All About Us

Ah ha! Didn't anyone tell you curiosity killed the cat?

But still, you came to our About Page...curious! Lucky for you, you're human.

[Short-version About Us in 5 Bullet Points]

We make little wooden replicas of buildings [including your own home], landmarks, and scenes to help you remember the good times in your life.
We design and print the front of our 3/4" thick wood with colorful details, and the back includes written facts or your story.
Cat's Meow Village is so named because our black cat mascot, Casper, is hiding on every piece! Crafter-turned-Founder, Faline Jones, has a thing for cats!
You buy the Cat's Meows that have meaning for you [including your own home] and display them around your home or office.
Rest assured, you are doing business with a woman-owned, pure American company over 40 (LOL). We're right around the corner in Wooster, Ohio!

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[Long-version, when you have more time to dig in the dirt]

Little did Faline Jones know all those years ago on the farm with her swarm of cats, that someday her love of crafts would catapult her into a Village with a cat as mascot! (more about that cat below)

Hi there, welcome to The Cat’s Meow Village. We're a small company birthed in Wooster, Ohio in 1982 from one simple wooden house Faline cut out on her grandfather’s saw in the loft of the hog barn.

Faline with her grandfather, Rudy Mullet, cutting on the bandsaw he built from scratch.

It’s over 40 years later, and Jones with her “crew” continue to craft "little wooden buildings" of local, national, and international landmarks that spark memories and kindle smiles on the faces of neighbors just like you.

Faline holds her first handpainted house along with the last one that was retired 5 years later.

Cat's Meow Village owner and creator, Faline Jones

We help you celebrate memories with unique wooden replicas of the places and times you love.

Celebrate and remember your favorite places by including our 3/4" thick wooden keepsakes in your home décor. A few favorite spots where Cat’s Meows like to reside are: perched on top of your window and door trim or wainscoting, tucked into your bookshelves, displayed on your work desk, or sprawled across your fireplace mantle. Our Black Cat Daily Blog includes many stories on how your neighbors decorate with the Village in their homes.

And what's with the cat?

Faline mixed her love of cats into the village by adding a black cat mascot to every design. This trademark cat, in either a laying or sitting position, is fondly known as Casper (a tribute to Faline's cat shown here). Keep your eyes open for Casper as you explore our website! And if you want to hear Casper's side of the story + more about Faline...

We believe in supporting our community and the ones that surround our Village, both physically and virtually. Faline designates the sales of various Cat’s Meow designs to support specific causes. Check out our Rescue Cats and Bible Stories currently supporting causes close to Faline’s heart. Plus, during Adopt-A-Cat Month in June, we donate 1% of online sales to help kitties at our local Wayne County Humane Society.

If you could pick just one?

With so many famous and not-so-famous landmarks around the globe, which one would you say brings a smile and warm memories to mind? Exactly…that’s what we thought…there's too many to pick just one.

And our Village reflects the larger world, too, so it can be a little confusing when you first start exploring. Let’s try to break it down neighborhood by neighborhood. Paw through our Search For The PURRfect Cat's Meow magazine to take some of the mystery out of our Village.

We’ve saved the best for last! It’s our CATillac!

Did you know you can have your very own custom Cat’s Meow created by us?

Every day we work with neighbors just like you to craft a keepsake representing your special place in time.

Ordering is easy online:

Upload your photos and describe the details
Write your story for the back
And select the quantity you want to purchase (as low as 1)

Our "design architects" draw up your design, then our crew constructs your replica, and around six weeks later your Cat’s Meow creation arrives at your doorstep wrapped in pawprint tissue paper! (time varies due to demand throughout the year)

Maybe you want to create your own home just for you,

or what about the family homestead for your siblings
or the vacation home
your first home
or all the houses you've lived in
your children's homes

With so many memories, there’s sure to be others you want to share a special Cat’s Meow with. How exciting would it be to see a family member’s eyes sparkle when you gift them a keepsake wrapped in love?

"Hello! I wanted to let you know that I just got my custom-made Cat's Meow of my home and I'm absolutely in love. I'm so excited, it looks so perfect! I can't wait to show it off to family and friends! Thanks so much! ~Marla S.

