This large canvas represents the Baroque tradition in Spanish seventeenth- century painting. This is in contrast to most of the other works of Spanish still life of the period, especially Sanchez Cotan, Blas de Ledesma and Zurbaran, whose work is characterised by a severity of both composition and colour scheme.  Yepes on the other hand has all the exuberance of the Baroque, coupled with a sense of humour. Such conceits as the cats fighting and producing mayhem in an ordered world is found in Flemish art of the same period where cats and dogs usually bring disorder into well-stocked larders. Not only does Yepes rely on the Netherlandish tradition for his humorous drama, but the treatment of the individual objects is reminiscent of the Italian treatment of still life.

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