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FORT MYERS — Had Tuesday been a normal mid-August day at South Fort Myers High School, engines -- not cats -- would have been purring in the automotive shop.

Thanks to Tropical Storm Fay, the school's second day of classes was cancelled. But the doors were opened as a shelter for people and -- for the first time in Lee County -- their pets.

While the lobby and hallways were filled with more than 100 evacuees as well as nearly two dozen workers from the local chapter of the American Red Cross, the automotive shop in the rear of the school served as a pet shelter that was manned by four officers from Lee County Animal Services.

It was a quiet debut for the pet shelter. The lone occupants were two cats who arrived Monday night.

"They've never really been out of the house, so this was a big deal for them," said Earl, the cats' owner who didn't provide his last name.

Earl stayed with the rest of the human evacuees during the night, but he did make a few trips to visit Boo and Shadow.

"I was able to go back and forth and see them and calm them down. They were a little nervous," he said.

Animal Services was prepared to welcome more pets, but ended up with just the two guests.

"It went pretty smooth," said Animal Services field operations manager Lance Raiche. "We did bring a lot of carriers and cages here in case people didn't, but we didn't have to use them."

South Fort Myers High and East Lee County High in Lehigh Acres are the county's designated pet-friendly shelters. East Lee did not serve as a shelter during Fay.

As a reminder, Raiche noted that when pet owners come to a pet shelter, they should be bring carriers or cages as well as food and, if necessary, medication for their pets. Raiche also pointed out that pet shelters are for dogs and cats only.

While Fay began to fade Tuesday morning, Earl placed his crated cats in the backseat of his car and departed, satisfied with how the county's first pet-friendly shelter operated.

"Animal Services did a great job," he said.