Things are looking up for cats at a local shelter. Many of them will be sprung from their cages and given the chance to live in a "colony room" with toys and climbing apparatus. They'll be able to mix, mingle and play with other furry felines.

This will all happen at the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania in Larimer. Animal lovers can get an early look at the new state-of-the-art Cat Adoption Center at an open house from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

There will be no official "ribbon cutting." Instead, because this is a cat facility, there will be a "yarn cutting" at 3:30 p.m. during the open house.

Carefully selected cats will be on hand to demonstrate their enjoyment of the new living quarters. All of the cats won't be moved there for the open house because that would be too stressful for the felines, said Ann Yeager, director of marketing at Animal Rescue League. Cats will be shifted from cages to colonies in the near future.

The rescue league purchased a former gas station next to the shelter on Hamilton Avenue and converted it into the Cat Adoption Center. It includes three cat colony rooms where cats can live and play outside of cages. The rooms include things for cats to climb, and there's a sunporch.

Sadly, this kind of setup will not suit all cats. These kinds of living quarters work only with cats that peacefully and happily coexist with other felines.

The rescue league, like all shelters, is swamped with cats and kittens. In 2009, this shelter took in 600 to 800 cats and kittens each month from April through September. Those months are known as "kitten season" in shelters and rescue groups because that's when unspayed cats are giving birth. Female cats can produce more than one litter during the birthing season.

Only a fraction are adopted -- on average 250 felines per month.

About half of the incoming cats are placed in temporary foster homes provided by cat-loving volunteers. Most of the fosters are kittens or sick felines that would not fare well in shelters.

The creation of cat colonies follows a trend implemented by some other shelters and rescue groups to get cats out of cages. Animal Friends has had two free-roaming cat colony rooms since 2006 when it opened its new facility in Ohio Township.

The shelter currently has 201 cats and kittens in its care. Twenty-one are in the rooms where cats that get along with other cats can play and socialize. Seventy-three are in foster homes. Five are at Pet Smart, awaiting adoption. And another 103 are in "cat condos" -- which are bigger than traditional cages and big enough to give each cat a toy and a "cubby" where they can hide or have some privacy, if they wish.

All of the cats at Animal Friends have a play session, every day, in a socialization room where they play with toys and with staff or volunteers.

By the way, here's a shout-out to the Petco stores. Nearly half of the rescue league's cat adoptions last year took place at Petco locations in the North Hills, Waterworks, Waterfront, Robinson and South Hills.

The rescue league is an "open-door shelter," which means no animal is turned away. In 2009 the league's doors were open to more than 9,000 animals. Most were dogs and cats, but the total includes rabbits, snakes and other reptiles and small "pocket pets," including gerbils and hamsters.

The rescue league has a tough mission because it also has the animal control contract with the City of Pittsburgh and gets the strays and the dogs running loose that are picked up by dog catchers.

The May 11 event includes tours of the entire facility and adoption specials. It's free, but donations are always welcome.

If you don't have any spare cash, there are other ways to donate.

Here's part of the wish list for the new Cat Adoption Center: Baobab Cat Trees, four-drawer filing cabinet, crew chairs, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent and gift cards from Target, Walmart, Giant Eagle, Home Depot and Lowe's.

Perennial "wishes" for the shelter include wet and dry pet food, blankets, paper towels, new or gently used dog toys, and tennis balls.

People who like to knit or crochet can donate very small afghans for the small cat cages. Cats aren't picky about the color or patterns. Donors can mix and match odds and ends of yarn left over from bigger projects. Just make sure to use yarn that is machine-washable and -dryable.

The rescue league also operates a Wildlife Center in Verona, caring for orphaned babes of the wild and injured wildlife. The center is in desperate need of heating pads for baby birds, bunnies and other young. Make sure the donated heating pads do not have an automatic shut-off function.

The Wildlife Center wish list includes items most of us wouldn't think to donate: freeze-dried meal worms and blood worms, canned cream corn, canned peaches and pears, apple sauce, all flavors of Tums, Pedialyte, and frozen meat.

Household items needed include toilet paper, rubber or latex gloves, 30- and 55-gallon garbage bags, receiving blankets and original Dawn liquid dish soap.

Donated items can be dropped off at the Pittsburgh shelter or the Verona wildlife center during regular hours at both facilities, which are open to the public seven days per week. Go to www.animalrescue.org for details.

The locations are:

Animal Rescue League, 6620 Hamilton Ave., Larimer, 412-621-6542.

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, 6000 Verona Road, Verona, 412-793-6900.