“One word to describe Harold is legend,” said Kaleb Lynch, Catman2’s shelter director and close friend of the late Harold “Catman” Sims Jr.
The legacy of Catman lives on in Western North Carolina through Catman2 and the American Museum of the House Cat.
“He was full of ideas. The man’s brain never stopped. He would be constantly thinking of things and if he had an idea at like two in the morning, then he’d be up on his computer, typing a bunch of stuff about it and trying to figure out a way to make it happen tomorrow,” Lynch said, “He was a very motivated individual, a free thinker, he was never one to go with the crowd.”
His motivation and love of cats inspired Catman to open a cat shelter and museum after retiring from his job as a biology professor.
Catman built the shelter by hand with Jack Nowlin, a retired contractor and personal friend. Catman’s vision for Catman2 was very different from a traditional shelter. Catman wanted to create a space for cats to roam free without being held in cages. The shelter contains multiple cat rooms with open access patios so the cats can enjoy the fresh air.
“He was very adamant about not jailing a cat, imprisoning a cat in a cage for longer than necessary for any unjust reason,” said Lynch.
The shelter opened in 2002 as the first no-kill shelter in Jackson County. It is also the first cat-only shelter in Jackson County. While most cats at Catman2 are available for adoption, there are some long-term resident cats who have made a home at the shelter.
“Cats did not have many options back when he first came on the scene and built this place. So now we have quite a community of cat lovers that support this place and just have fallen in love with cats in general,” Lynch said. “I just don’t think that enough people know the history of this place and how lucky we are to have it.”
The American Museum of the House Cat was Catman’s passion later in life. The museum contains over 30 years of Catman’s personally curated cat-related memorabilia. The museum is the largest of just two cat-themed museums in North America.
The museum opened in 2017 in part of Sylva’s Old School Antique Mall. When the antique mall shut down, Catman moved the museum to a larger standalone building. The new location opened in 2022 after facing delays from COVID-19.
“He loved the real cats, but that museum was his pride and joy because that was one man’s collection, and he never spent a dime of anybody else’s money to buy that kind of stuff,” Lynch said.
Lynch does not anticipate either Catman2 or the American Museum of the House Cat to experience disruptions in operations after Catman’s passing.
“We have every intention of continuing his legacy of helping cats and of expanding the museum,” Lynch said.
In addition to creating Catman2 and the American Museum of the House Cat, Catman authored multiple children’s books and Cats Without Cages, a nonfiction book sharing the story of Catman2’s creation.
Lynch and others have organized a tribute for Catman on April 5, 2025 at the American Museum of the House Cat. The date lines up with Catman’s 90th birthday and two-year anniversary of the opening of the current American Museum of the House Cat. All are welcome at this tribute to celebrate Catman’s life and work.
