The Abandoned House of the Saginaw 'Cat Lady'

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property without consent or permission. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

For years there have been jokes and stories told about little old ladies who become “cat ladies”. What's a cat lady?

Anyone can become a cat lady – or person - simply by feeding stray cats, letting them breed...and breed...and breed some more. Older people sometimes don't have the strength, will power, or ability to get cats fixed, so the population grows to enormous proportions.

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One of the most legendary is the Cat Lady of Saginaw. The house itself is a red brick Queen Anne, built in the 1870s by lumber baron Charles Lee. Married three times, Lee died in that very house in 1899. Later, the house was purchased by Dr. Michael Ryan.

Dr. Ryan had a daughter, Rosemary, who married Roy DeGesero and moved into the mansion. Rosemary loved cats, and had acquired 100 of them at the time of her death.

A dream of Rosemary's was wanting to be a lion & tiger tamer. So she bought her own baby leopard, and named it 'Chichu'. By the time he was full-grown, he was three feet tall; to top it off, he slept in the same bed as Rosemary and Roy.

In 2000, the Large Carnivore Act was passed, meaning no more large cats for Rosemary. It was also rumored she once owned a panther. After living with Rosemary for 25 years, Chichu died in 2004. Rosemary passed away in 2012 at the age of 93.

Even though the house was to be demolished, enough people showed interest in preserving the house and renovations began. The photos below show the house before renovation, and in the basement you'll see Chichu's cage.