Dutch artist Bart Jansen unveiled his “Orvillecopter” at an Amsterdam art festival in 2012. The strange toy-slash-pet-memorial outraged animal rights activists and sparked curiosity among many others.

Cat Helicopter

Janson’s pet cat Orville was named after aviation pioneer Orville Wright. After being killed by a car and stored in a freezer for six months, Orville was thawed out, stuffed, and converted into a helicopter by his owner. Is this art expression taken too far?

While some people have an issue with taxidermy in general, the idea of someone converting their dead pet into a toy seems to take the concept to the next level.

Below are three videos of the bizarre story, and you can judge for yourself. What do you think about the Orvillecopter? Is this within the owner’s rights, freedom of expression, or desecration of a beloved pet?

Further Reading
A flying cat? Dutch artist turns dead feline into a helicopter

Updated April 2016
First published June 8, 2012