CHICAGO, IL.- Throughout history, felines have interested people as beloved pets, powerful deities, and ferocious predators. Cats: Predators to Pets explores the world of cats, shedding light on the physiological nature and cultural significance of this mysterious family of mammals. Striking videos paired with open-air taxidermied specimens show leopards, wildcats, lions, and more in a new light.

This exhibition was created by the Museum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris, France. It explores the world’s 38 species of wild cats. A pageant of mounted specimens accompanied by films and touchable casts follows the past, present, and uncertain future of the world’s wild cats.

“It shows the Museum’s cats in a different way, moving many out of their normal locations in the museum and places them in a different context.” says project manager, Lauren Boegen. “When they’re on permanent display, visitors get to see these cats with a specific story. This exhibition provides an opportunity to be part of a different story, and to feature cats and the taxidermy from a different perspective.”

Cats also features the history of the relationships between cats and humans throughout the world, starting from the origins of the domestic cat in southwest Asia and northeast Africa, featuring cultural items including five from the Field’s collection. Anthropological and archaeological items tell these stories of cats across the globe.

“The most fascinating aspect of this section of the exhibition is the breadth of human experience we try to cover, and how our story overlaps with the story of felines,” says curator Bill Parkinson. “Up to this point in the exhibition, visitors will have only seen biological and natural content related to cats, but being able to answer the question, ‘How did felines become such a big part of our lives?’ feels the most valuable.”

The exhibition includes specimens and cultural items from the Museum national d’Historie natuerelle, the Field Museum, and specimens on loan from partnering museums. It also features original content and stories from Field Museum scientist Anderson Feijó, Assistant Curator of Mammals. His research has unveiled hidden diversity bringing new species to light, including the pampas cats which are featured in Cats. His work has led to the discovery and conservation of additional species of pampas cats.

“We are still learning about the true diversity of mammals worldwide, including charismatic groups like wild cats,” says Feijó. “The discovery of additional pampas cat species has motivated numerous conservation initiatives. It is a beautiful story of how from the Museum collections, a chain of events brought a lot of people together to work to save the species.”