Cats Christmas Catastrophe by Louis Wain Mug

There’s so much to look at and enjoy in this Louis Wain drawing, it ranks amongst my all time favourites of the great English cat artist’s work. Originally created in black and white, I’ve added a little festive colour to the Christmas scene by colouring in the cats’ eyes and bow ties. Called A Christmas Catastrophe, the drawing shows a cats’ Christmas party in full swing at a fancy restaurant. There are nine cats sitting around the table waiting to tuck into their Christmas Day feast but the cat waiter has a difficult announcement to make. He’s bawling his eyes out holding a handkerchief to catch the tears in one paw and an empty cage in the other paw as he tells the assembled guests the worst possible news, Please sir, the rat entrée has escaped and eaten the turkey! The expressions on the cats’ faces are hilarious. There’s shock, horror, total disbelief, bemusement, outrage and one cat is laughing his head off! The notice on the wall in the centre of the frame reads, May every cat grow sleek and fat on Turkey this Christmas Day. The sign on the left has a drawing of a little mouse inside a mousetrap, with the words, Oh for a meal of good turkey! For catching mice is a great worry. Many’s the cat that’s been sold by the trap. The notice on the far right is a dinner voting card, with turkey notching up the most votes, followed by beef and mice. Hope you like it! Published by the Detroit Publishing Co around 1906, the original image is courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, Washington DC.