THE IRRESISTIBLE ASCENT OF THE CAT
The cat arrived in the settlements of primitive man in a spontaneous and, in what is considered to this day, a mysterious way. Other wild animals were already present in these settlements, brought there to be raised for early man’s sustenance. The cat succeeded in surviving because it won over the women and children of the group with its beauty and playfulness. Afterwards, sensitive people and artists were taken by its elegance of movement, its character and self-sufficiency. The latter welcomed cats as their lifelong companions and founts of inspiration, because of the attributes of Beauty, Creativity and Freedom which they represented.
What is certain is that from the dawn of time, for millennia and throughout the various countries of the world, it has remained itself. Unlike other domesticated animals, the cat has called upon the deepest sources of the imagination and cosmic perception of the human mind, so much so that, across time and space, myths, religions and cultures have seen in the cat, often to the extent of deifying it, the incarnation of mysterious powers. Even in everyday life this extraordinary creature has succeeded in becoming an important presence, fascinating and ingratiating itself with man.










Steinlen -
Apothéose de
chats à Montmartre


THE MAGIC OF CATS
The cat is the living symbol of beauty, invincibility, wonder, pride, freedom, self-sufficiency and exquisite individuality. Through its marvellous eyes of profound observer and impartial critic, it senses deeply, and accepts with indifference, the vices and virtues of its human companion. It never judges and least of all it never moralises. If anything, the cat is an accomplice for better or worse. It is not a passive companion, however. The arrival of a cat in the life of a man has always meant change both on an existential and creative level. Because a cat is always a magical presence in our lives.