We do even more than personal homes, though! Our Cat's Meows make great fundraisers and commemoratives for:

schools
churches
historical societies
museums
businesses
clubs and non-profits
and more
See tons of ideas and how to order

Today, our workshop with a crew of 14 enjoy "traveling the world" as we handcraft and ship Cat's Meow replicas of landmarks around the globe.

(Q) Now, what could be better than traveling the world each day while we work?

(A) Knowing that real-life adventurers, like you, are enjoying memories of special places when you admire your very own purrsonal Village!

Find Out More About Our Village in our Black Cat Blog

Shop The Village

Join Us On Facebook

Pounce Over To Instagram

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Comments

Submitted by: Julie Bishop on Mon, 08/05/2019 - 8:20pm

Hello, when I was a teen, I used to love the wooden replicas of landmarks and restaraunts that I would see in shops in sanibel and captiva. Did your company make those? If so, are they still available for purchase? Thanks

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Tue, 08/06/2019 - 7:24am

Hello Julie, You are in the right place! Over the years we've recreated many, many landmarks representing locations all across the US. These used to sell through local retail stores, however, many of these stores have closed. We'd love to get you the Cat's Meow replicas you're looking for! We'll give you a list of the replicas we have in our design files, then you select the ones you want. Because we're making just 1 replica for you the price will be between $35-$88 depending on how old the design was created and if we need to update it for current production methods. Let's talk!

Submitted by: Joan Sherlock on Thu, 09/06/2018 - 3:45pm

I am delighted to discover this company! I love that you include the black cat mascot in every creation. (My first time browsing, I thought to myself, "I'm going to choose THAT one because of the beautiful black cat. :) )

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Thu, 09/06/2018 - 8:07pm

Welcome to Cat's Meow Joan! We are purring with delight that you found us. Make yourself at home as you walk through our neighborhoods!

Submitted by: Pat baker on Mon, 03/26/2018 - 8:24am

Hi , I have a question.....I'm a lady fron United Kingdom and many years ago I became a collector of cats meows . This was due to meeting on holiday and becoming good friends with a lovely family from Annapolis. Ann ( now unfortunately passed away ) had a huge collection and I began myself on all our many trips to the USA ...Our new found friends came to visit us in UK and hence bought cat meow English collection as did I . Anyway reason for writing is my collection is in the hall . One of my grandchildren age 7 , I don't think quite believe me that there is a cat on all 72 . (2 on White House as sox in residence when we visited Washington) . She obviously looked at all bit by bit and has found a piece without a cat , gone over it with a magnifying glass ...its Shakespeare's birth place in the Cotswolds village series ....it has faline 96 ! and c 1995 ...bought in the States as has $ 10.50 sticker on bottom still !!!! Was this an error in whole batch ??? Does this happen occasionally ?? I told Eliona I'd write to find out .... Kind regards Pat

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Mon, 03/26/2018 - 9:54am

Hello Pat, Wow, what a lovely Cat’s Meow story you have! Thanks for sharing it! Regarding the Shakespeare's birthplace piece. I remember at least one time where we didn’t get the cat printed on a batch of those! My brother was a screenprinter for me, and there were times when he kind of made his own decisions even on the colors that he printed….instead of going by our “recipe card” that told exactly what colors and how to print. Brothers!!! So, you do have a Cat’s Meow, and Eliona was a very good detective!!! You also have a special White House piece that includes Casper and Sox!!! I love that you and your friend, Ann, had a wonderful friendship connected by Cat’s Meows!! ~Faline

Submitted by: Jacquelyn Cox on Mon, 02/19/2018 - 4:20pm

I have a Friendship 7 to Discovery 36 Years & cannot find a cat anywhere. Was it supposed to be made without the black cat? I have a lot of Cat's Meow & always enjoy finding the cats that aren't immediately obvious. Thanks

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Tue, 02/20/2018 - 2:31pm

Hi Jacquelyn, The Friendship 7 piece you have should have glitter and glow-in-the-dark ink printed on it. Hold it up to a lightbulb for a few minutes, then take it into a dark room. Look closely, you will find Casper! Faline has designed a few pieces over the years where Casper can only be found when you turn out the lights, and this is one of those pieces. Enjoy looking!

