By Andrea Busche
Misha Smith, owner of Duluth’s Wired Whisker cat café, hasn’t always considered herself a “cat person.”
“I was very ‘cat neutral’ as a child,” she admitted with a chuckle. “We always had dogs.” But after her husband, Peter, introduced her to the magic of cats, she was hooked.
Today, the Smiths have four cats of their own: Tally, Violet, Tommy, and Gandalf. And, Misha owns and operates Wired Whisker, a cat café which offers delicious baked goods, coffee, and a special room where people can hang out with a clowder of cats.
All the cats who live at Wired Whisker are up for adoption. The care and attention they receive from staff, volunteers, and guests helps them become more adoptable. And, the people love it, too.
Despite not always being a cat person, Smith is now their biggest advocate. “Cats often get a bad rap for being aloof,” Smith said.
“But a lot of them are just bored or depressed. They speak a language to be learned, if we care enough to listen.”
Twin Cities Origin Story
Smith was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She and her older sister aren’t only siblings, but also best friends. In her youth, Smith enjoyed figure skating, primarily synchronized ice skating.
Their father owned multiple small businesses and is a “jack of all trades.” Their mother was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom.
Smith’s parents later purchased 80 acres of land west of the Twin Cities, which her father converted into a hobby farm featuring apple orchards, llamas, corn, and soybeans. “We worked with the University of Minnesota and were among the first orchards to grow Honeycrisp apples in the ‘90s,” Smith said.
Now an entrepreneur herself, Smith is grateful to have inherited her father’s fierce resiliency and her mother’s eternal optimism. “My dad is a workhorse, and is just an inspiration to me,” Smith said.
She also noted their entire family’s wonderfully tight bond, saying, “I’m so grateful to have grown up with nature all around me, and to have such a tight-knit family. I was raised to believe everything is possible.”
Education
After graduating from Minnetonka High School, Smith majored in Communication Studies at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She minored in Asian languages and literature, and speaks Mandarin.
Originally, she planned to work as an international business consultant. But obviously, life had other plans.
Her first job was in global logistics for C.H. Robinson, where she remained for two years. Later, she spent eight years in cybersecurity, where she found her stride in marketing and design.
She was vice president of marketing for RedTeam Security in St. Paul when the business was acquired. This offered her the opportunity to take a leap of faith in her career.
Husband + Cats: A Package Deal
Smith’s husband, Peter Smith, a nurse, is originally from Budapest, Hungary. The two met overseas and settled down together in Minnesota.
As noted, Misha’s love for cats was inspired by Peter. “He’s very much an animal person,” she said.
“One day, we were out for a walk at Highland Park (in Bloomington), and we saw a cat crawl under an SUV. It took hours, but we were able to get the kitty to come out, with a bribe – there was a chicken nugget involved. We brought the kitty to animal control, and he was claimed by his owner.”
The spark for becoming a “cat lady” was officially lit for Misha. “If that cat hadn’t been claimed, we would have adopted him,” she said.
“We adopted two cats of our own in 2017,” she added. “And then, in 2019, someone left a box of kittens at Peter’s work. We ended up getting involved with Pet Haven, a foster-based animal rescue in St. Paul. We fostered and found homes for the kittens, and then we were hooked.
“I realized I had so much passion for this work,” she added. “And, I had experience in cybersecurity, which I used to conduct background checks on adopters. And, I was able to make promotional videos for Pet Haven, too.”
Cat Café
The idea for a cat café came to her in 2019. But the Twin Cities already had a couple of them. “I really wanted to serve a community that didn’t already have one,” Smith said. They decided on Duluth.
They already knew and loved the area. “Peter and I had been going to the North Shore for years. We love kayaking, biking, and hiking. And, as a nurse, we knew Peter would have no shortage of opportunities for work in Duluth. We both said, ‘This is so right.’” The Smiths moved here, and settled down in Hermantown, in 2022.
