India’s first cat museum opens in Mysuru

A framed picture of a sassy calico cat occupies the pride of place at the newly opened Jin Min Cat World, an interactive learning space in Mysuru that focuses on feline awareness and responsible pet care.

“That is Coco,” says Sharath BS, the founder of Jin Min Cat World, who is offering me a virtual tour of this space that he refers to as a cat museum and an outdoor amusement park, “for the amusement of cats, not humans.”

It was Coco’s death, after she escaped from a window and got into a terrible road accident, back in 2024, that nudged him to begin the museum in the first place. “I wanted more people to gain awareness about cats,” he says, offering me glimpses of signboards and artefacts in the museum that are geared towards doing exactly that.

The musuem has a diverse array of cat artefacts and art
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Special Arrangement

In one section of the museum, Egyptian figurines of cats rub shoulders with animated feline characters such as Tom from Tom and Jerry, and Japanese manga character Doraemon, while another part of the museum offers a diverse array of artwork featuring cats.

Sharath also shows me the information section, with large boards offering relevant information about cats, starting from the basics of what exactly a cat is to details on the feline vision, how to read the animal’s body language, when to take your cat to the vet, types of cat fur and even a detailed section devoted to the various cat breeds in the world.

“Like dogs, there are multiple breeds of cats, at least 40-50, but people don’t know about this,” he says, adding, that Jin Min does not promote any particular breed. “I am just giving them awareness that there are so many breeds around the world. I love indie cats and have had them for decades.”

Animated cat characters are also part of the musuem
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Jin Min Cat World, located on the Nanjangud-Ooty Road, Kille Mohalla, is fairly close to Mysuru’s star attraction, the Palace, and is home to around 20 cats of different breeds, including many indies.

“Our cats are all adopted,” says Sharath, walking out to a huge open space behind the museum, where many of these cats, including a fluffy Ragdoll and a spry, skittish Bengal, are sunning themselves in a narrow catio, pointedly ignoring the various museum visitors who are watching them.

Sharath BS hopes to raise awareness about cats through this musuem
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Special Arrangement

This catio, connected to several others through a labyrinth of cat tunnels, eventually leads to a larger 1,000 sq ft enclosed area in the building, filled with cat enrichment objects including cat trees, scratch posts, and shelves, with mandatory items such as food and water bowls and litter trays. “This way, they can go out and come in whenever they like,” he says.

These interconnected catios, made of one-by-one mesh, which Sharath has designed and planned, allow cats to enjoy the outside world while insulating them from external threats.

Sharath, spent many hours trawling the internet to understand how people in other countries build catios, a little-known concept in India. “This way the cat gets some privacy,” he says, pointing out that while anyone is welcome to visit the cat museum, they cannot just go and touch a cat without permission. “We do oblige on request.”

Sharath, who has used his personal savings to create this space, intends to fund day-to-day operations through ticket sales: entry to Jin Min Cat World costs ₹69 for children below 10 and ₹99 for all other visitors. “This will be sufficient for us to maintain salaries, rent, housekeeping expenses, veterinary charges, and food.”

Before adopting cats, it is important to know some basic things about them, says Sharath
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Special Arrangement

So far, he adds, the response has been excellent, with many visitors flocking to this space, the first of its kind in India, though Istanbul in Turkey and Shizuoka in Japan already have cat museums.

“Since Mysuru is a tourist city, lakhs of tourists visit,” says Sharath, who believes that since the city draws both these floating tourists and has interested locals, it is an ideal place to educate people and build a larger cat community. “I just want more people to be more aware of cats and their lifestyle. If you want to adopt a cat, you should know these basic things.”

Published – February 09, 2026 12:38 pm IST