Meet the Urban Cat Coalition
Non-profit which addresses city's stray cats will host grand opening at its new home.
Site of Urban Cat Coalition’s new home, 2812 W. Clybourn St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Every spring, hundreds of kittens are born in Milwaukee’s alleys, backyards, bushes and abandoned buildings. They grow up in stray colonies or find their footing independently, but one thing is certain: like all animals, they are driven to reproduce.
In 2016, the Urban Cat Coalition was founded by three Milwaukee cat rescuers to address the city’s community cat population. The coalition aims to “create a no-kill community by humanely reducing the community cat population in the Milwaukee area.”
Ten years later, Urban Cat Coalition is getting its first home. Located at 2812 W. Clybourn St., the coalition promises its new location will be the “hub of cat welfare in Milwaukee.”
To celebrate, the coalition is hosting a free, cat-themed grand opening block party at its new headquarters on Oct. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There will be face painting, a photo booth, trivia, food trucks, adoptable kittens and more. All are welcome, though the event is especially kid-friendly. The street will be blocked off so children can safely cross the street and play at the Clybourn Cove playground.
Urban Cat Coalition reduces the city’s stray cat population through a trap-neuter-return (TNR) approach. After a stray or a colony is identified by the coalition or a community member, the felines are ethically trapped and taken to a vet to be spayed or neutered and vaccinated. After recovering, they are released back into the community. Through this mindful sterilization, the number of new births decreases and fewer cats end up in the city’s overrun shelters.
In 2020, the coalition took in 735 cats and kittens, of which 502 were strays captured through TNR. It released 211 back to a community colony and facilitated the adoption of 440.
Ruthie Weatherly has volunteered for Urban Cat Coalition for six years. She explained that since its launch, the coalition’s operations have been fragmented across different spaces. Seeing a need for a single home, Weatherly purchased the property on West Clybourn Street and is leasing it to the coalition “for a very, very, very discounted rate.”
“I’m lucky enough to be able to,” Weatherly said. “It was a need that they had and it was something I could provide.”
Now, the coalition’s vetting, vaccines, medical care, fostering and supply pickup are streamlined into one space. Working with Sarah Otto, the coalition’s executive director, Weatherly redesigned the space “from top to bottom.”
The entrance will be a landing pad for community gatherings and educational meet-ups.
“We have so many folks asking for help and we want to focus on empowering them to do some of the work themselves,” Weatherly said. “Under one roof, we connect more with the community and help people understand what they can do to help curb the community cat population.”
Weatherly said she volunteers because “the animal welfare system is so closely tied to the human welfare system.”
Learn more about adoption, fostering, trapping and volunteering on Urban Cat Coalition’s website.
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