The cat city
The cat is Kuching's emblem, with statues in the streets.
Cerevisae — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cerevisae — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cerevisae — CC BY-SA 4.0
The city's name sounds much like the Malay word for cat, so Kuching has taken the cat as its emblem, with cat statues dotted around its streets and roundabouts. Hence this playful museum, opened in 1993 in the Kuching North City Hall building and said to be the first museum in the world devoted entirely to cats. Its four galleries hold more than four thousand items: paintings, ornaments, advertisements, stamps and souvenirs about cats from around the world, tracing the bond between people and cats over some five thousand years. Among the oddest exhibits are a mummified cat from ancient Egypt and a section on Borneo's five species of wild cat. Entry for foreign visitors is about ten ringgit, less for seniors, with small children free; payment is in cash. It opens roughly from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon. The building stands on a hill in Petra Jaya north of the river, its forecourt looking out over the city. It is fun for children and cat lovers, and an hour is enough. Do not forget a photograph with one of the cat statues in the city centre.
The cat is Kuching's emblem, with statues in the streets.
Paintings, ornaments and adverts about cats.
A mummified cat among the oddest exhibits.
Kuching North City Hall building, Bukit Siol, Petra Jaya
Very: the exhibits are entertaining and the museum small enough not to tire them. Pair it with photos at the cat statues downtown to complete the cat-city theme.