Cindy-Lou Dale

Some domestic cats are able to make marks using paint which biologists prefer to explain away as an inborn form of territorial marking behavior, yet more recent evidence shows that some of these marks are aesthetically motivated and are genuine works of art.

 

In late 1997 I read an amazing book titled Why Cats Paint. This book is dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of feline art. Spectacular photographs of these feline masterpieces show cat art ranging from acrylic paint smeared over outdoor fences to tangled twine and dead mice.

 

Some personal background details of the feline artists are included, with discussions of how their kitten-hood traumas relate to their artistic style and includes a few tragic tales of cats dying for their art.  Frequently the artist is photographed sitting next to his creation.

 

The authors do, as the title promises, manage to explore the questions surrounding the issue of why cats paint, to some extent.  Cats use urine and feces in various rituals involving territorial markings, and feline hygiene. Some acrylic paints apparently smell similar enough to stimulate analogous behaviours in particularly artistic cats, which can sublimate those inner drives in order to produce art. 

 

I spoke with Burton Silver, the New Zealand based co-author of Why Cats Paint (Weidenfeld Nicolson). Silver has been instrumental in organizing a number of cat painting exhibits around the world and is also the founding member of the Australasian League of Feline Art Critics.

 

Do all cats paint or is it breed specific? Some cats are more explorative and are thought to be more likely to enjoy playing around with paint. Also Birmans don't mind getting their paws wet and will take to it more easily for this reason -- other cats prefer dry powders. Cats with a strong territorial instinct are also more likely to paint as their marking is seen as a way of defining their territory. For this reason cats that have just moved into an area may be more likely to paint in order to establish their territories.

How do I know if my cat has artistic talent? You don't really. However, the Museum of Non-Primate Art has recently introduced a set of 18 pictorial cards which have been specially designed by an animal psychologist to enable people to test their cat's creative potential.

 

Is there something I could do to encourage my cat to paint? Leave non toxic paints out by a washable surface -- a fridge door for example. If they are scented with the cat's urine then the cat is much more likely to mark. You can do this by taking a little of the damp litter from his litter tray, put it in a small bottle of warm water and leave it over-night in the fridge. Shake well and add a few drops of this to the paint or put it round the powder.

Is there a specific room or area the painting should take place? Wherever the cat is comfortable which usually is where it spends most of it’s time.

Are their any specific tools or equipment or paints I should or shouldn¹t buy? No-toxic acrylics and it's worth washing the cat's paws afterwards, just in case.

How do I understand my cat’s paintings? In the same way people try to understand human paintings. Though in some rare cases you can get invertist works -- representational paintings that are upside down. It is thought that this may be due to cats spending a lot of their play-hunting time lying on their backs, looking at things upside down; cats experience a stronger state of emotional arousal at these times.

How do I go about selling my cat’s art? Put ads in pet magazines etc. In the United States animal shelters are using cat paintings to raise money and may be interested in buying authenticated works.

This may be the ideal opportunity to lobby television channels to introduce creativity programs for cats.

 

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© Cindy-Lou Dale 2005