Tag Archives: cats

The cats on the MAP in Bangalore (Bengaluru)

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I LOVE CATS. So, I was keen to visit the exhibition, “The Many Lives of the Cat”, which is being held at MAP (Museum of Art and Photography) in Bangalore until 29 March 2026. This small but beautifully displayed exhibition is, according to MAP’s website:

“… a showcase of how the Indian cat appears in paintings, sculptures, matchbox covers, artist sketchbooks and more.”

 

The works on show include those of lesser-known creators, as well as paintings and sketches by well-known ‘modern’ artists including: Bhupen Khakhar, Arpita Singh, and Jamini Roy. There are also older prints and paintings made in the nineteenth century and earlier.

 

Each of the artworks is properly labelled. In addition, there are quotes from a book,  “The Indian Cat”, by the art critic and historian BN Goswamy (1933-2023). After seeing the show and looking at his beautiful book that was on display at MAP, I purchased a copy at my favourite Bangalore bookstore: The Bookworm in Church Street.

 

Even if you are not a cat lover, this is a wonderful collection of artworks. When I mentioned to a friend that I  had just visited the exhibition,  he said:

“I am severely allergic to cats.”

I replied that the cats in MAP were worth seeing and would do him no harm. I am not sure he was convinced.

 

MAP, which opened only a few years ago is housed in an attractive contemporarily designed building on Kasturba Road, which is interesting to see even if you are either allergic to cats or have little interest in viewing an exhibition. That said, I left the exhibition happy to have seen it. And had I been a cat, I would have been left MAP purring contentedly.

MORE ABOUT CATS IN ISTANBUL AND SOMETHING ABOUT CATS IN MY LIFE

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I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED cats. Once, when I was about 7 years old, I was in bed suffering from one of my then frequent attacks of tonsillitis. I was recovering in bed when a small black cat wandered into my bedroom.

Knowing my love of cats, my mother had bought one to cheer me up. I christened it “Crumpet”.

There was a big problem. My mother was not keen on cats. As she thought I was too young to be trusted with a tin opener and she was worried that I might cut myself on the opened tins of cat food, she became Crumpet’s feeder.

Because Crumpet knew that Mom was the source of her food, she took a liking to her, often rubbing herself against my mother’s legs. This did not please my mother, and I believe that Crumpet sensed this. After a few months, Crumpet abandoned our house, and moved into another house along our road, where she found a more appreciative host.

Cat shelters in Üsküdar

We are now visiting Istanbul, which is swarming with cats. As I have already written previously, street cats seem to be well treated in this city. People put out food for them, and various organisations, including local municipalities, provide them with cosy shelters.

Today, whilst sitting in a garden outside a mosque in Üsküdar in the Asian part of Istanbul, we saw many cats – as usual. It was a cold, rainy day, and one cat, lacking in shyness, spent time keeping warm by sitting on my wife’s lap, and then mine.

What we have seen of the cats of Istanbul reinforces my affection for these furry creatures.

Istanbul is a city for cats

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WE HAVE ALREADY seen many fantastic historical places in Istanbul, and I plan to tell you about some of these. But before proceeding with descriptions of landmarks in the history of Istanbul/Constantinople, let me relate something current.

Istanbul is full of cats. Wherever you look you are bound to see a cat – often looking extremely healthy. They feed both by scavenging and they are also fed by local people. They seem unafraid of humans.

During our first three days in Istanbul, we have noticed something we had not seen before. In several places, we have seen small kennel shaped ‘sheds’ which are large enough to house one big cat or a couple of smaller ones. The floors of some of these shelters are lined with soft material including bits of old bedsheets. Most of the sheds have round holes through which the cats can enter and leave the shelters.

Another feature that makes life more pleasant for felines is that compared with many other cities I have visited, there are few dogs around in the streets.

The cats of Istanbul have much to purr about!

My cat

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I love cats. I have only ever ‘owned’ one. I named it Crumpet.

I was less than ten years old when Crumpet entered my life. I was lying in bed at home, recovering from a bout of tonsillitis, when my late mother brought Crumpet into my bedroom. She had only just bought the cat at a pet shop to cheer me up.

My mother, who was always nervous about me risking injury, would not allow me to open the tins of cat food that Crumpet enjoyed. She was concerned that I might cut myself on the sharp edges of the open tin lids. So, as my mother did not want to disturb my father, who did much of his academic work at home, she became responsible for feeding Crumpet.

Cats tend to be quite self oriented. They favour the people who feed them. In Crumpet’s case, it was my mother who received much of the cat’s attention. Our cat used to rub herself against my mother’s legs affectionately, especially when my mother was opening the cat food.

Now, here’s the rub. My self sacrifying mother could not bear cats. She put up with Crumpet for my sake.

Crumpet must have realised that my mother was not keen on her because after a few weeks our pussy abandoned our home for another about one hundred yards away from ours.

Since Crumpet deserted us, I have never kept another pet, but my fondness for cats has remained.