KattenKabinet Cat Art Museum

When you think Amsterdam, your first thought could be many things  bikes, canals, coffee shops  but it's probably not a museum dedicated to cat art. This little museum is a delightful glimpse into and homage to cats and how they've inspired artists from Pablo Picasso to Rembrandt, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec to Corneille. Located at Herengracht 497, 1017 BT Amsterdam, Netherlands (quite close to the lovely Bloemenmarkt, Amsterdam's famous floating flower market), this unusual museum is worth the visit.

A dining room laden with cat paintings, statues, and red decor.

The museum is housed on the first floor (the piano nobile, if you want to feel fancy) of a classically furnished Amsterdam home that was built in 1667. The building went through many different inhabitants and owners before it became the KattenKabinet, or Cat Cabinet. A former Amsterdam mayor, Jan Calkoen, lived there during his mayorship. Former American president John Adams stayed there once as well.

An outstretched mannequin arm directs our gaze to three portraits of...you guessed it...cats!

The KattenKabinet doesn't look like a museum from the outside  it looks at first as though you are heading into an apartment building. You enter, having prebooked your ticket online, and have the option to hang your coat on a busy coatrack before entering the museum itself. The whole museum has a very homey feel, and you might even see a few live cats wandering about. Wandering is rather the name of the game as you peruse the objects in the KattenKabinet, marveling at the details of a cat's fur in one painting and the expression on another's face in the adjacent sketch.

The topmost drawing here is by Picasso.

There are four main rooms of the museum to walk through--the Ballroom, the Green Room, the Mechelen Room, and the Music Room. The Ballroom and the Music Room have original ceiling paintings from 1750/70 and 1870, respectively. Throughout the museum are paintings of cats, statues of cats, posters of cats, figurines of cats, photographs of cats, a mummified cat, and an animated film about a cat playing on a loop on a TV. There's an entire section dedicated to artists and celebrities with their cats. There are countless cat artifacts no matter where your eyes stray. If you're not a cat person, this may not be the museum for you  or indeed, perhaps it will help warm your heart to felines, to see how they have inspired other humans.

An adult cat watches some kittens playing in an embroidery box in this painting.

In one room, underneath a sizeable cat painting, you will find a cabinet (naturally). On the counter of this cabinet, there are a few assorted cat statuettes. Scattered amongst these figures are little handwritten notes, on everything from filter paper to napkins and Post-its. The notes are largely miniature memorials, a combination of thoughts and well-wishes to visitors' living cats and their cats who have passed on. It's a touching little area where visitors have decided to honor their own cats, which is in line with what the Kattenkabinet is all about  celebrating the unique relationship between cats and humans.

A painting of a small kitten.

In the museum there is also a special memorial for one particular cat  John Pierpont Morgan. He lived from 1966-1983. Bob Meijer's beloved ginger cat, J.P. Morgan, was known to be stubborn and headstrong, and well-loved. He received special gifts for each fifth birthday as a sort of tradition. J.P. Morgan received a portrait by Ansél Sandberg, a bronze sculpture he modeled for (which was later stolen), and a book of 50 limericks compiled by friends and admirers entitled "A Cocky Cat From Toulouse and Other Cat Nonsense".

On his 15th birthday, aside from the limericks, he also received a portrait done by Aart Clerkx, painted with the intent that the image could be used to replace George Washington on the American $1 bill. And indeed, the Pierpont Morgan Bank printed a special set of these bills for his birthday. The text reading "In God We Trust" was fittingly replaced with "Trust No Dog". You may view some of his gifts in the museum.

An utterly whimsical painting depicting am expressive cat-god in the clouds.

There is also a garden area out back that you enter through the museum. It's a lovely little resting area where you can enjoy some greenery and bask in the sunshine before continuing on your journey. Of course, it is decorated with cat posters.

The museum shop sells an assortment of books, posters, t-shirts, postcards, tote bags, and more, for those interested in obtaining cat goods and/or supporting the museum.

You can take virtual tour of the museum on the KattenKabinet website if you still have Adobe Flash Player, though this is a service that Adobe no longer advises people to use.

If you have an opportunity to visit the KattenKabinet, it's worth checking out.

One of the resident cats lounging on a sofa.