After searching high and low for a venue, they purchased the building at 1823 East Superior Street – a former child care center – in 2023. Smith’s entire family pitched in, and the building was completely gutted and remodeled to transition from child care to cat café. Wired Whisker officially opened May 31, 2024.
Wired Whiske
As a cat café, the primary aim of Wired Whisker is to find homes for adoptable felines. “Our mission is to provide a safe, welcoming space for cats and people to bond and connect, and find homes for the cats,” Smith said. “We truly believe in the healing power of cats.”
Wired Whisker partners with three shelters – Animal Allies of Duluth; Carlton County Animal Rescue of Cloquet; and Pet Haven of St. Paul – to source their “residents.” A variety of volunteers, including Misha, help transport the pets to Wired Whisker.
Speaking of the team, it takes eight staff and six regular volunteers to keep Wired Whisker operating smoothly. All staff are cross-trained as baristas and cat caretakers.
A large, separate room at the café is reserved just for the cats – and the people who want to spend time with them. There are numerous enrichment opportunities for the cats, including perches, scratching posts, hammocks, a cat wheel, toys, and more, along with ample seating for humans as well. Waivers must be signed, and children under 12 are not permitted, to ensure a safe experience for both humans and cats.
People wishing to spend time with the kitties reserve a spot online (walk-ins are also available, on a first-come, first-served basis), and pay $7 during the week, and $10 during the weekend, to spend 50 minutes with the cats. This helps cover the cost of their care. The “cat room” can also be reserved for private parties and events.
Wired Whisker also offers delicious snacks and beverages. They have a partnership with Duluth-based Ritual Salad, where Wired Whisker serves their sandwiches and salads, and they also offer baked goods from Positively 3rd Street and Duluth’s Best Bread. Coffee is sourced from Kitty Town Coffee in Pennsylvania, and Justin Wood, owner of Duluth-based Almanac Coffee, taught Misha and her team how to be great baristas.
So, even if you aren’t a cat lover yourself, you can still support Wired Whisker’s mission by coming in for a treat.
Future Plans
Smith has a giant list of goals she hopes to accomplish with her business in 2025 and beyond. “We want to continue our ‘yoga with cats’ series. We’d like to have a book club, and partner up with our neighbors, the Amazing Alonzo’s Bookstore.
“We want to have live music on the patio, food trucks, and a makers’ market. We’d like to expand the cat lounge into a 3-or maybe a 4-season catio.
“Additionally, we’d like to offer microchip clinics, candle-making classes, cat-themed murder mystery parties, and speed-friending for people who love cats.” Smith also alluded to possibly expanding to offer a 2nd location in the future.
Personally, she’d like to participate on a local Board; particularly for an organization that caters to animal welfare.
Duluth
The Smiths are loving their life in Duluth, thus far. “Duluth is really the best of both worlds,” Misha said. “It’s like a mini-Seattle. There are so many places to escape into nature, and then you drive 15 minutes and you’re in the heart of the city.
“I truly get everything I need here,” she added. “Whether it’s putting my bare feet into Lake Superior, crunching in the fall leaves, or being in the city.”
Peter was also able to find a great job here in Duluth. He is currently the Nurse Manager for Ecumen Lakeshore.
Most Rewarding
To date, Wired Whisker has found homes for 107 cats since opening. This has been a deeply fulfilling endeavor for Smith.
“Finding these cats homes is so rewarding,” she said. “We love hearing prospective adopters share their stories, and we love to explain our mission to people. I get to watch people come in stressed and leave calm after visiting with the cats.
“We’ve also established a community, such as our very first customer, George, who still comes in regularly,” Smith added. “Our customers have played such a vital role in the culture we’ve established.
“I also love to show people the enrichment opportunities available for cats. If I can help improve one cat’s quality of life, that makes it so worth it to me.
“I also love to hear people gasp when they see our beautiful space. People often say it’s a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. And then they see the loving details we did as a family, such as the tile work, and cat-themed wallpaper – they can see that there’s so much love here.”
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For more information, please visit wiredwhisker.com.
