Entry No. 50 — the Missoula file — filed under: roadside-oddity
The Squashed Cat (Cattin' Around)
A 7-foot-tall, 18-foot-long concrete cat sprawled flat beside a downtown parking garage entrance, sculpted by Mike Hollern in 1992 from 1.5 tons of concrete. Its official name is 'Cattin' Around,' but locals call it the Squashed Cat because it looks like it got run over by a truck. The concave back doubles as a birdbath.
The story
If you walk down West Main Street past the Central Park garage, you'll run right into 3,000 pounds of low-slung concrete sprawled directly onto the sidewalk. Artist Mike Hollern sculpted the 18-foot-long, 7-foot-tall ferro-cement feline in the early 1990s as part of the City of Missoula Public Arts program. He officially christened it 'Cattin' Around,' aiming for a whimsical depiction of a lounging street cat.
Missoula locals immediately overruled the title. The second the 1.5-ton slab was lowered into place beside the parking garage structure, the city collectively rebranded it 'The Squashed Cat.' Its wide, flattened posture looks less like a cat taking a nap and more like a cartoon feline that lost an argument with a semi-truck. In a weird bit of unintentional design, the concave dip in the cat's concrete back collects rainwater and snowmelt, turning the flattened feline into a high-capacity birdbath for downtown pigeons.
What it's like
You'll find the cat resting right on the pavement at 128 W. Main St., bracketed by the parking garage entrance between Higgins Avenue and Ryman Street. It's outdoors on a public sidewalk, so you can walk up to it 24 hours a day for free. Expect a quick five-minute detour to take in the sheer scale of the concrete, watch passing dogs get visibly confused by its snout, or snap a photo next to its massive, pancake-flat paws.
The move: Stroll downtown along West Main, find the flattened concrete cat for an absurd photo op, then split a pastry at a nearby Higgins Avenue cafe and debate whether it really looks squashed.
📍 Before you go Free, outdoor, viewable anytime; it sits right next to the Central Park parking garage entrance between Higgins Ave and Ryman St.
- 📍 Downtown Missoula
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 128 W. Main St., Missoula, MT 59802
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Zootown Arts Community Center (ZACC) — Walk a block over to explore Missoula's nonprofit creative hub, featuring open ceramics and printmaking studios.
- Flock Taxidermy — Double down on surreal local animal sights by visiting Kimberly Spence's museum-grade taxidermy studio just around the corner.
- Union Club Bar & Grill — Grab a beer down West Main at a historic bar whose lineage dates back to Missoula's late-19th-century copper era.
- 2,710 Points of Light (Missoula Public Library) — Stroll three blocks east to see another piece of local public art—a massive light sculpture suspended in the library stairwell.
Good to know
Where exactly is the sculpture located?
It sits on the sidewalk next to the Central Park parking garage entrance at 128 W. Main St., between Higgins Ave and Ryman St in downtown Missoula.
How big and heavy is the cat?
The sculpture measures 18 feet long, stands 7 feet high, and is cast from 1.5 tons (roughly 3,000 pounds) of concrete.
Are there opening hours or tickets required?
No. It is a piece of public street art on an open sidewalk, meaning you can visit anytime day or night at no cost.
Who made it and when?
It was created by artist Mike Hollern in the early 1990s through the City of Missoula Public Arts program.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Roadside America · missoulian.com · ci.missoula.mt.us · waymarking.com · streetartcities.com
last checked: 2026-06-24