Tracey Emin’s recent interview with the Daily Mail revealed that the divisive artist is currently working on sculptures of her cat — and we promise that’s not a euphemism. “He’s a good little soul to have around. He stops me from feeling alone,” she said of her beloved pet, Docket. Artists have often looked to their feline friends for inspiration throughout history. The mewing muses were the gods of their own religion in ancient Egypt, and not much has changed since then. Everyone knows cats own the Internet (sorry, dogs). See what kitten companions have melted the hearts of artists in our gallery, and let us know if there’s an amazing cat we missed in the comments.

Salvador Dalí with his pet ocelot, Babou. [via]

Henri Matisse loved his cats: Minouche and Coussi. [via] [via]

Picasso and his Siamese cat, Minou. [via]

The older Picasso and cat. [via]

Ai Weiwei with Lai Lai — one of his 40 cats. [via]

[via]

Gustav Klimt with his pet, Katze. [via]

Paul Klee with kitty, Bimbo. [via]

Romare Bearden hanging out with Gippo. [via]

Pierre Bonnard and cat. [via]

Photographer Margaret Bourke-White with her kitten in 1940. [via]

“This is all you need in life: a computer, a camera, and a cat.” — Agnès Varda [via]

Edward Gorey loved cats. [via]

Henri Cartier-Bresson captured friend Saul Steinberg lounging with his cat. [via]

Drawer of cats Louis Wain. [via]

Jean Cocteau with Karoun. [via]

Jacques Villon, Marcel Duchamp, and Raymond Duchamp-Villon and their cats. [via]

Andy Warhol in his studio with Robert Indiana and cats, 1964. Andy loved animals, and we’re not sure if these are his studio cats, but it’s worth noting that the artist once owned 25 cats — all named Sam. His series of 25 cat prints were not based on his own cats, but that of New York photographer Walter Chandoha.

Photographer Edward Weston nicknamed his home “Wildcat Hill,” because of all the cats that congregated there. [via]

Kandinsky and his cat, Vaske. [via]

Photo credit: Michalel Katakis

Maya Lin sharing a quiet moment with her cat in her New York studio. [via]

Photo credit: Martine Franck

Balthus at home with his cat. [via]

Georgia O’Keeffe with her Siamese cat. [via]

Frida Kahlo’s cat feeling shunned as she snuggles a monkey. [via]

Epic Kahlo nudity with cats over here.