Surprisingly, this isn't a pun. The Japanese word for "catfish" (namazu/なまず) doesn't contain the word "cat"; it is theorised to originate from the fish's slimy nature. Although the characters that the cats form are phonetic kana, the kanji rendition of the term doesn't contain "cat" either. Instead, this work is part of a series involving cats taking on the shape of a multitude of marine terms - including pufferfish (fugu) and octopus (tako).

Orłowski's work - influenced by the nationalist tenor of the 19th century, and the primacy of the Romantic movement - typically displays its subjects through a glorified lens. Head of a Cat is a rare exception. The titular cat is certainly very pleased with itself, but Orłowski depicts it in a more subdued manner, resulting in a surprisingly effective representation of feline contentment.

This print is illustrative of the Shin-hanga (新版画) style of artwork. This was an artistic movement aimed at reviving the traditional ukiyo-e (浮世絵) style, such as The Great Wave off Kanagawa, which had declined due to Western influences. Both Shin-hanga and ukiyo-e were viewed as crasser commercialised products, in opposition to the Western perception of them as fine art.

Traditionally, the artistic narrative of Louis Wain is that of progressing schizophrenia. Though he did suffer from the debilitating illness (most of his later life was spent in an institution), this oft-told story is incorrect. The surfeit of images which show his cats becoming more surreal as his condition overtook him are misleading. Modern research suggests that many of Wain's more surreal felines were actually created early in his life, being very much artistically ahead of their time. In them is an equally devastating, but far more factual tale, one about the links between extreme creativity and mental illness.

Originally conceived before his ascendancy to fame, M. C. Escher's White Cat, like many of his early works, lacks the overt geometrical and mathematical themes of his more renowned prints. The beginning of such ideas are already evident, though, in the the cat's triangular form.