We are a non-profit and are working on being approved for 501(c)(3) status with the IRS

Where Cats and Coffee Create Comfort

How It All Began

Purr & Pour Sanctuary began with heartbreak—and healing.

I’m Lynne Gouge, the founder, and this journey started the day I lost my heartbeat: my beloved dog, Sasha. She was a Queensland Heeler–Boxer mix, and she had walked with me through some of life’s hardest seasons. Sasha was my confidante, my comfort, my shadow. Losing her left a deep ache in my soul, one I didn’t know how to fill.

I wasn’t ready for another dog. But I felt a pull toward rescue, and I found myself at the local shelter… not looking for a replacement, but for a way to honor the love Sasha gave me. That’s where the cats came in—first kittens, then the older, overlooked ones. The ones who weren’t tiny or cuddly, but whose eyes held stories of abandonment, fear, and hope. They needed a safe place to land. A place to be loved back to life.

And so, I opened my heart and my home. I adopted cats that others passed by and began offering long-term foster care for cats whose humans were going through extreme life crises—homelessness, terminal illness, military deployment, and escape from domestic violence. These weren’t unwanted pets; they were cherished companions whose people were fighting battles no one should have to face alone.

Some of our residents have lost their humans to death. Others were surrendered by grieving families unsure how to care for a cat in mourning. Many came to us scared, shut down, and untrusting—cats who wouldn’t have survived the traditional shelter system.


Here, they found love. Safety. Patience. Space. And, in time, trust.

Purr & Pour was born not just out of loss—but out of a deep desire to create a sanctuary of comfort, healing, and second chances. A place where cats could rediscover peace… and where people could, too.

Our Extended Mission

At Purr & Pour Sanctuary, we are dedicated to providing a permanent, loving haven for unadoptable cats and the cherished feline companions of individuals facing extreme life events—such as terminal illness, military deployment, or escape from domestic violence. We offer long-term foster care to keep hope alive for reunification whenever possible.

We aim to create a nurturing space where traumatized cats can rediscover peace and trust, and where humans can experience the joy and healing of feline companionship. Through exclusive Coffee with the Cats visits, we invite our community to slow down and connect—one purr and one cup at a time.

What We Do

  • Permanent sanctuary for unadoptable cats

  • Long-term foster care for cats displaced by extreme life events

  • Gentle rehabilitation for traumatized or shut-down cats

  • (Coming Soon) Coffee with the Cats—a healing community experience

Where Every Cat Has a Story—and a Sanctuary

Behind every whisker is a journey of resilience. These cherished companions remind us daily why we do what we do—offering peace, presence, and a permanent place to call home.

What We’re Not

Purr & Pour is a private sanctuary, not a shelter or rescue. We are unable to accept unwanted cats or kittens. Our cats live in a peaceful, crate-trained, safe, and loving home environment. Visits are by invitation or reservation only. Thank you for understanding and honoring the rhythm and privacy of our residents.

Purrspectives: Stories from Our Supporters

When I had to move away from Yuma for health reasons, circumstances beyond my control led to the moving van being rented last minute, and being told “It turns out that it will be impossible to ensure that Sour Patch doesn’t get outside since our cat goes in and out as he pleases.” Originally, I had been given the assurance that this would not be the case, and now it was too late to back out of the move.

I knew that the safest option for Sour Patch would be to find someone to foster her until I was able to get my own place, and then come to get her. I certainly didn’t want her to get out and possibly get ran over, and while I didn’t want to be across the country from her, I had to do what was safest for her.

Miss Lynne offered to foster Sour Patch, and I am deeply grateful for her and her son, Evan. Even when I unexpectedly came back to Yuma, they have continued to foster Sour Patch as I’ve tried to get my feet back on the ground.

Sour Patch is safe, cared for, and loved (even when she is in a sour mood), and I cannot thank Miss Lynne and Evan enough for all that they have done. Because of them, my girl is safe, I can visit her as often as life allows me, and I will be able to bring her home as soon as my living situation allows me to.

Because of Miss Lynne and Evan, I don’t have to worry about Sour Patch as I focus on my health and getting back on my feet. They truly love and care for every cat that is in their care, and they put in a lot of time and energy into caring for them. They know each cat’s personalities, they ensure that each cat is given attention and affection, and they take in each cat and accept that cat and all of his or her quirks.

Without people like Miss Lynne and Evan, I can’t imagine how things would have ended up turning out. For the rest of my life, I will be eternally grateful for them, and I wish that I were in a position to do more than type their praises. Miss Lynne is a warm, kind-hearted, understanding, and loving human being, and she has been a blessing to Sour Patch and I. Evan is a sweet young man, always with a laugh to share and a cat in his arms.

Supporting Purr and Pour Cat Sanctuary is supporting not just two kind-hearted people, but supporting cats who would either have nowhere else to go, or cats whose humans are just trying to give their cats a safe place to be while they get their feet back on the ground. Miss Lynne and Evan are in this for the right reasons- not for the fame, the drama, or the accolades. They are in this because their hearts truly love cats, and because they truly want to help. Your support of Purr and Pour supports the positive and beautiful difference that Miss Lynne and Evan make here in Yuma, and the difference they make in all of the cat (and human) lives that they touch.

- William and Sour Patch

What's Next

Coming Soon: Coffee with the Cats

We’re joyfully preparing to open our hearts and catio for the Coffee with the Cats experience—tentatively launching in late October.

This exclusive opportunity invites guests to slow down and savor a peaceful visit in a relaxing outdoor space—a thoughtfully designed catio—where a select group of our feline residents will roam, play, nap, and interact at their leisure.


Stay tuned for reservation details—and thank you for honoring the peaceful rhythm of our sanctuary. We can’t wait to welcome you with a warm cup and a soft purr.

How You Can Help

  • Follow our journey

  • Share our story

  • Support when donation opportunities open

  • Respect the space and spread the word

Make the Purrs Possible Send Some Cash, Hear the Purrs

“Our mission is to offer permanent refuge for unadoptable cats and long-term foster care for feline companions of people in crisis, while creating a space where hearts heal and hope is restored—one purr and one cup at a time.”

“The righteous care for the needs of their animals.” – Proverbs 12:10

Thank you for sharing in our mission.

Your presence, your prayers, and your kindness are part of every purr and every poured cup.

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