Thanks to their overwhelming presence on the World Wide Web, it has been postulated that cats will, one day, rule the entire world. And what would that cat-astrophic world look like? Well, we got a preview of that last Saturday at Kitty City, a miniature metropolis designed exclusively for members of the feline species by a team of highly talented humans. The project, which was organized by, and hosted at, Flux Factory in Long Island City, was developed over a course of four weeks, with artists, architects and children collaborating to build the perfect urban environment for cats.
On Saturday, Flux Factory unveiled Kitty City to the world, and let 23 cats take over the colorful, intricate space that was filled with tunnels, loops and strings galore. The cats, most of whom were kittens, were brought to the space by For Animals, a no-kill animal shelter in Queens, and human visitors to Kitty City were given the option to adopt the animals free of charge. Also seen at the event was Neighborhood Cats, an organization that aims to reduce feral cat population with their trap-neuter-return drive, one of the most humane ways to control the overpopulation of cats in communities.
Christina Vassalo, executive director of Flux Factory, said that Kitty City was the end result of a process that paired kids with architects, urban designers, artists and educators to build a model city for felines. These workshops gave kids the opportunity to think about their own communities and urban planning, and then develop those ideas into a practical, yet extremely creative, installation. The level of detail was particularly noteworthy—from fabric patterns to intertwined sculptures, Kitty City had it all. (The hanging vine-like creation at the corner evoked memories of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s famous protrusions.)
Of course, cats being cats, they didn’t seem to be too interested with the level of artistry in this project. Having said that, they seemed to be having a rollicking good time nonetheless. While some lost themselves in the dangling threads of Kitty City, others decided to while away the time by taking dozens of catnaps. There were plenty of purrs going around the room, as human visitors to Kitty City found themselves entranced and bewitched by those ridiculously cute furry faces. According to For Animals’ Facebook page, 13 cats were adopted at Kitty City on Saturday.
For more information on Kitty City, and upcoming projects by Flux Factory, check out their official website here. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
If you’d like to adopt a cat yourself, or for more information on For Animals, check out their official website here. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
For more information on Neighborhood Cats, and to learn about their trap-neuter-return drive, check out their official website here. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
And, just in case you would like to see more of the cats at Kitty City, check out our extended gallery below.
The Kitty City manifesto.Take that, The New York Times. Kitty City has its own paper.In case cats lost sight on what they were supposed to do at Kitty City.The dangling strings found a number of feline admirers…Like this enterprising critter…There were others, who were just content to watch.This cat decided to watch Kitty City from above.Some cats found the holes in the boxes to be a perfect vantage point.Others tried to blend in with the environment.Although they didn’t seem to quite understand the concept of “blending in.”This one seemed to have been dazzled by everything in Kitty City..And decided to find some friends to socialize with.Some cats decided sleep was a beautiful thing…And catnaps stretched into something more divine.Like, really divine.This cat was in full play mode for a while…Until all the running tired him out.Say it with me: “Awww.”
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