If you are a Drexel University student living off-campus, you may have heard about or visited the quaint cat park in the heart of Mantua. It is a hidden gem that students go to when they need a break from their stressful college lives. Here, you can find peace by spending time with the cats who call this little park on Natrona Street home.
However, the park does not take care of itself: it is dutifully maintained by its loving caretaker of the past twelve years, James Weisbrod. This past Friday, Weisbrod told The Triangle the story behind the park: how it began, how he cares for over thirty cats in the plant-filled park, and his future endeavors with the space.
This park was not always the serene space we know it as today. According to Weisbrod, it had been an abandoned playground for about forty years. He told The Triangle that he was worried about houses being built there.
“I grew up in the country… I like opening my front door and seeing plants and trees,” he said.
To keep the space open, he decided to remove all the rubble and begin constructing the park that many students know and love today.
Transforming it meant that Weisbrod spent time hauling in dirt, plants, and even tree saplings that stuck out of the roof of his pickup truck. The rotting trees were removed and replaced with the lively fruit trees that you can see on the park’s perimeter, and the whole area was filled with bright plants and flowers, which Weisbrod waters daily.
For added decoration and color, Weisbrod painted the bricks along the side of the park blue and yellow, and helped paint the mural on the park’s back wall. All the work he did — much of it single-handed — is what made the sanctuary what it is today. So where did all the cats come from?
“As I worked on the garden, the cats started accumulating… and people started bringing cats,” he explained.
There were already stray cats in the neighborhood, and the open area seemed to draw them in. He decided to care for them by laying out food and water and creating a safe space for them, but that turned out to be neither cheap nor easy.
“I go to PetSmart each week to buy six cases of cat food,” Weisbrod said.
Beyond just feeding them, he needs to get the cats neutered, spayed, or checked if they look unwell. Just this past week, he brought 15 cats to the veterinarian for them to get spayed or neutered.
Weisbrod takes his responsibilities beyond the park as well. Every day, he drives to a local garage where kittens were found living. He has already brought one of them home safe, but the others have been trickier to retrieve. Each visit, he feeds the kittens and makes sure they are well. Even on Sundays, when the garage is closed, he slides their food under the door.
“They know me and I can hear them waiting for the food,” Weisbrod told us.
Cats seem to gravitate towards him. He recounted the story of saving one kitten that was found at an intersection, walking around.
“He was gonna be roadkill,” Weisbrod said, so he brought the kitten home and named him Roadkill.
Neighbors know Weisbrod well and even bring their cats and other animals to him when they are unable to care for them. He gladly takes them in, and they become honorary residents of the cat park. In addition to cats, Weisbrod has two dogs: Axel and Aaron. In the past, he owned up to seven dogs, two turtles, and two rabbits. He is an all-around animal caregiver.
It is important to note that the cats at the park are not unsupervised, and you cannot take one home spontaneously. If you are interested in a certain cat, you can simply speak with Weisbrod to learn more about adoption.
The park is not city-administered; the land is owned by the city and has been formally zoned for recreational use, ensuring it remains a protected open space. Thanks to Weisbrod’s care, the cat park on Natrona Street remains a peaceful haven for neighbors and students. Next time you need a break from the stress of school, take a moment to stop by the cat park, where you might just find Weisbrod tending to his many plants, surrounded by the lovely cats.