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«IF MAN COULD BE CROSSED WITH THE CAT IT WOULD IMPROVE MAN,
BUT IT WOULD DETERIORATE CAT»
Mark Twain
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A unique museum “Cat’s house” was opened in august of 2002 in a beautiful seaside town Lloret de Mar
(60 km from Barcelona).
It’s a private collection of Vera Novoselova and Alexandr Gvozdev, situated in 6 halls of three-floor
house near the central quay and the town hall.
The collection has more that 6000 exhibits from different countries connected to these wonderful and misterious
animals: portraits, pictures, painted walls, ceramics, porcelain, glass, wood, cats made of silver, gold, minerals,
ivory, cats-bells, cats-clocks, cats-coin boxes, and many others.
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Through the subjects of the 18th century and to our days, through the original works of art you can see
transformation of relationship of a man and a cat during many historical epoch.
In Egypt, 5000 years ago, cats were considered as sacred and inviolable animals. If anybody killed a cat an
only possible punishment was death. The Egyptians thought that after a pharaon’s death his soul moved to a cat’s
body, that’s why they did mummies of pharaons and mummies of cats.
Only 3300 years passed and in the Middle Ages cats are not friends neither gods or favorites of the family any more.
They became servants of a devil, representatives of black forces. The most unlucky were the owners of black cats.
There were many of them who finished their lives on the fires of inquisition.
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But not everything was so bad in a cat’s life. In the Middle Ages there was a very prospered city - the city of Venice.
There were much grain, much water and many mice. That’s why a good cat catched mice costed as much gold as it weighed.
Till now the most popular masks of a carnival of Venice are the masks of cats.
In Thailand, which had a name of the state Siam till 1939 even now there are two temples where the saintes are
cats and monks-lamas serve them.
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During many centuries and till now when a king is going to be crowned he is obliged
to hold a cat in his hands.
In Europe an attitude to these fluffy and cosy animals began to change in the 18th century, when white Angora
cats appeared in the French king’s palace. Love to cats begins when cardinal Rishele leaves all his money to his fourteen
cats. And in the 19th century this love grows to a “Cat-mania”. At the same time cats come shy to a man’s house to stay
there as the owners of our homes, souls and hearts. Today there are 7 million cats in the Great Britain and 42 million
cats in America whose owners pay taxes for them.
ËIn effect, people are similar to cats, cats are similar to their owners. Cats make friends with us, they cure us,
they teach us to stand firmly on four paws and they give us new feelings of happiness. Thanks them for it!
“One small cat changes coming home to an empty house to coming home”
Pam Brown
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They were idolized in Ancient Egypt … People drew them, moulded them,
composed poetry, songs and even operas about them ….
They were accustomed during centuries, but till now they consider themselves as owners of people!
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Cat said, "I am not a friend, and I am not a servant. I am the Cat who walks by himself and I
wish to come into your cave"
Rudyard Kipling
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“Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties”
W.L. George
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We hope that this small introduction will give you an image of the museum and
will make you come to Spain to have a look to their world with your own eyes!!!!!
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