How Cats Became Kotor's Tourist Symbol

Introduction

Kotor’s Cats Museum is one of Montenegro’s smallest museums, yet its cultural influence far exceeds its physical size. Housed in a modest space inside Kotor’s UNESCO-listed old town, it presents an eclectic private collection of cat-related books, prints, postcards, coins, advertisements, manuscripts and memorabilia dating mainly from the sixteenth century to around 1970. On the surface it is an eccentric specialist museum. More interestingly, it demonstrates how a private collector’s project helped transform ordinary street cats into one of Kotor’s strongest modern tourist symbols.[Cats Museum]catsmuseum.orgCats Museum HomeCats MuseumHome - Cats Museum…

That distinction matters. Visitors often assume that Kotor has been known as “the city of cats” for centuries. Cats have indeed long lived around the historic port, but the museum itself openly argues that many of the stories now repeated to tourists are modern inventions or heavily embellished legends. Rather than preserving an ancient civic tradition unchanged through time, the museum has actively participated in creating the contemporary image of Kotor as a feline city.[Cats Museum]catsmuseum.orgCats MuseumCats Museum – Cattaro - Cats Museum…

What the Cats Museum Actually Contains

Unlike a natural history museum, the Cats Museum is not about biology or local wildlife. It is built around the cultural history of cats in art and everyday life.

The collection includes:

According to the museum, much of the original collection developed after a substantial donation from Countess Francesca di Montereale Mantica, whose cat-themed collection formed the nucleus around which later acquisitions were added. The displays span several centuries and draw particularly from Italian, French, Austro-German and Spanish material, reflecting the international history of cat imagery rather than the history of Montenegro alone.[Cats Museum]catsmuseum.orgCats Museum HomeCats MuseumHome - Cats Museum…

The museum therefore resembles an old-fashioned cabinet of curiosities organised around one subject. Individual objects are often modest, but together they reveal how cats have appeared in domestic decoration, advertising, satire, literature, religion and popular culture across Europe.

From Private Collection to City Branding

The museum’s greatest significance lies outside its display cases.

Its founders state that when the museum opened in 2013, the idea of dedicating a museum to cats was widely regarded as eccentric. They also argue that Kotor had not yet developed today’s overwhelming commercial association with cats. Since then, cat imagery has spread across souvenir shops, postcards, magnets, cafés and visitor photography until it has become one of the city’s defining tourist brands.[Cats Museum]catsmuseum.orgCats MuseumCats Museum – Cattaro - Cats Museum…

Whether every element of that claim can be measured precisely is less important than the broader mechanism it illustrates. The museum did not merely respond to an existing identity; it consciously promoted one.

Several factors reinforced each other:

[kotor]kotor.meNE W OFFICIAL MUSEUMS OF KOTOR WEB SITE | Opstina KotorNE W OFFICIAL MUSEUMS OF KOTOR WEB SITE | Opstina Kotor or already had a conspicuous population of friendly street cats.

This feedback loop created a recognisable destination brand. Today many visitors arrive expecting cats almost as much as medieval architecture, even though the city’s UNESCO World Heritage status rests on its maritime and architectural heritage rather than its feline population.[montenegro.travel]montenegro.travelWelcome to Kotor, Montenegro’s medieval town that’s a cat lover’s dream | Montenegro…

The museum has also reproduced many artworks from its own collection on commercial souvenirs, allowing historical imagery to circulate beyond the museum itself.[Cats Museum]catsmuseum.orgCats Museum HomeCats MuseumHome - Cats Museum…

Historic Tradition or Modern Tourist Folklore?

This is where the museum becomes especially interesting within Montenegro’s wider landscape of unusual collections.

Many travel articles repeat colourful stories explaining why Kotor is the “city of cats”. Popular versions claim cats saved the city from plague by killing rats, protected Kotor during Ottoman sieges or have always enjoyed a special civic status stretching back through the Venetian period. Some explanations point more plausibly to the town’s history as a busy Adriatic port, where ships commonly carried cats to control rodents before leaving animals behind in harbour towns.[Atlas Obscura]atlasobscura.comAtlas Obscura Cats Museum in KotorAtlas ObscuraCats Museum in KotorJune 27, 2017…Published: June 27, 2017

The museum itself takes a notably sceptical position. Its official account explicitly dismisses several of the most popular legends as fantasies without historical foundation. Rather than reinforcing romantic myths, it argues that these stories developed only after cats became a successful tourist theme.[Cats Museum]catsmuseum.orgCats MuseumCats Museum – Cattaro - Cats Museum…

That makes the museum unusual among visitor attractions. Instead of claiming an ancient, unbroken tradition, it openly acknowledges the modern process by which tourism reshapes local identity.

