The American Museum of the House Cat opens near Dillsboro this spring

Press release:

The American Museum of the House Cat is opening near Dillsboro, North Carolina on April first 2017.

I started collecting items related to the house cat long before I opened the Catman2 shelter. My mission now is to display my collection in a museum where these items can be shared and enjoyed by all cat lovers, and a place where everyone can learn more about the house cat. My collection of more than 30 years contains fine art, art glass, antique cat toys (some going back to the 1890s), cat advertising used to attract people to purchase all kinds of things, and much more.

The museum will be an educational institution where one will learn the history of the house cat, its place of origin and migration all over the world, and will show how the cat has interacted with man throughout the ages. The museum would be enjoyable as well.

The location of the museum is The Old-School House Antique Mall, a local landmark for more than 20 years, found on highway 441 just south of Dillsboro. The museum will occupy two large rooms attached to the antique sales area and accessed through one of two entrances. The museum could be self-guided, but I hope to find volunteers who will be able to spend time there to point out items and explain and answer questions about them.

There will be a small admission fee, and visitors might be asked to make an additional small donation, as any income, after cost, would be given to the Catman2 Shelter, which I built and have been involved with for the past 20 years. Income from the museum could become a major source of income from the shelter and interest in the museum will attract people to visit the Shelter, itself, as well as other attractions throughout Western N.C.

The house cat is now said to be America’s most popular pet and any cat lover knowing about The American Museum of the House Cat will want to visit it.

There are many house cat museums throughout the world, but only one other House Cat Museum, now, in America. The only other Cat Museum is in northern Ohio. Catmasn2’s museum will put Sylva, Dillsboro, and Jackson County, on the Map and will add another attraction, and reason, for people to travel to North Carolina.