Cats, it seems, have quietly found their way into countless stories and sayings. Let’s paws and retell a few…

In English the saying goes, ‘when the cat is away, the mice will play.’ In Kannada, the proverb states bekku kan muchkondu haalu kudidare jagattige gothagalva which translates to, ‘If the cat closes its eyes and drinks the milk, it thinks no one can see it’ (meaning doing something in secret and believing that no one has noticed). In Hindi, they say, meri billi, mujhee se miyaun? , ‘My cat! How does she dare meow back at me?’ (suggesting that I've supported you, and you dare to disrespect me!). And so, the list goes on.

Across various Indian languages, the cat appears in witty and ironic ways to reflect on society— to teach a moral, to impart advice and to hold the mirror up and reflect. Cats take on many lives: cherished pets for some, familiars to witches, companions to gods in certain cultures, bringers of luck (at times good, and at others, not so much) and cunning rivals to mice. Yet above all, they remain integral to everyday life. Referred to as the Miu in Egypt, Mao in China and Neko in Japan, the cat has been embraced in various forms across many countries. But what about the billi, the bekku?

The late art historian BN Goswamy, in his book The Indian Cat , wrote of the countless stories, mythologies and works of art that cast cats as both heroes and villains. They reappear frequently, both small and big – as triumphant thieves, as dreamers lost in pursuit, as mischievous tricksters, and sometimes, as fiery presences charged with political and social critique.

For long, our furry friends have lingered at the edge of South Asian art, rarely in the spotlight. At the meowseum, their time has finally come to take centrestage.

* Some of the texts take from the extended labels that were part of the physical exhibition. They are excerpts taken from the book The Indian Cat: Stories, Paintings, Poetry, and Proverbs written by BN Goswamy, published by Aleph Book Company (2024).

The excerpts from The Indian Cat by B. N. Goswamy are reproduced with permission from Aleph Book Company.