There are museums devoted to humans’ best friend, the dog, and even other animals like cats. But when the four-legged species are invited to stroll through museums, devoted to animals or not, it deserves a four-paw salute.
When museums usually allow furry companions to enter the museum, it is either an interactive event or a pet show that is set to welcome your furry friend. But this year, as part of the “Top of the Pyramids: Ancient Egyptian Civilization Exhibition” that runs until August next year, the Shanghai Museum in China has planned ‘Meow Night’ for 10 Saturdays, a ticketed event to bring cats with pet owners.
In July, the scenes outside the Shanghai Museum in China saw over 200 guests with tails and whiskers in motion. The ‘Meow Night’ event was held in honour of Egyptian cat goddess Bastet, the goddess of protection. The goddess is often depicted as a cat, and the museum has given cats the chance to interact with their fellow furry friends.
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The show is a unique opportunity for visitors to bring cats in carriers or pet strollers at designated areas for a photo opportunity next to a statue of Bastet. The area is also frequented by on-site veterinarians to keep a check on cats and ensure vaccinations and medical checks.
The exhibition has a vivid display of ancient Egyptian relics including cat statues and other feline imagery. “Egyptian archaeological teams discovered a cat temple in Saqqara in Cairo and unearthed many cat mummies and cat statues. So when we were planning the event, we had cats as a theme, and then came the idea for ‘Meow Night’,” Shanghai Museum deputy director Li Feng told the media.
Earlier this year, the La Sucrière museum in the French city of Lyon allowed dogs to explore its galleries.
The event was part of a major retrospective on Franco-American photographer Elliott Erwitt, who had great interest in dogs and devoted several books and many photographs capturing the animals.
This month, the American Kennel Club (AKC) Museum of the Dog in New York is organising a ‘Howl-o-ween fun!’ that is dog-friendly too. Activities are designed with families in mind and pet parents can bring their four-legged companions for an evening of spooky fun in the museum during the pet-friendly hours of the museum.
While the museum hosts a permanent collection of canine-related fine art and artefacts in the world, and hosts exhibitions of paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints, ceramics and bronzes, it also houses objects such as trophies, collars and other dog-related works as part of its collection. Besides hosting weekly events, a visitor can enrol and bring their pet dog to ‘Furry Fridays’, which is held twice a month, typically to roam the galleries with fellow dog lovers.
There are exhibitions like The Presidential Dogs, Canine Companions in the White House, on till January next year dedicated to dogs and pets, who have played an important role in the lives of various presidents since the country’s inception.
In the run-up to this year’s presidential election, the AKC Museum of the Dog will reflect on and share with visitors the history of dogs in the White House, including the various breeds who have had access to the Oval Office.
Many places are also dedicated to host animal art and memorabilia. For instance, the KattenKabinet museum in Amsterdam is devoted to works depicting cats. The museum collection includes paintings, drawings, sculptures and other works of art by Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Corneille, Sal Meijer, Théophile Steinlen, and Jože Ciuha, among others. There are cats living in the museum as well.
The Dog Collar Museum located in Leeds Castle in Kent, UK was started in 1977, now has over 130 collars, which span five centuries, and tells the story of the dog’s evolving relationship with man. From collars with spikes they look like instruments of torture to an intricately-decorated collar that includes the family’s coat of arms, these accoutrements of dog ownership give an excellent idea of how people have spoiled their pets for more than 500 years.