The distinction is important:

• Historically well supported: Kotor has long had visible street cats and a maritime environment where cats would have been useful for pest control.
• Reasonably supported: Local people have generally shown tolerance towards the animals, and feeding points and volunteer care have helped maintain their visibility in the old town.[My Montenegro]mymontenegro.orgMy Montenegro Why Kotor is a city of cats? Museum, history, legendsMy Montenegro Why Kotor is a city of cats? Museum, history, legends
• Poorly supported or legendary: Claims that cats uniquely saved the city from plague or starvation, or have always functioned as Kotor’s formal civic emblem, lack convincing historical evidence and are rejected by the museum itself.[Cats Museum]catsmuseum.orgCats MuseumCats Museum – Cattaro - Cats Museum…

Why the Museum Matters Beyond Cat Lovers

For visitors uninterested in cats, the museum can initially seem like a novelty attraction. Its real value lies elsewhere.

It provides a rare example of a museum influencing the identity of its host city rather than simply interpreting it. Most museums preserve existing heritage. The Cats Museum has helped create a new layer of heritage by encouraging residents, businesses and visitors to view Kotor through a feline lens.

It also illustrates how modern tourist folklore develops. Once cat imagery became commercially successful, stories explaining that symbolism multiplied. Some became accepted almost as local history despite having weak documentary foundations. The museum’s willingness to distinguish marketing from evidence makes it unusually self-aware within the world of niche museums.[Cats Museum]catsmuseum.orgCats MuseumCats Museum – Cattaro - Cats Museum…

Within Montenegro’s network of unusual collections, this gives the Cats Museum a distinctive role. It is not the country’s strangest collection because of bizarre objects or supernatural claims. Instead, it demonstrates how an eccentric private collection, careful branding and an already photogenic population of street cats combined to reshape how an internationally famous historic town presents itself to the world.

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to How Cats Became Kotor's Tourist Symbol. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

Book

Catwatching

By Desmond Morris

Every single cat carries an inheritance of amazing sensory capacities, vocal utterances, body language and territorial displays. 'What do...

See on Amazon

Book

The Cat: A Natural and Cultural History

By Sarah Brown

A comprehensive, richly illustrated introduction to the behavior and qualities of the cat Of all the domesticated species, cats have enjo...

See on Amazon

Book

The Cat Encyclopedia

By DK Publishing

First published 2014. Subjects: Cats, Cat breeds, Encyclopedias and dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Pictorial works.

See on Amazon

Book

The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behaviour

By Dennis C. Turner

See on Amazon

Browse more on Amazon:CatwatchingThe Cat: A Natural and Cultural HistoryThe Cat Encyclopedia

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

eBay marketplace picks

Marketplace Samples

Live-tested eBay searches with available results related to this page.

Shop location

UsingUSA USA USAUKCanadaAustraliaIreland

Selected fromcat art print oneBay.co.uk.

Current eBay listing

Black Cat Bonjour Mon Amour French Cafe Poster Canvas Print Wall Art Picture

GBP 23.99 | Free shippingNewSeller: canvastown (99.9% positive)Ships from: GB

View listing on eBay

Current eBay listing

“All Guests Must Be Approved by the Cat” Funny Tabby Cat Wall Art Print Poster

GBP 5.99 | Free shippingNewSeller: drawify (100.0% positive)Ships from: GB

View listing on eBay

Current eBay listing

Cat And Moon Art Print Mystical Night Animal Illustration Wall Decor

GBP 15.00 | Free shippingNewSeller: inkandoyster (100.0% positive)Ships from: GB

View listing on eBay

Browse more oneBay.co.uk

Example items shown for inspiration; availability and pricing can change. Branchoria may earn a commission if you purchase through outbound eBay links.