Submitted by: Julia Kardas on Thu, 02/08/2018 - 6:47pm

Hello, I am one of the granddaughters of Betty Jean Kardas. I inherited her very large collection. I believe she worked at The Cat's Meow for many years. My favorites are the plaques with her name on them, I even have a few with my grandfather's name, Julius Kardas, as I believe he worked there for some time as well. My reason for being here today, I was wondering what the SECOND stamping on some of the houses/businesses means. If you could please let me know I would be so grateful! Thank you for your time!

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Sun, 02/18/2018 - 2:08pm

Hello Julia, your grandparents were such wonderful dedicated crew members at Cat's Meow many years ago. They are fondly remembered! You are lucky to have your hands on their Years Of Service Awards! Instead of certificates, plaques or trophies, Faline wanted to use the houses as service awards. So every year, even to this day, crew members receive an annual house with a brass plaque attached engraved with their name and years of service. Regarding your SECOND question... hand screen printing always resulted in pieces that didn't pass the final inspection to be sold in stores, so they would be stamped SECOND and then sold at rock bottom prices several times a year during Seconds Sales. And of course, crew members got their pick of SECONDS any time they wanted.

Submitted by: Diane Dilks on Sun, 11/12/2017 - 8:20pm

Hi Faline, I have been collecting the Cat's Meow Christmas Village pieces since 1989. My husband was able to surprise me last Christmas with the 1988 Philadelphia Christmas Series and the 1987 Maine Christmas Series which hecwas able to purchase on E-bay. My question is: What year was the first Christmas Series manufactured? Thank you.

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Mon, 11/13/2017 - 10:36am

Wow, your husband has been really searching for Cat’s Meows! Those are some old, old Christmas collections. I created my first Christmas series in 1983, it was called Williamsburg Christmas, although it was just make believe buildings. There are hardly any of those pieces to be found. I even had to make myself a “fake” set a few years back just so I had a set for the local historical society to display. I would have probably made around 100 or sets of those and they were only sold in Ohio and Western PA at that time. ~Faline

Submitted by: Lisa Struckmeyer on Sat, 09/30/2017 - 7:47am

Did Faline sign any of the buildings? I found a 1991 US Capitol building that is signed Faline '91 Is that possibly for real? Thank you.

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Mon, 11/13/2017 - 11:04am

Faline did sign all her buildings in 1982 to 1983, but by mid 1984 the workshop was getting way too busy for Faline to keep up. That's when we started "signing" with a rubber stamp. Faline would sign her name and year date every year to have new rubber stamps made. Eventually, her name was added during the screenprinting process, and today it continues that way...her signature if part of the production process. However, you may come across houses with 2 signatures on them; those have the production signature along with Faline's real signature that she either signed during a Signing Promo or when I customer would visit the workshop.

Submitted by: Dora L. Wintrow on Wed, 08/30/2017 - 2:10pm

Desperately looking for the Cat's Meow of the Barberton, Ohio piggery. My granddaughter is getting married there this coming Saturday. If I don't get it in time for the wedding it would also make a great Christmas gift. Thanks for your time!

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Wed, 08/30/2017 - 3:34pm

Hi Dora, Yes, we created that building as a Cat's Meow way back 1989! We haven't sold it for many, many years. However, you can order just a single copy of it by going through our Create Your Own Home process here: https://www.catsmeow.com/create-your-own/i-want-create-cats-meow-my-home.

Submitted by: Harriett Pritchett on Mon, 08/07/2017 - 1:02pm

IN the mid 90's you did some buildings for Cambridge Maryland and our Hallmark store sold them is it possible to still purchase some of them so hope so many thanks

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Mon, 11/13/2017 - 10:55am

Hello Harriett, We've created thousands of custom Cat's Meows over the years for our retail stores across the country. Unfortunately, many of those stores have closed. We still have the designs on file in our design department and may be able to pull them out and redesign them in our new design program. So, long story short, it may be possible to purchase a single custom Cat's Meow for yourself at our custom price level. You would need to email or phone us with the name of the buildings you are looking for. 330.264.1377 or cmv@catsmeow.com

Submitted by: judy R on Tue, 07/25/2017 - 3:05pm

I have collected cats meows for all the places my husband and I have lived. We were just relocated to Georgetown Delaware. I can only find a few pre owned cats meow of my new area on e bay. I was told a store did carry them local put closed up years ago. I have called some what local retailers by phone and they do not carry any from Georgetown. Georgetown is he county seat of Delaware. Any help? ?

