La Rochelle is a port city on France’s Atlantic coast, known for its medieval towers, maritime heritage, and captivating Old Port. It’s best-known for its well-preserved historic architecture and its role during World War II, when it acted as a strategic submarine base for the German U-boats. One of its less famous famous—but very much beloved—features is this incongruous earthenware cat perched high on the roofline, clinging precariously to the front gable.
La Maison du Chat, or “The Cat House,” would be striking even without its peculiar feline feature. Built in 1926 in the Norman Revival style, the house sports a wood-and-plaster facade done up in Basque red with ceramic garniture. The resident rooftop cat is primarily white with patches of color one might find on a common garden moggy. It has a graceful arched form, its tail upright and alert as if ready to pounce on a clueless rodent scurrying far below.
Why does this startled feline sit high above the street? Was it a playful touch by Maurice Morguet, the architect? Or were the owners simply fond of cats? To this day, no one knows the sculpture’s origins. But we do know that the incongruous animal has endeared itself to locals and visitors alike.
