“Draw me like one of your French humans.”

While cats are beloved domestic companions to many people, I think we can all agree they don’t do squat when it comes to helping out around the house. I mean, when was the last time a cat did the dishes or re-grouted tiles? And no, riding around on the Roomba doesn’t count.

Granted, their lack of opposable thumbs and attention spans make chores more difficult, but Japanese lifestyle goods maker Felissimo has come up with a novel way for them to add something to any homestead by becoming a work of living art.

The Nude Painting Style Scratcher transforms one of your feline’s more destructive habits into a neoclassical painting that can really tie a room together.

The top of the bed is made of a corrugated cardboard that cats will just love to sink their claws into, and it’s designed to be wide enough for most sizes, as demonstrated by the models below.

▼ Left: Danko (4.3 kilograms [9.5 pounds]), Right: Yakumi (3.9 kilograms [8.6 pounds])

Of course, they can use it to sharpen their claws as much as they like, but the real magic happens when they decide to stretch out and really sell the effect.

▼ Omochi (4.7 kilograms [10.4 pounds])

There are also additional touches to the painting, such as cat toys lying around the bed, suggesting that the cat is napping after an afternoon of opulence becoming such nobility. There’s also a portrait of a brown tabby on the same bed in the corner. Could it be the lord of this manor or a lost love? Great art leaves such mysteries up to the beholder…

Cats seem to love it too. When the makers took it to a cat cafe for testing, the staff was lining up to try it out.

This item sells for 9,895 yen (US$70) and is a part of Felissimo’s Cat Club, which also sells a Great Wave off Kanagawa version too if this art style isn’t your cup of tea.

And as with all Cat Club items, a portion of the sales will go towards helping find foster homes for pets abandoned after disasters or relocated from overpopulated areas. So, cat lovers everywhere ought to pick up a Nude Painting Style Scratcher and contribute to animal welfare and art appreciation at the same time.

Source: Felissimo, PR Times
Images: PR Times
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