Don't get me wrong; these cards are an art lover's paradise. Not only do you have a superb collection of cats, but you also get them placed in the art-loving world of the 17th century Dutch upperclass--with gabled houses, Vermeer-like paintings in the background, ornate, beautifully crafted furniture, etc. And with all this in mind, I sent a link to images of this deck to my wife, who thinks tarot decks are a bit of a joke. "Shovel, garbage bags. These people had too much time on their hands, and should have been out cleaning garbage from the roads," she replied.

For myself, with a collection of 46 tarot decks, this one doesn't make it. The images aren't for meditation, and the cats really get in the way of readings; also, while the deck is clearly patterned after Rider-Waite, a lot of the detail has been sacrificed to the cats and background.

So who should buy it? Lovers of the 17th century artworld, and catlovers. But for tarotists, either into the tarot as a tool of personal exploration or divination, there are far better places to look.

This is a must for cat lovers and tarot readers. This deck is beautifully done and worth every penny.