All Around the World with 12 Cat Museums: A Comprehensive Guide for Feline Art Enthusiasts

2. Cat Museum Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey

The capital of Turkey is famous for its cat residents roaming the streets. To celebrate the city’s deep-rooted relationship with cats, Fatih Dağlı, a tour guide, graphic designer, and shopkeeper with a passion for Istanbul’s heritage, founded the Cat Museum Istanbul. The museum documents the historical and cultural ties between Istanbul’s people and its cats, including the centuries-old tradition of Ottoman-era caregivers who were paid to feed street animals.

You’ll find over 70 artworks here, including pieces by Louis Wain, Joan Miró, Henriette Ronner-Knip, and contemporary Turkish artists like Fikret Otyam and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu. The museum also displays antique cat-themed objects, toys, comics, and memorabilia, tracing the presence of cats in fairy tales and popular culture. The Cat Museum Istanbul hosts workshops and community events. And, of course, it’s a home for some resident cats and a place to wander for the neighborhood strays. The museum’s mission is to help kitties by donating 50% of their profits to help feed and sterilize stray cats.

3. The Cats Museum, Kotor, Montenegro

The Cats Museum, located in the heart of Kotor’s Old Town in Montenegro, is a unique and charming institution dedicated to celebrating the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of cats. Founded in 2013, the museum occupies the former refectory of the Poor Clares monastery of Our Lady of the Angels and has become a symbol of the city, reflecting Kotor’s deep connection with its feline residents. It all began with a major donation from Countess Francesca Montereale di Mantica. Since then, the collection has expanded with contributions from Venice’s Badoer Center and private donors.

This compact museum is packed with impressively diverse exhibits—books, manuscripts, artworks, coins, medals, magazines, posters—spanning from the 16th century to the present day. It also offers an interactive activity for its guests, called “Pawsome Playground”. This area simulates a cat’s world, complete with scratching posts and tunnels for a playful visitor experience. At the entrance, the local cat resident greets the visitors, but the museum is open only from May to October, so plan your trip wisely!

4. Cat Museum Budapest, Budapest, Hungary

While visiting Hungary, your first stop must be the Cat Museum Budapest in the country’s capital. It is the home of Leonardo and Mona Lisa—the cats (and their nine furry friends!). In the museum, you will find cat-related art (some of it painted by local artists and available to purchase) and large collections of porcelain—Zsolnay, Herendi, Hollóházy, and some international pieces.

Besides the art, the Cat Museum Budapest offers an immersive experience with the cat staff. The museum has dedicated a separate room to relax with the cats while listening to soothing forest sounds or reading a book from their collection. Also, their mission is to educate about art and cats. You can take part in a quiz and other interactive educational activities (such as films and games, or painting workshops) where you can learn about felines.

Don’t forget to book your visit to see the museum’s cats! I mean art.

5. Cats Museum Kft, Budapest, Hungary

Your next stop in Budapest is the Cats Museum Kft, located in the historic center of the city. It offers quite a different experience from the previous one. Here you will find a dedicated exhibition space for cat history and art, making it a quieter, more reflective experience.

The collection spans from the 16th century to the 1970s and is displayed over two floors. The collection’s core comes from the Badoer fund in Venice (Centro Internazionale Adozione Gatti “Badoer”), and has been expanded with private donations and targeted acquisitions. Besides artworks, like engravings by Swiss artist Gottfried Mind (known as the “Raphael of Cats”), the museum holds antique books, coins, manuscripts, vintage advertising materials, postcards, and other curiosities related to cats grouped, in five thematic sections.

Let’s move across the ocean and see what cat art establishments we can visit in the US.

6. Salem Cat Museum, Salem, MA, USA

It wouldn’t be fair if The Witch City didn’t have its own cat museum. After all, witches were greatly associated with cats throughout the centuries! So, one of the main focuses of the museum is to show the history of cats in Salem, MA, through their collection of artifacts from various eras. The collection consists of over 200 works, focusing particularly on the 20th and 21st centuries, created in multiple media, both by international and local artists.

A favorite space in this museum is its cozy library. It features cat-themed books from the early 20th century—including Beatrix Potter classics—to today’s modern publications. The Salem Cat Museum is open weekly from Wednesday to Sunday, so if you’re in the neighborhood, take a minute to stop by. And if you’re an artist, you can apply to display your works in the museum!

