L.A. Animal Shelter Is Selling iPad Art Created by Cats (and People Are Buying It)

By Simone Wilson Fri., Apr. 13 2012 at 10:35 AM

spcaLA

LOL?

So there's this iPad app called "Paint for Cats."

Here's how it works: A little mouse scampers across the screen, prompting your cat (whom you must coerce into sitting still in front of your iPad) to take a whack at it. When paw hits iPad, the mouse makes a little squeak (incentives!) and a splotch of color shows up. And so on and so on, until you have a full screen of cat art.

A non-profit animal shelter in L.A. called the Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA) has taken this tomfoolery to the next level:

They actually had Animal Planet film the paint sesh in progress -- the segment will be aired Saturday night at 8 p.m. -- and are now selling the masterworks as greeting cards.

SpcaLA spokeswoman Ana Bustilloz says that since an Associated Press piece on the cats was unleashed onto the Internet yesterday, the shelter has already sold over 100 packs of cards. They go for $5.99 each.

(On that note, the AP must have had a really slow news day yesterday -- or must finally be understanding that the Internet will click the crap out of anything relating to cats.)

So the shelter wins, Animal Planet wins and the appsters behind "Paint for Cats" definitely win. Can you say cross-promotion?

But Bustilloz insists that "for me personally, it's for my shelter and my cats. ... The cats are really engaged by it."

Indeed they are. Photo evidence:

spcaLA

spcaLA

spcaLA

Update: Let it be known that these are not your ordinary cats.

SpcaLA is a private non-profit organization that operates two shelters -- one in Long Beach and one in Hawthorne -- outside of the L.A. County Department of Animal Care & Control.

Whereas county shelters have to round up and deal with every last stray on the block (a "Herculean task," says Bustilloz), spcaLA gets to essentially pick and choose their crop from overflowing shelters at nearby cities.

"We have amazing pets here," says the spcaLA spokeswoman. "Twenty-five percent of our shelter pets are purebred." The cats and dogs at spcaLA are specially trained, socialized and neutered for your adopting pleasures.

So it's no wonder Study in Feather Toys and Movement in Catnip are so damn prodigious:

spcaLA

Compare, now, to the work of your average YouTube cat.

The difference is clear.

[@simone_electra / swilson@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

Animal Planet, animal shelter, apps, iPad, Paint for Cats, spcaLA

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Chris

What a rediculous story and waste of space. My God, Priorities, something Los Angeles has none of! not to mention what IDIOT would call cats stepping in paint a "Masterpiece" and buy this piece of crap!

Sgriswold11

You are a fucking idiot. Saving animals and making donations for their well- being is a highly sought after trait that everyone should posess. You need a reality check.

Buck4

Dumb Ass

SandyBerman

wow, what a sad excuse for a person you are! talk about someone without a good set of priorities! the fact that you have no room in the space where your heart is supposed to be to appreciate something that is doing these animals a great kindness is really sad. it says all anyone really needs to know about you and none of it is good. as far as cats go, no less than leonardo da vinci observed, "the smallest feline is a masterpiece." he was right. sad you are unable to see that.

Ashley

They aren't buying it because it is a Picasso, they are buying it because it is a small gesture showing that they want to save animals. Talk about someone not having their priorities straightened out, it is a simple kindness. As far as cats go, by the way, that is as close to a masterpiece as u will get, they aren't human, don't act like they should be observed at the same level.