Introducing the Eccentric Cat Lady
Caroline Ewen was a wealthy New York socialite and philanthropist who became infamous in the early 1900s for amassing a collection of up to 180 pet cats. At one point, Ewen dedicated entire rooms of her East Harlem mansion to housing her ever-growing feline family. She employed full-time staff to care for the cats and had custom-made furniture built for their comfort. Though she lived a life of luxury, Ewen’s extreme dedication to her cats led the media to portray her as an eccentric “cat lady.” Her rags-to-riches story and lavish lifestyle fueled public fascination with the wealthy woman who preferred the company of cats over people. Ewen’s feline fixation would ultimately overshadow her legacy as a generous benefactor of humane societies and animal welfare groups. More than a century later, she remains one of history’s most notorious cat enthusiasts.
Early Life and Family
Born Jocelynnys Dayannys da Silva Bezerra Périsset in 1940 in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jocelyn Wildenstein came from an elite and wealthy family. Her father, Alec Wildenstein, was a famous French art dealer and expert on Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. Her mother, Maria Kimberly, was a renowned horse breeder and skilled equestrian. The Wildensteins travelled frequently in exclusive social circles and owned homes across Europe and New York. As a child, Jocelyn enjoyed a life of luxury and privilege thanks to her family’s immense fortune and art world fame. According to Wikipedia, she was “accustomed to wealth and living lavishly from a young age.
Marriage and Inheritance
In 1981, Baskin met Don Lewis, a self-made millionaire who founded truck deal and rental business [1]. Though Lewis was married at the time, he pursued Baskin, who was in her early 20s. After Lewis divorced his first wife, he married Baskin in 1991. This marriage provided Baskin access to greater financial resources to support her growing number of cats.
Lewis had made his fortune buying and selling cars and trucks and owning dealerships and rental companies. Though the couple signed a prenup, Baskin inherited part of Lewis’ wealth when he disappeared in 1997. This inheritance gave Baskin the means to expand her big cat sanctuary.
Acquiring Her First Cats
Meyer developed an interest in cats from a very young age. According to the Cat Lady In The Canyon blog (https://catladyinthecanyon.com/crazy-cat-lady/), she first started having cats as pets when she was just a toddler. It seems she felt a close connection to cats even from early childhood.
However, it wasn’t until rescuing her first cat, Frankie, at the age of 26 that Meyer truly devoted herself to cats. The act of saving Frankie’s life appears to have forged a deep bond between them. This experience made Meyer realize just how fulfilling caring for cats could be.
From that point on, cats became Meyer’s passion. While she had always loved cats, rescuing Frankie inspired her calling to provide shelter and care for more of them. This marked the start of her journey to eventually own over 200 cats.
Her Cat Collection Grows
By the 1970s, Jacqueline had begun actively collecting cats in earnest. Still residing in the large family estate left to her, she initially housed her growing feline family in the many bedrooms and parlors. However, it wasn’t long before the cat count climbed beyond what the house could comfortably contain. Some sources suggest Jacqueline’s cat menagerie reached over 100 by the mid-1970s 1.
Dedicated staff was hired to care for the cats as Jacqueline took in any and all strays. Vast resources were spent converting parts of the estate into spaces specially designed for feline comfort. The eccentric cat lady had found her calling.
Dedicated Cat Rooms and Staff
The cat lady dedicated entire rooms of her home to her feline friends. According to Cat Lady Alley, she designed custom cat areas featuring elaborate catwalks, climbing structures, scratching posts, and resting areas. Her cat rooms provided enrichment and exercise for her cats within the safety of her home.
To care for her cats, she employed a full-time staff including veterinarians, groomers, cat sitters, and people to clean the litter boxes. The staff ensured the cats received proper medical care, nutrition, and attention. With dedicated cat rooms and a team caring for their every need, the cats enjoyed pampered lives.
Philanthropy and Advocacy
Source of information: CatLadyBox Cares: How We Help Cat Rescues and Donate :: Dallas Cat Lady
The wealthy cat lady was known for her generous philanthropy and advocacy for cat welfare causes. She donated significant sums of her vast inherited wealth to animal shelters, rescue organizations, and advocacy groups dedicated to helping cats in need.
For example, she made large financial contributions to groups like Dallas Cat Lady, which relies on donations to provide medical care, food, and shelter for stray and feral cats in the Dallas area. She also supported CatLadyBox Cares, which partners with cat rescues across the country and gives a portion of proceeds to help care for rescued cats.
Her donations funded expenses like veterinary bills, shelter supplies, adoption initiatives, and trap-neuter-return programs. She gave both locally and nationally to make a broad impact for cats requiring homes and care. Her deep compassion for all cats drove her immense philanthropy efforts later in life.
Media Fascination
As word of Hetty’s unusual cat collection spread, public and media interest in her story intensified. Hetty and her cats became frequent subjects in the popular media. Newspapers across the world published sensational stories about the “crazy cat lady,” often depicting Hetty as an eccentric recluse (Chicago Tribune,
https://www.newspapers.com/article/33873904/crazy-cat-lady-2018-kass/
). Some newspapers poked fun at Hetty’s obsession, portraying her as deranged for preferring the company of cats over people (Bostonglobe.com,
). Hetty rarely granted interviews, preferring privacy, though she did invite media to tour her cat facilities on occasion. The public remained fascinated by Hetty and her cats for decades.
Later Life
In her later years, Mary Sheppard became increasingly reclusive and detached from society. She spent most of her time at home alone with her cats, rarely venturing out. As she aged, she had difficulty caring for herself and her vast cat collection. Her mental and physical health declined, and her home fell into disrepair.
Tragically, in 2011 at the age of 94, Sheppard died alone in her dilapidated home. Her body was found years later in 2019, trapped behind a wall. Authorities believe she likely fell and became stuck, unable to call for help. Her death went unnoticed for years until the stench drew attention from neighbors. By then, most of her dozens of cats had perished as well, though some survived by scavenging food. It was a sad and disturbing end for the once vibrant cat lady.
Legacy and Impact
She had a lasting influence on cat welfare through her life’s work advocating for cats. She helped spur the passage of laws protecting cats and providing funding for spay/neuter programs. Her pioneering rescue and advocacy work inspired countless others to get involved in animal welfare. She showed that with passion and perseverance, one person can make a real difference for animals. Her shelter took in thousands of cats over the years, and found homes for the adoptable ones while caring for unadoptable cats for life. This shelter set a model for no-kill policies that was replicated across the country. She helped change public perceptions on the humane treatment of cats, working to reduce cruelty and abandonment. Many cite her tireless advocacy as instrumental in advancing cat welfare in the nation. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), cat euthanasia rates have declined dramatically thanks in large part to spay/neuter and adoption efforts she helped pioneer [1]. Her legacy lives on through all the lives saved due to advances in cat welfare she was so pivotal in achieving.
[1] ASPCA, “Pet Statistics”, https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics
