Chubby Cat Tea Pet

Chubby cat tea pet

Available in orange and black — $30

A cat tea pet is a small clay figure shaped like a sitting cat, designed to sit on your tea tray and absorb tea over time. This one has a round, contented shape with a subtle expression — more "just had a good nap" than anything dramatic. It's made from Yixing purple clay and comes in two colours: an orange tabby and a sleek black.

Cats in Chinese tea culture represent independence and contentment. They're one of the more popular tea pet shapes, partly because of the symbolism and partly because people just like having a small cat on their desk or tea tray.

Product details

• Material: Yixing purple clay (Jiangsu Province, China)
• Size: 4.6cm high × 6.5cm wide
• Weight: Approximately 90g
• Colours: Orange tabby or black

Handmade, so slight variations in size and colour are normal.

This works well for

• Cat lovers who also drink tea (a lot of our customers fall into this category)
• A desk companion — it works on a tea tray or just sitting next to your cup
• A small, thoughtful gift that's a bit different
• Pairing with the Resting Cat if you want a cat collection going

Joanne's tip

The black one changes colour in a more subtle way than the orange — you'll notice the sheen before the colour shift. If you want to see faster visible change, the orange is a better pick. I feed mine with  oolong and the amber tones that develop are worth the wait.