(NOT A) LOST CAT PROJECT

The (Not a) LOST CAT project

One day whilst walking I saw a lost cat poster.  Whilst it was sad that somebody had lost their cat I couldn’t help but notice how majestic the picture was of the animal.  Tall, proud, slightly cross-eyed.   The picture made me wonder whether the cat was actually lost or whether the owners were just showing off what a great cat they had.

When I got home I painted the cat and then decided to turn the piece into a poster to show off my painting of the magnificent beast.  A couple of days later I took a bunch of posters and put them in random places around London.  Surprisingly they elicited a remarkable response with pictures of  my (Not a) Lost Cat posters popping up everywhere on social media and people asking if they could get involved.

On the back of the London experiment I decided to expand the project and see how many locations around the world I could get the (Not a) Lost Cat posters put up in.  Since then the project has taken on a life of its own with posters now in 54 countries across all seven continents.  There is a wonderfully written and more in depth story of the project by journalist Ellie O’Byrne here as well as this piece in CreativBloq.

I need your help (and in return get a poster to keep for yourself)
Do you want to be part of this utterly pointless project?  If you are willing and able to put up a poster in a new location (in particular a new country) then please get in touch and I’ll send you two posters – one for you to keep, one for you to put up in public.  All I ask in return is for a photograph of the poster and the location so I can add it to the map.

LOST CAT POSTERS COST £1.50 UK / £3.50 EU / £4.30 REST OF WORLD TO COVER P&P.  FOR THAT I WILL SEND YOU TWO POSTERS: ONE TO KEEP AND ONE TO PUT UP.  CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE OR SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT MORE.

Below is a map and a list of where they have been put up so far.  I’m especially interested in continents, countries, regions/states not already covered.

The map above shows where posters have been put up.  A list of countries and locations can be found below.

Russia
Moscow
Saratov

Spain
Ávila
Barcelona
Madrid
Mallorca
Palafruggell
Santander
Salamanca
Seville
Tenerife

South Africa
Cape Town
Timbavati

South Korea
Jinju city

St Helena
Half-tree Hollow

Sweden
Gotheburg
Karlshamn
Karlskrona
Malmö
Sundvall

Switzerland
Basel
Lausanne
Zurich

Thailand
Bangkok
Phuket

Turkey
Istanbul
Izmir

Ukraine
Kharkiv

Uruguay
Montevideo

United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi

USA
Arden Hills (MN)
Ashland (MA)
Bellingham (WA)
Bloomington (IN)
East Alton (IL)
Farmville (NC)
Hollywood (CA)
Houston (TX)
Indianapolis (IN)
Juneau (AK)
Los Angeles (CA)
Madison (CT)
Madison (WI)
Mansfield (CT)
Moab (UT)
Myrtle Beach (SC)
Newport Beach (CA)
New Orleans (LA)
New York (NY)
Niskayuna (NY)
Philadelphia (PA)
Pittsburgh (PA)
Portland (OR)
Roswell (NM)
Saint Joseph (MI)
San Francisco (CA)
San Jose (CA)
Santa Cruz (CA)
Saratoga (NY)
Schenectady (NY)
Scranton (PA)
Seattle (WA)
Seekonk (MA)
Springfield (MA)
St Louis (MI)
Waimea (HI)
Washington DC (DC)
Whipple Dam (PA)

Zimbabwe
Harare

GALLERY
Here’s a small selection of images from around the world to inspire you.  Click on the map above to see all photos from all locations.

GET INVOLVED

 2 x (NOT A) LOST CAT A4 POSTERS:  FREE + POSTAGE

If you’d like to get involved with the project and get a poster for yourself to keep you can.

Whilst the posters are FREE I need to charge a small fee to cover postage.  

For this I will send you two lovely 150gsm A4 posters: one for you to keep and on for you to put up somewhere in public.  All I ask in return is that you send me a photo of the public poster so that I can add it to the map.  You can send your photos to me via stevexoh@gmail.com or via Instagram DM.

If you’d like to be a part of this utterly pointless global project then click the button below and you’ll be taken to my shop to complete your purchase and enter your details.  (If you’d like to be part of this project but don’t have the financial means to do so or cant buy remotely from your location then e-mail me and I’ll waive the postage)

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the point/objective of this?
I’ve no idea. I’m just curious as to what will happen and where the posters might end up.

Where do I put the posters?
Anywhere you like.  It’s totally up to you – that’s all part of the experiment.  Ideally it would be great if they ended up where loads of people can see them and go “eh?”.   Also, it would be great if you could avoid sticking them on sensitive stuff (such as cultural memorials etc.) and avoid sticking them where they obscure the work of other street artists.  But essentially it is up to you.

How do I stick up my poster
Again this is up to you.   People have used blue tack, tape, paste, glue, wheat paste.   Whatever feels appropriate for where you are putting it (see above).

How soon do I need to put up my poster?
There’s no time limit but it really helps me if you can put it up ASAP after you have received it.

What do I need to do after I’ve put up the poster?
Please take a photo of it and send it to me via e-mail or Instagram/Twitter DM with details of the location.  I will then add it to the global map of posters.

How do I know if there is a poster already in my area?/Can I put up another in an area that already has one?
You can see where posters have already been posted and where they’re on their way to via the map/list above.   The world is a big place and there can never be too many (not a) Lost Cat posters in one area.

What if somebody takes the poster?
Street Art is always transient.  Some posters will no doubt stay in place for a long while, others will disappear within minutes of being put up.  That’s OK with me and all part of the experiment.  And if your poster disappears and you’d like to replace it you can always order some more.

I just want a free poster and have no intention of putting up one in public.  Am I a bad person?
No.  It’s lovely you want a poster of my artwork.  But as this project is personally costing me money (not an abundant commodity for an artist!) I’d appreciate it if you only order the posters if you are 100% committed to putting one up in public.

How comes there a postage costs now?  Didn’t it used to be free?
Yes.  I sent out around 500 posters for free and then a further 1,500 with a nominal postage cost.  I’ve increased the postage cost a little bit so that the project doesn’t bankrupt me!  

So how is this project funded?  Are you an eccentric millionaire?
I sold signed limited art prints of the poster to raise money to fund the original 250 free posters.  Ongoing costs are funded by people buying my art, one-off donations, people paying me to do talks and by people buying me a coffee from as little as £1. And to answer the second question – sadly not. 

What other weird projects have you done?
Lots.  Including the world’s first silent podcast featuring special guests and the conference that was the opposite of TED.  You can read about them all here.

Can I interview you about this project and other projects for my blog/podcast/TV show/Broadway musical?
Yes.  Get in touch via stevexoh@gmail.com or Instagram DM.