Kitty country

The city of Kuching is a kaleidoscope of colour, thanks to the many cultures calling it home. An early-morning stroll along the waterfront of Sarawak River will be accompanied by a call to prayer emanating from the mosque; the same stroll will take you past the elaborately decorated Tua Pek Kong Chinese Temple, and then over to the Main Bazaar. Here, in one of the oldest streets in Kuching, they sell ethnic handcrafts from all over Borneo.

Sold everywhere are kek lapis, brightly coloured and intricately patterned layered cake that's famous to the region. A little further out, however, is the cultural oddity that is the Cat Museum.

Kuching, capital of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, is known as Cat City. Streets are adorned with large cat statues, and nestled up a hill known as Bukit Siol is their tribute to the history of our feline friends. Strangely, it's not the only cat museum in the world – apparently the Netherlands, Russia, Spain and Lithuania also have them – but Kuching's must count as one of the kitschiest.

The drive there is 15 minutes by "teksi", during which driver Edward finds time to give me a crash course in the tribal history of the area. The return trip, including Edward's hour-long wait, costs about $20 and is the only real expense, as admission to the museum is free (although there's a small fee if you wish to use your camera).

Following the paw prints in through the massive fibreglass cat's mouth, I'm greeted with about 2000 pieces of moggy memorabilia, ranging from junk items to some genuinely interesting artefacts. Every angle is covered here: cats in ancient times, literature, art, advertising. Information and objects relate to cat fish, catnaps, cat law, cat funerals, black cats and cat burglars. There are cat-shaped objects, such as candlestick holders and money boxes made from ceramics, brass, wood, shells; there are stuffed cats, photographed cats, drawn and painted cats. Hello Kitty, as you might expect, has her own display case and Garfield makes repeat appearances. The exhibits include a mummified cat from 3000-3500BC, found at Beni Hasan in Egypt. I learn that the earliest evidence linking cats with humans comes from the ancient Egyptians, who valued them so much that when a house cat died, the owners would shave off their own eyebrows and mourn until they grew back. The Egyptians would mummify cats in the same way they did humans, and killing a cat was punishable by death.

Humans related differently to cats in the Middle Ages, when they were routinely burnt alive due to the superstitious belief that they were agents of devils and witches.

In Malay belief systems, superstition played its part as well, with cats traditionally thought to hold supernatural powers. They once believed that if you soaked a cat in a bucket of water until it was "half drowned", it could bring about rain; a cat on your roof signalled imminent death for a householder; and a strange cat entering your abode meant poverty was approaching. The museum has photos of all these things.

Kuching's Cat Museum is a one-stop shop for cat lovers, but even if you're not one, there's enough kooky information and odd-ball items to keep you entertained.

THE FACTS
FLY Malaysia Airlines flies return to Kuching for about $1000. See malaysiaairlines.com.
STAY Batik Boutique Hotel, 38 Jalan Padungan, Kuching. See batikboutiquehotel.com.
VISIT Cat Museum, Kuching North City Hall, Jalan Semariang, Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.