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Italy gave us Leonardo, and we're finally returning the favor ... with Cholla, the painting horse. The 23-year-old bay from Nevada was recently chosen to exhibit in an international art show in Mogliano Veneto, Italy.

Cholla paints (mostly, um, abstracts) by holding the brush between his teeth, a talent his owners discovered when he "helped" paint a fence on their property. His painting style has been described as having the "fire of Pollack and the fixed gaze of Resnick." And Rothko's love of having his ears scratched?

Cholla is part of a rich tradition of animal artistes. There are painting chimpanzees, ocelots, red pandas, rhinoceri, komodo dragons and even elephants. And even though Cholla may paint as a labor of love, animal art can fetch up to $8,000 per canvas.

Since cats are some of the most well-documented paw-painters around, consider picking up some acrylics the next time you buy catnip for your kitty. Mr. Mistoffelees' hidden talent may be the solution to your cash-flow problems.