Advertisement

Wisconsin couple open 'mewseum' to show off cat figurine collection

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter

July 28 (UPI) -- A Wisconsin couple turned their collection of more than 13,000 cat figurines and feline-themed pieces of art into a "mewseum" to raise money for shelter cats.

Shawn Redner and Hilary Siegel-Redner said they remodeled the basement of their Menomonee Falls home so they could increase the number of cat figurines on display at the house, also known as Redner's Rescued Cat Figurine Mewseum, from 4,000 in 2020 to 7,000 in July of this year.

Advertisement

"This is all we do. This museum has taken over my life," Redner told WTMJ-TV.

The couple offer tours of their home on the third Sunday of each month, or the fourth Sunday if there's a holiday, and proceeds from the tours are donated to local cat shelters.

The couple said their ultimate goal is to build a cat cafe and museum to house their collection, which includes 5,000 more pieces in storage.

"My goal is to hopefully move all this into a coffee shop where we can have adoptable cats, so visitors can have a cup of coffee, hopefully bring home a cat, and then the museum will be a separate entity to the coffee shop," Redner said.

Advertisement

The couple first started collecting cat figurines in 2018 and they now visit various thrift stores, rummage sales and flea markets every weekend to find new pieces for their mewseum.

The pair said they also hope to eventually take the Guinness World Record for largest collection of cat-related items. The record is currently held by Carmen De Aldana, who owns 21,321 items.

Latest Headlines