Couple decides to entertain their cat by making him a tiny art gallery
Comedian Jake Lambert and his girlfriend Jessica Atkins, a veterinary nurse, have faced a challenge many of us have dealt with over the last few months: how do we keep our pets entertained during quarantine?
It’s a lot more important than one might think, considering the behavioral issues that can arise from boredom in animals (and it’s not like pets understand there’s a pandemic raging outside). But it’s also our responsibility as pet owners to make sure our furry friends are stimulated.
Unfortunately for Lambert and Atkins’ 3-year-old cat, who goes by the name Richard Parker (the name comes from the tiger in the book The Life of Pi), a foot injury was also keeping him sidelined.
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(Yes, Richard Parker only has one eye, but that happened over 2 years ago – a still-unknown assailant shot him with a BB gun.)
The cat’s owners wanted to cheer him up, so they concocted a plan to build him his own art gallery.
Now, we’ve never seen a cat admire anything it didn’t subsequently knock on the floor, but we can’t argue with the photos of the beautiful black cat taking in the tiny paintings.
According to Lambert, the gallery was Atkins’ idea and she’s responsible for setting up the delightful display.
Richard Parker’s personal art gallery consists of 11 classic paintings, from da Vinci to Monet – and each includes a cat hidden within.
The space is every bit the authentic museum, with a rope barrier and even small signs asking visitors not to take photos or bring in food or drink.
THE DETAIL! pic.twitter.com/Zy7eKhX0lK
— Jake Lambert (@LittleLostLad) May 15, 2020
Richard Parker is every bit the polite patron, abiding by the facility’s rules.
The paintings were created by Fat Cat Art, run by Svetlana Petrova (and starring Zarathustra the Cat).
When the story went viral, most commenters were impressed that Richard Parker appeared to enjoy taking in some culture. In fact, the gallery seemed to cure everyone in the home’s boredom, at least for a little while.
Of course, the patron had a favorite piece:
“He loved all the portraits, especially The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, probably because this particular version depicted the cat as a god, and we all know that’s exactly how cats see themselves,” Lambert told Metro UK.
As to why they’d go through the trouble? Well, the same reason we all do special things for our pets – we love them (and we can be a little kooky about it sometimes).
“Richard Parker is very sociable and affectionate. He loves to play and always comes and greets us at the front door when we come home. He sleeps on our bed with us and hangs out with us all day. He’s a very cool cat and we’re very lucky,” Lambert gushed to Bored Panda.
And now he’s an art-lover!
“It took about an hour to make, and he’s spent hours enjoying it,” Lambert says.
That’s certainly longer than most cats spend playing with an elaborate toy!
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Source: @LittleLostLad via Twitter, Fat Cat Art, Bored Panda, Metro UK