The smell of paint, the hum of craftsman tools, and the fluttering specks of gold foil and wood chips are daily reminders that art is being created at Silver Lining Signs in Manchester. This is not your average sign shop \u2014 somewhere in a corner or on a shelf, a cat or two stretches, plays, or pounces on an unsuspecting toy mouse. The cats run the shop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just work here,\u201d said Matt Carr, Manchester native and co-owner and operator of Silver Lining Signs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The business has existed for 34 years, with Carr involved since nearly the beginning. A 1990 Coffee County High School graduate and artist at heart, he developed an interest in painting, sculpting, and airbrushing early in life. Donna Lee, the original owner and founder of Silver Lining Signs, recognized Carr\u2019s talent and hired him as her apprentice. In the early days of Carr\u2019s career, he designed signs by hand while mastering intricate hand-drawn craftsmanship and unique gold foil techniques. These days, the shop is filled with a family of 10 cats: Gary, Bart, Lily (the new matriarch), Rastus, Salty, Peppa, Stinky, Speckles, Gremlin, and Goblin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There\u2019s nothing like working really hard, being tired, and then you glance over and see a cat playing upside down with a ball of tape,\u201d Carr said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cats offer grief support and comfort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCats feel your feelings. They definitely know when you are sad. Cats are awesome. I love them so much,\u201d Carr expressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their presence is healing, especially since Carr lost his mother and five other beloved cats, Cleo, Henry, Billie, Anon, and Harley. The shop cats also serve a practical purpose: keeping the place rodent-free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what keeps everything lively is that each cat has a distinct personality and role. Gary, a 10- or 11-year-old tabby cat dubbed “Mufasa,” is the long-standing patriarch but is now being challenged for dominance by Speckles, a much younger tabby about 1.5 years old. Speckles often ambushes Gary, jumping down on him, though Gary maintains his leadership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily, Rastus, and Peppa are all solid black. Salty is gray and white, Stinky is another tabby, and Gremlin and Goblin are black and white. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silver Lining Signs was initially located on Highway 41. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring the first eight years of business, we didn\u2019t have a cat problem at that location,\u201d Carr explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, when the business relocated to the current location 25 years ago, Lee encountered around 20 abandoned cats, many domesticated. More cats were dropped off near the railroad tracks \u2014 often covertly at night. It seems people associated the business as a site that had a bunch of cats. They would drop off cats of all ages, including little bitty kittens and elderly ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe would just slowly try to capture them and kind of get them to a vet and get them neutered so they wouldn\u2019t keep making more cats,\u201d Carr explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the years, Carr and Lee have fed and cared for upwards of 100 to 150 cats. It has been a huge undertaking, costing them collectively $30,000 to $40,000 in veterinary fees. This included the cost of having each one spayed or neutered, ensuring they were up to date on necessary vaccinations, plus routine exams. Occasionally, new kittens or strays appear; efforts are underway to trap and care for Gremlin and Goblin at present. But Carr hopes that finding homes for adorably lovable kittens will be generally easier than for adult cats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I make it a priority to get the cats spayed and neutered. Once I get a new cat, I take them to the vet, get them their shots, and get them fixed. Spaying and neutering is so important. Unfortunately, many local families lack resources or awareness to prioritize spaying\/neutering, exacerbating the stray population problem. Manchester needs a support system for cats. The unfixed cat across the street that has fathered at least 50 kittens in 18 months,\u201d said Carr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The challenge is that there are no convenient, low-cost spay\/neuter clinics in Manchester; the nearest options are distant, and local animal shelters currently only support dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local volunteers, including one named Debbie, feed and support over 17 cat colonies across the county. The humane society leads trap-neuter-release efforts, but the scale of the problem is significant. Hopefully, the local animal shelter expansion may soon address cat intake, which would signify a gradual improvement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n