Mental Floss

L.A. Museum's New Exhibit Pays Homage to Crazy Cat Ladies

By Kirstin Fawcett

iStock
iStock / iStock
facebooktwitterreddit

Instead of making fun of crazy cat ladies, a new exhibit at Los Angeles’s Animal Museum wants to celebrate them. As The Washington Post reports, the museum recently launched an exhibit, “Crazy Cat Ladies,” that looks at the history of human-feline companionship and pays homage to ailurophiles in film, literature, and pop culture. 

The Animal Museum (formerly known as The National Museum of Animals & Society) bills itself on Facebook as “the first museum of its kind—anywhere—dedicated to enriching the lives of animals and people through exploration of our shared experience.” It was founded in 2010, and recently moved into a brand-new space in downtown L.A.'s Arts District. On December 3, 2016, the revamped museum will officially celebrate its grand opening.

The Animal Museum is currently in a soft-opening period, and “Crazy Cat Ladies: A Celebration of Kitties and Their Champions” is one of its inaugural rotating exhibits. According to the museum’s website, the display aims to “take a magnifying glass to the myths and stereotypes surrounding this legendary figure, and provides viewers with a heartfelt insight into today’s modern cat lady and gent.”

The display includes a replica of a fictional crazy cat lady’s living room, cat-themed knickknacks and art, and plaques emblazoned with feline facts. (Example: “One in four Americans feed stray cats, so many of us have crazy cat lady tendencies!”) Feline fanciers can submit their true-life cat rescue stories to be featured in the exhibit, or download an official “Crazy Cat Ladies" exhibition coloring book [PDF] from the Animal Museum’s website. As for dog-loving patrons, they can enjoy an exhibit that showcases portraits of celebrities with their rescued pets.

Check out some pictures of the “Crazy Cat Ladies” exhibit below, or visit the Animal Museum’s website for more information. (Visitors should note that the Animal Museum is not directly affiliated with any animal organizations, and its income does not go to animal advocacy or rescue groups.)

[h/t The Washington Post]