In what sounds like a recipe for mayhem, the Shanghai Museum ran ten “Meowseum Nights” on Saturdays through the summer and autumn, admitting 200 cats and 2,000 humans for two hours each time to its exhibition On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt.
The museum’s director, Chu Xiaobo, says that in the run-up to the first event on 27 July they “were more nervous than the cats”. But despite the considerable logistical challenges, the experiment was a success and cat-astrophes were averted.
“It’s about being a museum for society,” Chu says. “We can’t do this every day, but it was a valuable outreach: cat people now have a special affection for the Shanghai Museum.”
The Egyptian show runs until 17 August 2025, but Chu says the museum will not repeat Meowseum Nights, despite popular demand. He says, though, that the idea of bringing pets to museums is taking off, with some private museums in the city holding dog days (limited to stroller-sized canines).
“Shanghai has 24 million people, and 1.3 million pet cats,” Chu says. “But there is not much accommodation for pet cats. In recent years, the change in attitude towards cats has been big, and it is a big topic, of how to accept and live with pets. Increasingly there are pet-friendly hotels, restaurants and parks. But we’ve never seen pets at museums before, and I think we are the first globally. It was a good overlap of Egyptian and Chinese society.”
The show includes the Bastet temple, devoted to a cat goddess. “Much of the show has to do with cats,” Chu says. “Ancient Egypt had over 1,700 deities, but cats were a major one.”
Chu says the Egyptian antiquities and tourism ministries co-organising the show were enthusiastic about the cat nights, and the antiquities were well-protected from errant paws. Within the galleries, “there is a spot by the cat sarcophagus to take cats out for photos—but otherwise they had to be in strollers or bags. The rest is behind glass, so no safety issues.” Extra cleaning of the space followed each session, in consideration of next-day visitors with allergies.
“Some people said we were too bold to try such a thing,” Chu adds. “And a lot of animal lovers contacted us with their suggestions. Many worried about the cats, since many dislike being in public, or might fight with each other.”
The museum incorporated the advice, with a veterinarian and doctor on hand, an ambulance parked outside, and insurance for attendees. At each Meowseum Night “we had over 80 people from animal welfare groups there to observe and give input”, Chu says.
Other precautions included requiring vaccination documents for the cats, warning owners to consider their cats’ personalities, a special cat line and check-in desk, plus the special strollers. Workers from the Shanghai Small Animal Protection Base were on site with nets and thick gloves, ready to wrangle any cats who escaped their harnesses and strollers. One said that around five or six did so every night, but were quickly recaptured. “No cats got lost!” Chu says.
“It is a very good idea, just there are too many people,” said a visitor during one August session. Outside the galleries, her outgoing, two-year-old Maine Coon—Papi—eschewed the strollers to ride around harnessed on her shoulders most of the evening, eagerly scoping out the action. “He’s very curious, not scared at all,” she said. “I wish I could bring him back to do this again.”
“I saw a chance to get tickets, and he likes going out,” said another visitor, Wen Liuli, of her cat Chaoge. “I would have come to the show anyway, but brought him as he likes activities and there are not many things we can do together. There are dog parks, dog brunches, but not that much for cat parents to do with their pets.”
The costs of the operation have been more than recouped in buzz, and merchandising. More than 1,000 new items were designed for On Top of the Pyramid exhibition.
“Our cat merchandise sells the best,” says Li Feng, the museum’s deputy director. He says sales since July have topped a record-shattering 100 million RMB (£10.8m).
For potential copycats, the first reaction will be: “‘Are you crazy?’” Chu says. “But we’ve done it, and on this huge scale: people can see it is possible.”
• On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt, Shanghai Museum, until 17 August 2025
