Welcome to Hepper’s newest segment, Live From the Litter Box, where each Friday, we will share feline current events, heartwarming stories, breaking mews, or other stories we think you need to know about.
The world is full of hidden gems, and every now and then, you stumble upon something that truly captures your (cat-obsessed) heart. That’s exactly what happened when I discovered The Redner’s Rescued Cat Figurine Mewseum.
Nestled in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, The Redner’s Rescued Cat Figurine Mewseum is not just one of the biggest collections of cat figurines in the world—it’s a sanctuary of cat stories, love, and community.
Shawn and Hilary Redner’s passion for cats, their commitment to donating to rescue groups, and their community-driven mission made me eager to learn more. So, we sat down for a chat about their journey, and I hope you’ll find their story as inspiring as I did.
How It All Began…
To keep busy after quitting drinking in April 2018, the idea came to Shawn to begin searching for cat figurines at resale shops—a simple hobby to keep him away from alcohol quickly evolved into so much more.
After about a year and a half of collecting, Shawn realized his home was filled with feline-themed treasures. He proposed to his wife, Hilary—who had been skeptical at first—that they open their house to the public once a month, charge a $5 donation, and give all proceeds to charity. She was fully on board by then, and the idea took off. What started as a way to stay occupied soon became the Mewseum, a charitable project dedicated to supporting cat rescues.
At first, opening their home to strangers felt strange and uncomfortable for Hilary. However, after the first public showing, witnessing visitors’ reactions—pure joy, laughter, and amazement at the collection—changed everything. Shawn and Hilary realized that the Mewseum wasn’t just a quirky display of cat figurines; it was a place that brought happiness to people and had the potential to make a meaningful impact on both the local community and its feline residents.
The mewseum houses over 35 curio cabinets, each filled with unique figurines donated from across the country. There are no duplicates!
The Living Room features a massive cat climber and an overhead shelf lined with cat cookie jars.
A Mission Beyond Collecting
The Redners never intended to profit from their collection, and from day one of opening the museum, they started supporting local cat rescues.
“I’d love to one day break the Guinness World Record,” Shawn explained when I asked what their biggest drive to keep growing the collection was. The current record is held by Carmen de Aldana from Guatemala, with 21,321 unique pieces. Shawn and Hilary have about 10,000 cat figurines, with 4,500–5,000 on display. “But honestly,” he continued, “the real goal has always been to support rescues. Our mission isn’t about making money—every donation from visitors goes directly to rescues. Every year, we’ve been able to donate more. This year, we got an anonymous donation with a shocking amount of money, so the cat rescues got much more than in previous years. We can never do enough for them.”
One group they particularly support is the Urban Cat Coalition, which works tirelessly to trap and neuter Milwaukee’s stray cats, which has been so important in controlling the cat population in the area.
The Mewseum also became a place for preserving people’s cherished cat collections once they began receiving donations. Over the years, they’ve had around 3000 pieces donated, many of which came from families who have lost loved ones and don’t want their treasures discarded. They have taken such great care and attention to each of these pieces, by keeping the donation intact in their own cabinets, tagged with the donor’s name and location.
Shawn recalls one heartfelt memory from back when he was still unsure where the museum was headed. “We were getting a lot of boxes of cat figurines from people, and one day, a woman named Tanya donated a Siamese cat figurine with a string of pearls around its neck. She asked if we could leave the pearls on because they had belonged to her grandmother and had been there since she was a little girl. Of course, we did. Not long after, a local news crew visited for the first time and filmed that exact figurine. When the story aired, Tanya sent me a message straight away thanking us for leaving the pearls on Grandma’s cat…It was really humbling.”
The collection is diverse and ever evolving, but Shawn and Hilary don’t have any criteria for choosing the next pieces, aside from staying away from the character-based cats like Hello Kitty or Garfield, to showcase the world of cats that aren’t so mainstream.
They often look for interesting pieces on online marketplaces. Sometimes they find things they love but the seller doesn’t ship, so they have been known to travel to get the right addition to their collection. They even ended up traveling 14 hours, all the way to Ohio, for a single figurine! Talk about dedication.
When asked about their most unique pieces, Shawn explained one of his favorites that came from Italy. “The woman who donated it told us it was a wedding gift for her parents in 1964. It’s an impressive three feet tall! To honor its history, we wrote her parents’ names on the bottom along with their story. It’s a truly special addition to our collection.”
The Resident Cats
Beyond the figurines, the Mewseum is home to 11 real-life feline residents, all strays and rescues that Shawn and Hilary saved along the way.
“They are all either stray cats, misfits, or rescues,” Shawn shared with me. “We never went looking for them, but somehow, they always found their way to us. A funny one is the story of how we got our orange cat, Trapper. When we moved here, we had only six females, and one of them wasn’t spayed since she was too old when we got her. One morning at 5 a.m., we thought somebody was trying to break into the house—but it was a big orange cat who literally busted through the screen of the front window to meet our little 19-year-old unspayed female! I never had a male cat before him, and I was so surprised—he’s the most loving cat. He’s taken care of every kitten that came home after him like a father cat.”
I asked Shawn, “What’s your secret?”
“There’s something magical about this place. We have 11 cats, and we never had to do the separation thing. I just have a chat with my cat and say, “Do you remember when you were the new cat? Be nice to the new cat.” And we’ve never had a problem introducing a new one here. My wife always says I know how to talk to cats.”
Eight of their 11 cats really love being around people, too. While many visitors come to see the figurines, some come just to spend time with the resident cats.
The cat garden is open from April to November, and it is a space where people can sit and enjoy time with the sociable felines.
“It wouldn’t be the same experience without the live cats,” Shawn explains, and I understand the sentiment.
“Could you have imagined your project having such an impact when you started?” I asked as we neared the end of our discussion.
“Definitely not,” Shawn shared. “It’s unreal where we started and where we are now.
We have traveled thousands of miles, met wonderful people, and made countless memories collecting the figurines you’ll find here. But this place has grown into much more than just cat figurines. It has become a place of hope, joy, happiness, and giving. I only mention the part about my drinking because, honestly, if I had never become an alcoholic, I don’t think any of this ever would have happened. I am still sober today. Life has a funny way of working things out.
With all that being said, I invite you to come on over and take a walk around. I promise—you’ve never seen anything like it.”
The Redner’s Rescued Cat Figurine Mewseum is located in N88 W15114 Cleveland Ave, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin 53051.
You can explore their website here and follow them on Facebook. If you end up taking a visit, we’d love to see your photos and hear about your experience! The whole Hepper team hopes we can visit one day, too.
How It All Began…
