Inside the KattenKabinet: The cat museum in Amsterdam is a cabinet of curiosities
Once upon a time, there was a cat by the name of John Pierpont Morgan.
They say that Amsterdam is the city with the highest density of museums in the whole world! So when you visit it, you might get a tiny bit overwhelmed. Now, whether you're gonna visit Rijksmuseum or Stedelijk, Van Gogh Museum or Anne Frank house, that's up to you – but this is the museum you shouldn't miss if you are a cat lover.
Have you ever thought about how awesome it would be to be a cat? And what about being a cat who gets even more awesome birthday presents? That's how this story starts. Once upon a time, there was a cat by the name of John Pierpont Morgan. Every five years, J. P. would get a special birthday present. Admit it: you would love to have your cat's portrait on dollar bills! WE TRUST NO DOG!
So if you're already buying your cat presents, work on your game.
KattenKabinet, or The Cat Cabinet, was founded in memory of that apparently magnificent ginger cat. J. P. Morgan (1966-1983) was a companion of the museum's founder, Bob Meijer. Nowadays, it's a collection of... everything cat! Cat-inspired art, memorabilia, and miscellaneous artifacts mix in a wonderful interior of a luxurious canal house. And yes, the museum also owns a cat mummy.
The house that today hosts the Cat Cabinet was originally built for the Van Loon family, and it's nice visiting it for the sake of the house alone. (Willem van Loon was a co-founder of the Dutch East-India Company in 1602.) Imagine wandering through a beautiful aristocratic villa with a ballroom. Now imagine that ballroom filled with cat art! What more is there to wish for?
When it comes to art, many different movements and epochs are present in the KattenKabinet. Cats have had a great role in our art and culture for centuries. The museum has posters, paintings, sculptures, photographs, lithographs, and other visual art forms. Some of the artists in the collection are Dali, Picasso, and Toulouse-Lautrec – we're talking about some significant names here.
At the museum shop, you can purchase reproductions of vintage cat posters, several books about cats, and a small assortment of other cat-related items. Of course, you can also pet one of the museum cats. They're so used to people that some of them may even completely ignore you, but they're beautiful doing that, as only cats can be. This white guy was caught sleeping at the shop!
The nice and cozy cat museum is at a nice location in the center of Amsterdam – near Reguliersdwarsstraat and only five minutes from Muntplein. The address is Herengracht 497.
And before I go, here's something... risque:
