families throughout the area. They're hoping for more this holiday season.
"Unfortunately we're filled, we're not going to be able to accept anymore cats. We're hoping for a lot of adoptions around Christmas," said Traphagen.
Traphagen added that cats make the perfect gift at Christmas time. She says these cuddly creatures can teach responsibility and empathy. But if you're not sure which one to pick, Orphan Angels has a way to help.
"What we have are gift certificates if you want to give a sibling or an adult," said Harrington. "We recommend giving a little box with cat toys and treats, and a gift certificate so they can come and pick out their own."
Traphagen and Harrington say they would like to see at least 15 of the cats there find their good, forever homes by Christmas time.