My wife and I recently spent a fascinating few hours at the museum which pays homage to the city's favourite animal. Kuching has been dubbed 'City of Cats'. Well, I suppose it had to be ... after all, Kuching does mean 'cat' in Malay.

Featuring over 2000 exhibits, the designer museum - relocated from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching's futuristic-looking North City Hall in 1988 - opens the door to the extraordinary world of cats.

There is everything connected with these animals which have had us humans waiting on them hand and foot for centuries. As renowned Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott once said: "Cats are a mysterious kind of folk. There is more passing in their minds than we are aware of." I believe this is what makes them such wonderful creatures.

From the city there are two ways of reaching the museum ... the expensive 'tour' or by utilising Kuching's inexpensive public buses. The former would have set us back a whopping 40 ringgits or more each so we opted for the local bus which cost less than three ringgits return for us both. Entrance to the museum is free.

Me with one of the enormous exhibits

Pat with another huge exhibit

Using the bus meant we had a sweltering climb from the bus stop to North City Hall, but the sensational views over the city and Sarawak River more than compensated.

Arriving at the museum with its very welcome air-conditioning, we were greeted by a garish neon sign that would have been more at home outside a night club or gambling casino, and a huge plaster tabby.

But once through the entrance we found ourselves in the first of four galleries filled with soft lighting, elegant wooden display cabinets and an extravaganza of feline artefacts. Everywhere we looked there were posters, paintings, sculptures, etchings, sheet music, album covers, porcelain statuettes ... and even a mock cat grave.

Cartoons of cats with holes where their heads should have been were painted on a fairground-type board. We couldn't resist ... and poked ours heads through. Voila, we were pussies! A bit tacky and maybe more in keeping with English seaside resorts in the Victorian era, but ideal for those humourous holiday snapshots!

Me as a 'cartoon cat'

For people wanting a permanent reminder of their visit, there is a small shop selling all manner of reasonably priced cat souvenirs including paintings, tee-shirts, postcards, mugs, statuettes, ornaments, books and tea-towels bearing rather attractive pictures of cat breeds. There is also a canteen, complete with balcony offering stunning views, serving inexpensive food and drinks.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and even left the obligatory 'well done' message in the visitors' book. The museum really brought home how important the cat, in all its breeds, has been to us humans since the time of the ancient Egyptians. Thousands of years ago cats were worshipped as gods. As the museum reminds us, they have never forgotten this!

Cat lovers will be thrilled with everything the pioneering museum has to offer and will take away memories which will last forever ... not to mention all extra knowledge about felines and their world.

And who knows, if you ever get to visit you may find  the authorities have relented ... and introduced a few live pussies to stroke or cuddle!