Culture Vulture: The KattenKabinet Amsterdam

So you’re in Amsterdam and you’ve been to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, you’ve toured the Red Light District and visited Anne Frank’s house, but you’re feeling like seeing something a little different from the regular tourist destinations. Why not try the Katten Kabinet?! This little museum near the famous floating flower market is entirely devoted to art about cats, making it perfect for cat lovers or anyone looking for something a bit quirky! Read on to find out everything you need to know about this a-meow-zing museum…

About the KattenKabinet

Taking up one floor of a grand canal house, the collection focuses on the role of cats in art and culture through the centuries. There are paintings, posters, sculptures, comics, fans and even crockery featuring cats as the artistic muse. First opened in 1990, the Katten Kabinet is actually celebrating its 35th birthday in 2025!

The entire place was founded by Bob Meijer, in memory of his own beloved cat, who he used to gift art to every year for the cat’s birthday. That’s how he began his cat art collection, which then became the basis of the collection at the Katten Kabinet.

What it’s like to visit the KattenKabinet

There’s one flight of stairs to walk up into the museum which is located on the second floor of the building. The museum is laid out in four main rooms and a hallway, plus there’s another staircase to get down into the garden. As you wander along, there’s a vast array of cat art crammed into the rooms, with every wall covered in paintings, photos, sketches and more.

There are works by Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt, and Sal Meijer, one of the favourite artists of founder Bob Meijer (although I don’t think they’re related). There are pieces from ancient Africa and Japan as well as more modern pieces such as the famous ‘Chat Noir’ poster from Paris, magazine covers and prints. There’s even a mummified cat from around 200 BC and a pinball machine made out of ‘lucky cats.’

The canal building itself is very beautiful, with polished wooden floorboards, some impressive chandeliers and even some gorgeous restored 17th-century ceiling art. The back garden has also been set up as an outdoor gallery, with large posters and some sculptures to have a look at. It would be particularly lovely in spring or summer.

There are also some real cats in residence, that don’t seem to have any qualms about walking over the art or sleeping in the gallery. There’s also a sign saying not to pat the black and white cat, he definitely looked a little bit over the attention when I was there, while the other cat completely ignored everyone even while being patted.

The only downside, perhaps, for this museum is that it’s rather expensive for its size. It costs €12.50 for an adult as of February 2025 and it only has about four rooms, albeit ones crammed with cat art. But if you like cats, I do think it’s worth it, especially as it’s a museum originally created by one person, rather than a huge institution like the Rijksmuseum. Here are some more of my favourite parts:

Getting to the KattenKabinet

If you are interested in going to see the KattenKabinet for yourself, want a virtual tour or just to buy some cat art online, have a look at the website here. If you are officially crazy for cats then you will probably want to check it out if you’re ever in Amsterdam! It’s located on Herengracht, which is the next canal over from the one where the floating flower market is located. It’s a short walk from Rembrandtplein, Muntplein or Koningsplein.

While tickets aren’t included in the I amsterdam card, there is a discount if you’ve got one. It’s also well worth checking out the gift shop while you’re there! The KattenKabinet is open Tuesday – Sunday from midday until 5pm.

You could even add a trip to De Poezenboot (The Cat-Boat): a floating cat shelter that you can visit and/or Kattencafe Kopjes (the cat cafe) for some coffee, cake and a snuggle with the resident cats. Amsterdam is definitely a good place for cat lovers.

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Have you ever been to any of these cat-themed places in Amsterdam or elsewhere? Let me know in the comments or pin one of these if you want to visit the Katten Kabinet yourself!