Five cats sit shoulder to shoulder behind a rumpled white tablecloth, dressed as gentlemen at a convivial evening. One wears a burgundy waistcoat, another a bow tie, the central tabby a black jacket and a monocle, and the ginger on the right a tall black top hat. They hold small glasses, a cigar and a pipe, and one pours from a bottle.

The background is an almost black, brownish gloom that makes the fur stand out. Each coat is built from fine, careful strokes in tabby stripes, silver grey, slate blue and ginger. The wide, startled eyes and open mouths give the scene a droll, theatrical humour. The tablecloth is painted loosely in creamy whites with soft grey folds.