7. American Museum of the House Cat, Sylva, NC, USA

This museum, located in Sylva, North Carolina, aims to entertain, inspire, and educate about the relationship between humans and domesticated cats, as its late curator, Dr. Harold W. Sims Jr. (also known as the “Catman”), wrote.

The museum exhibits lifelong collections of Dr Sims and his wife: art, rare antiques, and various collectibles—over 5,000 cat-related items from around the world. Notable pieces include a genuine Egyptian cat mummy dating from 300–30 BCE, a medieval petrified cat discovered in an English chimney, antique cat automatons from the 1890s, and artwork by famous artists such as Andy Warhol. The museum supports the cat shelter founded by Dr. Sims, dedicated to helping and rehoming cats in need.

8. Feline Historical Museum, Alliance, OH, USA

This museum, founded by the CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association) Foundation, serves a dual purpose. It houses an extensive collection of cat-related art, including paintings, sculptures, figurines, and vintage advertising, and also serves as a resource center for cat lovers, breeders, and researchers. It is also the home of the Cat Fanciers’ Association archives.

Dating back to the 19th century, the collection highlights both American and international artists from the golden age of feline-themed art. If you’re an avid reader, you should definitely visit the museum’s library, which includes rare and out-of-print books on feline breeds, care, and cat fancy history, as well as magazines and newsletters from cat clubs around the world. Feline Historical Museum hosts a special event called “kitten fix” days, where visitors can interact with pedigreed cats like Maine Coons, Persians, Ragdolls, and many more.

9. Lucky Cat Museum, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Lucy Cat Museum, located in Essex Art Studios in Cincinnati, Ohio, started as a passion project by Micha Robertson and her husband, Jaime.

With over 2,000 maneki-neko figurines—and growing—it’s among the largest lucky cat collections in North America. The museum exhibits focus on the evolution and symbolism of the maneki-neko, with displays showing how the features of lucky cats have changed over time and their influence on pop culture. Micha Robertson, the enthusiastic owner and collection curator, is often present to share stories and answer questions about the collection.

Now let’s visit Japan, home to several museums dedicated to the maneki-neko and cats.

10. Maneki-Neko Museum, Seto, Japan

No wonder the largest collection of maneki-neko cat figurines is housed in the city of Seto in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Seto is renowned as the birthplace of ceramic maneki-neko production, starting in the Meiji era, and remains a center for these crafts today. Dedicated to the iconic Japanese “beckoning cat,” this museum houses thousands of maneki-neko figurines in all sorts of styles, sizes, and designs, from traditional porcelain cats to modern interpretations from across Japan.

The maneki-neko originated in the Edo period and is deeply embedded in Japanese culture as a symbol of luck, wealth, and protection. Visitors explore the deep symbolism of cats in Japanese culture, particularly their links to luck and fortune, through immersive exhibits. The museum’s focus on a specific aspect of cat lore sets it apart from more general cat museums. In addition to visiting the collection, you can participate in a ceramic-painting workshop and paint your own maneki-neko figurine!

11. Cat Museum, Itō, Japan

Another museum in Japan worth mentioning is the Cat Museum in Itō, Shizuoka Prefecture. It is a family-friendly attraction dedicated to all things feline, both domestic and wild. Visitors learn about the origins and diversity of the feline family through engaging exhibits on 28 wild cat species—from majestic tigers to tiny small-spotted cats—plus two extinct ones: the saber-toothed tiger and Cape lion. The “Art Gallery of Cats” showcases feline-inspired art, from handcrafted pieces to quirky memorabilia and souvenirs.

The Museum’s biggest attraction is the “Kitties of the World” zone, where you can interact with over 40 museum cats of various breeds. Unfortunately, not all of them roam freely through the zone.

Now we’ll travel to the island of Borneo.

12. Cat Museum, Kuching (Cat City), Malaysia

Renowned as the world’s first museum dedicated solely to felines, the Cat Museum in Kuching (which is even nicknamed “Cat City”) is a true pilgrimage site for cat enthusiasts. It boasts over 4,000 artifacts located in four galleries—from ancient relics (such as a cat mummy) to contemporary memorabilia and feline-related advertising which highlight cats’ presence in pop culture. It also presents the cat’s role in Malaysian proverbs and quotes related to cats, reflecting the animal’s role in local folklore and daily life.

The museum also has a vast collection of Borneo’s wild cat taxidermy specimens, which is kind of spine-chilling. But overall, its comprehensive collection and educational approach make it a must-visit for anyone interested in the history and symbolism of cats.