Cats and bones go together famously! While you might think Chonk is a bit of a freeloader, he is actually performing a very important job here at JonsBones. Like many bone collectors and museum curators, I have realized the benefit of having cats in the showroom.
Because cats are excellent hunters, they provide an important service of keeping the bone-room clear of pests like rodents and insects. While this is important in regular museum collections of art, it is of particular importance for bone displays, because vermin target cartilage and ligaments. Some think that dogs might serve the same purpose, but many collectors argue that dogs run the risk of chewing on the bones.
Many museums are famous for their relationships with cats, such as the Hermitage Museum in Russia, which employs over seventy cats to guard their collection of important cultural heritage objects. Other museums with cat staff are the Serpukhov Museum of History and Art who employs Marai the cat, and the Yumeji Art Museum in Japan who employs Kuronosuke, who is so famous that his likeness is plastered all over the town of Okayama.
We here at JonsBones have some favorite cats in the industry:
The Fool’s Tower Museum in Austria has its own resident cat employee, featured in their book that you can purchase from the literature section of our shop.
The regal Princess Andromeda (@officialprincessandromeda) who belongs to prominent oddities dealer Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina marie Cohn (@ryanmatthewcohn) (@reginamariecohn)
The beautiful and intriguing Scrote who is dearly missed, who leaves behind his owner, the oddities collector Cole Mozelesky (@skeletor_keys)
The helpful and handsome Indiana Bones (@sir.Indiana.bones), the office cat of Skulls Unlimited (@skullsunlimited).
The dynamic duo of Archie the affectionate Norwegian Forest cat and Charlie the sleepy momma’s boy Chocolate Point Siamese cat who belongs to Richard Marini (@curation_of_curiosities)
The illustrious Sola a.k.a. “Skidmark” (who only stinks a little) who belongs to Sophie Vietri (@thedaemon.n)
Neil Catrick Harris and his young protégé Bruce serve the prolific collector David Block
And of course Chonk, bone cat supreme and HR Coordinator of JonsBones Inc, you can find his beautiful face on Instagram at @jonsbones
Cats are valued employees in our industry and get their well-deserved salaries in cuddles and treats. Comment below with your bone guardian cats!