Cat Statue

Among Kuching’s more unusual attractions are the series of kitschy cat statues scattered throughout the city. Local lore has it that the Malay word for cat sounds similar to Kuching, and the city government took full advantage by nicknaming Kuching “Cat City.”
Perhaps the most famous of the statues is the Great Cat of Kuching. Erected in the 1990s as the first of the cat statues, this 5-foot (1.5-meter) white feline dominates city center and even gets dressed up during major festivals (think a Santa hat come Christmas).
One of the most photographed statues sits near the Kuching Esplanade and features a family of cats (parents and five kittens) lazing about in front of the Holiday Inn. At the center of the roundabout at the junction of Jln Padungan and Jln Chan Chin Ann stands the Cat Column, a Rafflesia flower-topped pillar flanked by four white cats.

Practical Info

If you can’t get enough of Kuching’s cats, pay a visit to the Cat Museum, located inside the Kuching North City Hall Headquarters building.