The Cat House (House of the Black Cats)

Built in 1909 to a design by architect Friedrich Scheffel, the Cat House (also called the House of the Black Cats) is an architectural landmark in Riga's Old Town. The building was styled to evoke medieval architecture with Art Nouveau elements and is located at 10 Meistaru iela. Its most distinctive feature is two black cat sculptures on the roof, depicted with arched backs and raised tails. No paranormal phenomena are reported in the supplied sources. The primary stories attached to the site are civic and folkloric rather than supernatural: a popular local anecdote holds that the building's owner had the cats positioned with their tails aimed toward the nearby House of the Great Guild (often conflated with the House of the Blackheads / Town Hall Square guildhouse) as an insult to guild members. Sources state that authorities later ordered the cats turned to face the guildhouse. This spite/feud narrative is repeated in many tourist guides and local-interest pieces and serves as the main element of urban folklore associated with the house. The Cat House functions today as a visible stop on walking tours and is frequently mentioned in travel literature as one of Riga's notable sights. While some travel sites call the cats an "unofficial symbol of Riga," that phrasing appears promotional; the core, well-attested facts concern the building's architecture, date, and the enduring anecdote about the cats' orientation.