purrism

Whiskas, the Mars Petcare-owned cat food brand, is driving awareness of cat homelessness and the benefits of adoption by creating limited-edition custom-made cat scratchers that celebrate feline creativity.

Devised and developed by product design hub IMMINENT, these bespoke cat scratchers have been created to not only serve a functional purpose for cat households but to double as stylish accessories, introducing the concept of “purrism”. This new art movement highlights the techniques cats use while creating their – often unwanted - art through tearing, folding, crumpling and, of course, scratching. The artists will have specific canvasses on which to work, avoiding damage to anything else in the house.

The two designs are the work of Czech artist and designer Tereza Rosalie Kladošová and Romanian designer Alexandra Șipa. There are 15 of each design, to raise money for cat shelters and to support adoptions in their respective home markets. Prague-based MCDJ Interior Design devised the innovative frames.

The campaign not only has some fun with felines, it is also designed to raise awareness about responsible pet ownership and promoting pet adoption. Whiskas has long been highlighting the issue of cat homelessness and the cat scratchers is the first campaign developed locally to bring the message home.

The campaign is being trialed in Czechia and Romania with plans to roll it out further. The cat adoption issue is a large one in this region as people tend to adopt more dogs, so cat shelters are often overcrowded and overlooked by the public.