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My wife Kelly has a certain fascination with clowns. Clowns of all shapes and sizes. Not human clowns, but figurines, dolls, ornaments, etc. At one time the collection exceeded three hundred pieces! That's nothing compared to a couple who, by design, have let their love for cat figurines, overrun their home! -Matt Appleby
Shawn Redner and Hilary Siegel-Redner of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, remodeled their basement ... for a good cause.
Shawn and Hilary spent a lot of time and money down in that basement so they could increase the number of cat figurines on display at the house -- which are all part of a "mew-seum" they put together that helps them raise money for shelter cats.
Back in 2020, they had 4,000 items on display. By this summer, that number jumped to 7,000, thanks to regular visits to thrift stores, rummage sales and flea markets.
The mew-seum is now open, with Shawn and Hilary offering tours of their home -- and all the proceeds from the tours being 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 items in storage.
But Hilary explained that these grand plans -- however noble -- won't happen by accident. "This is all we do," said Hilary. "This museum has taken over my life." (WTMJ-TV)