A museum devoted entirely to cats? It has to be a cat lover’s favourite destination. The cat museum in Kuching established in 1993 has an astonishing 2000 exhibits of everything to do with cats from around the world. The well located Citadenes Uplands Kuching is indeed one of the best places from which to experience the city.
Cats have played an important role in many cultures around the world and have been looked at with suspicion and love throughout the ages. Malays believe cats have supernatural powers while Chinese consider it a symbol of luck. Hence cats are the favoured pets in many household around Kuching. Kucing means cat in Malay and it seems appropriate that a cat museum run by the city council should be located here. The museum seeks to inform and entertain and to this extent its collection of 2000 artefacts on cats range from the mummy of a cat found in Beni Hassan Egypt dated from 3000 to 3500 BC to a mounted specimen of the world rarest cat Felis Badia and fun pictures and statues of felines. Other cat related items on show consist of cat influenced music, specimens of wild cats found only in the forests of Borneo and pictures and statues of cats in all sizes, poses and moods including napping cats, cats in love, rat chasing cats, fishing cats, musician cats, artist cats, cute cats and angry cats. Memorabilia in the form of china cat teapots, cat statues in a range of materials, cat sketches and paintings, pictures of famous cartoon cats, cat stamps, dressed up cats, pictures of famous local people with cats, descriptions of cat funerals, cat posters from around the world, even cat food are part of the exhibits. In a more serious vein, research studies featured here include a study on the role of cats in Chinese, Japanese and Malay societies and cats in Chinese art. For anyone who is a cat lover the cat museum is a ‘must visit’ place when in Kuching. There is no better accommodation for cat lovers than the excellent choice offered by Citadenes Uplands serviced apartment hotel in Kuching.
Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+