Visitors bring their cats in carriers or strollers and can only walk them in designated areas.
Shanghai:
The Shanghai Museum has attracted big crowds this summer for an exhibition of ancient Egyptian relics, including cat statues and other feline statues, with up to 200 visitors able to bring their own four-legged friends on Saturday evening.
Inspired by the ancient Egyptians’ worship of Bastet, the goddess of protection (often depicted as a cat), the museum has given cats the chance to interact with a part of the exhibition called “The Secrets of Saqqara”.
“Egyptian archaeological teams discovered a cat temple in Sakkara and unearthed many cat mummies and cat statues. So when we were planning the event, we had cats as the theme, and then the idea for ‘Meow Night’ came up,” said Shanghai Museum delegate. Director Li Feng.
The “Top of the Pyramids: Ancient Egyptian Civilization Exhibition” started on July 19 and runs until August 17, 2025, with “Meow Night” scheduled for at least 10 Saturdays. So far there have been six with tickets, including 200 ‘bring-a-cat’ tickets, which have sold out each time.
Visitors bring their cats in carriers or strollers and can only take them to designated areas, such as for a photo opportunity next to a statue of Bastet.
The cats are checked upon arrival for current vaccinations and for signs of illness or stress. There are vets on site and rest areas for cats in case the stimulation of their night at the museum becomes too much.
“It’s very special that you can bring a cat,” said visitor Qiu Jiakai, who attended the “Meow Night” with one-year-old cat An Mao.
“I listened to the narrator’s introduction and said that many of today’s domestic cats are related to the cats domesticated in ancient Egypt. So I thought I should bring my cat here to see its ancestors and the cat goddess,” she said.
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