Denise and Thom Howard never imagined they’d one day be helping people go glamping with hundreds of cats. Originally, the plan was to help as many cats as possible. “We started as a home-based rescue in Jacksonville in 2016, just helping neighborhood cats,” Thom Howard told The Dodo. “My wife, Denise, incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in Florida as Purrapy Inc. in October 2019, just months before the pandemic hit. Then that created an overpopulation wave — including in our Jacksonville home.” The couple knew rescuing cats from their home was no longer sustainable, so they purchased 9 acres of property and opened a cat sanctuary called Purradise Springs. Pretty soon, the couple had well over 100 cats living at the sanctuary, all of who came from terrible situations and were now able to relax in their very own paradise finally. “With TNR, adoptions, cats that have passed, and our current colony of 130+, we have saved well over 600 cats in seven years,” Howard said.
With all that space and all those cats, the couple wanted to find a way to let people come and enjoy what they’d created — so they built a bunch of tents that they call “purrts,” and now people from all over can go glamping with cats. The luxury tents are right in the center of everything, meaning that while you’re glamping, cats will be approaching you from all sides, seeking love and affection. They’ll even snuggle up with you at night, as countless guests have now experienced. “The record with video evidence is 15 cats, at one time, inside one 17-foot tent,” Howard said. A TikTok about the sanctuary and its glamping experience recently went viral, which has helped make Purradise Springs even more popular than it already was. “Our main three tents stay 80 to 90 percent booked now,” Howard said. “I’m not sure we have an available weekend on the main three purrts for about three months.” The cat-loving couple started just wanting to help the homeless cats in their neighborhood. Now, they’re making a difference in the lives of hundreds of cats and have created a sought-after vacation destination.