Endnotes

1. Source: montenegro.travel
Link:https://www.montenegro.travel/en/business/press/news/welcome-to-kotor-montenegro-s-medieval-town-that-s-a-cat-lover-s-dream

2. Source: montenegro.org
Title: Journey The World’s Best Cat Museum
Link:https://montenegro.org/the-cat-museum-kotor/

3. Source: kotor.me
Title: NE W OFFICIAL MUSEUMS OF KOTOR WEB SITE | Opstina Kotor
Link:https://www.kotor.me/en/general-news/new-official-museums-of-kotor-web-site/

4. Source: kotor.me
Title: NOV A ZVANIČNA INTERNET PREZENTACIJA OJU ‘MUZEJI’ KOTOR | Opstina Kotor
Link:https://www.kotor.me/me/general-news/new-official-museums-of-kotor-web-site/

5. Source: kotor.travel
Link:https://kotor.travel/

6. Source: kotor.me
Link:https://www.kotor.me/en/culture-institutions/

7. Source: montenegro.travel
Link:https://www.montenegro.travel/en/explore-montenegro/culture-and-tours/the-most-popular-museums

8. Source: youtube.com
Title: Kotor: A City of Cats in Montenegro!
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS87e2wHXCQ

9. Source: youtube.com
Title: Visit to Kotor’s Cat Park & Cat Museum | Lost in Old Town | Montenegro
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG_4hjkBoUw

10. Source: youtube.com
Title: Kotor Beaches & Cats Museum | Montenegro Travel Guide
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOBGQEHwkp0

11. Source: catsmuseum.org
Title: Cats Museum Home
Link:https://www.catsmuseum.org/

12. Source: catsmuseum.org
Link:https://www.catsmuseum.org/cats-museum-cattaro/

13. Source: mymontenegro.org
Title: My Montenegro Why Kotor is a city of cats? Museum, history, legends
Link:https://mymontenegro.org/eng/attractions/the-city-of-cats-kotor

14. Source: atlasobscura.com
Title: Atlas Obscura Cats Museum in Kotor
Link:https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cats-museum

Published: June 27, 2017

15. Source: lovekotor.com
Title: Cats Museum Kotor · Love Kotor
Link:https://www.lovekotor.com/cat-museum-kotor

Published: July 1, 2026

16. Source: kotordirectory.com
Title: Spotlight · Kotor Cats Museum | Kotor Directory
Link:https://www.kotordirectory.com/me/spotlight/kotor-cats-museum

17. Source: kotordirectory.com
Title: Spotlight · Kotor Cats Museum | Kotor Directory
Link:https://www.kotordirectory.com/it/spotlight/kotor-cats-museum

Published: May 18, 2026

18. Source: montenegrofortravellers.com
Title: The Cats Museum in Kotor | Montenegro For Travellers
Link:https://www.montenegrofortravellers.com/en/place/cats-museum-kotor

19. Source: justwandr.com
Link:https://www.justwandr.com/destinations/montenegro/places/cats-museum

20. Source: kotordirectory.com
Link:https://www.kotordirectory.com/attractions/museums-galleries/kotor-cats-museum

21. Source: catsmuseum.org
Link:https://www.catsmuseum.org/sample/

22. Source: nomadotravel.app
Link:https://www.nomadotravel.app/en/attractions/cats-museum-kotor

23. Source: tripadvisor.com
Title: Cats Museum
Link:https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g295381-d6979476-Reviews-Cats_Museum-Kotor_Kotor_Municipality.html

24. Source: kasadoo.com
Title: Cats Museum
Link:https://kasadoo.com/montenegro/kotor/museums/cats-museum

25. Source: lonelyplanet.com
Title: Cats Museum | Kotor, Montenegro | Attractions
Link:https://www.lonelyplanet.com/points-of-interest/cats-museum/1541875

Additional References

26. Source: articles.pangovet.com
Title: why are there so many cats in kotor montenegro
Link:https://articles.pangovet.com/pet-lifestyle/cats/why-are-there-so-many-cats-in-kotor-montenegro/

Published: February 4, 2025

27. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziru756u-tw

28. Source: youtube.com
Title: New Cat Capital? Kotor
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpkKwxgBhLA

29. Source: muzejikotor.me
Link:https://muzejikotor.me/en/mpi-muzeji-kotor/

30. Source: sharemontenegro.me
Title: A story about the cats of Kotor | Share Montenegro
Link:https://sharemontenegro.me/a-story-about-the-cats-of-kotor/

31. Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Title: Attractions g635648 Activities c49 t161 Montenegro
Link:https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g635648-Activities-c49-t161-Montenegro.html