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Wed, 08/30/2017 - 4:05pm

Hi Judy, We've created Cat's Meows over the years for many places across the USA. Unfortunately, many of those stores have closed, just as you experienced. We have a sales rep in Delaware that we will pass your request along to. Hopefully, they can find a new retail store to carry Cat's Meows.

Submitted by: kathy on Sun, 07/16/2017 - 11:44am

I am looking to see if you have one that is Genesee Country Village Museum in Mumford, NY Thank you

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Wed, 08/30/2017 - 4:17pm

Thanks for asking, Kathy. We have created many different designs for Genesee Country Village! You can contact them directly to purchase. Genesee Country Village & Museum 1410 Flint Hill Rd Mumford, NY 14511 United States 585-538-6822 Local Customs: Christmas Gazebo, Hyde Octagon House, Bandstand on the Great Meadow, Hosmer's Inn, Livingston-Backus House,Hamilton House rlott@gcv.org www.gcv.org By the way, if you want to search for other locations, simply go to our Find A Retailer at the bottom of our home page to search by city or zip code. www.catsmeow.com/find-a-retailer

Submitted by: Kay Lavelle on Sun, 07/09/2017 - 4:04pm

Do you ever repair houses that are damaged? What is the best way to clean a piece if there is something on it that you cannot get off with a dry cloth? Thank you.

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Wed, 08/30/2017 - 4:27pm

Thanks for asking Kay! It is hard for us to repair houses once they leave our workshop because over time our colors shift in hue or we discontinue using a certain color or process. You can use water on a cloth with a very light rubbing motion. But pay close attention to stop right before the design starts to rub off. We also use the big fat school erasers in the workshop to erase marks. Just make sure you are using a light hand when rubbing the eraser. For any black areas that need touching up, we use sharpie markers and blot it with our finger right after we mark it to take the shine off. Goodluck, just remember to use a light hand in anything you try.

Submitted by: Dana on Mon, 06/05/2017 - 9:02pm

Hi, my friend got me into collecting these in the early 90's. I have a Cherry Tree Inn dated 1983 signed by Faline in 1988 & one that I was wondering if it is an original practice piece or a knock off that looks unfinished & merely has Antiques written on the front but looks very similar to the original on your website. Is there a market for selling vintage Cat's Meow? Thanks!

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Mon, 11/13/2017 - 11:00am

Hi Dana, You could possibly have Faline's Antique store Cat's Meow that was also in the same collection as the Cherry Tree Inn. We would need to see a photo to determine that for sure. Her Antique Store has a blue background and an arched sign that says Antiques. The market for vintage Cat's Meows is determined by the buyers and sellers out there. We are not connected to the secondary market as a company. Hope this answers your questions.

Submitted by: Mary Anne Belstra on Thu, 05/04/2017 - 7:02pm

I just bought two of your buildings from the Belvidere Presbyterian Church in Belvidere, NJ. One was of Hot Dog Johnny's & the other was Belvidere High School. I love them!! The detail on them is great.

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Tue, 08/06/2019 - 7:27am

Thanks Mary Anne, we're glad they represent, in detail, the buildings you spent many years in and around.

Submitted by: Sara Noonan on Sun, 08/07/2016 - 1:39am

My package arrived on my doorstep today, and I am thrilled beyond words with the replica of my Alma Mater! I can't believe how much detail was put into it! You all do amazing work, and I am sure some of our other alumnae will be wanting one of these too! Thank you so much for the beautiful memories you create! Can I order more of the school if others want one too?

Submitted by: Cat's Meow on Fri, 08/12/2016 - 2:59pm

We're happy you're thrilled with your replica! Thanks for sharing your delight. And, we can certainly work with you on ordering more!