Group of cats living in a museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia
One of the Hermitage cats
The Hermitage cats (Russian: Эрмитажные коты) are a group of cats residing in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The museum has a press secretary dedicated to the cats,[1] and three people act as caretakers.[2] The cats live in the museum's basement, and they also appear on the embankment and on the square during the summer. In previous eras, they roamed throughout the museum galleries.[3]
In 2010, Maria Khaltunen (also "Khaltunin" or "Haltunen"), who directs the museum's cat programme, stated that there were 60 cats on the museum grounds, even though the staff has a joke that officially the museum is only supposed to have 50 cats.[4] Irina Popovets, who became the head of the cat department, stated that the cats were "as well-known as our collections".[5]
In May 2013, the count had grown to 74 cats, of both sexes (but neutered), according to Haltunen.[2] There are kitchens for preparing their food ("they all have different preferences"), and even a small hospital.[2]
As of 2013, donations (a €400-per-month payment from the charity Pro Animale, and the sponsorship of Royal Canin) fund the presence of the cats.[2]
^Rodgers, James. "Hermitage palace is cat's whiskers" (Archive). BBC. Friday 5 October 2007. Retrieved on 2 July 2015.
^ abcdCole, Teresa Levonian. "St Petersburg: the cats of the Hermitage" (Archive). The Telegraph. 23 May 2013. Retrieved on 2 July 2015.
^"Cat "Army" Guards Treasures" (Archive). National Geographic. June 12, 2009. Retrieved on July 2, 2015.
^Marquardt, Alexander. "St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum Home to Masters...and Cats" (Archive). ABC News. July 30, 2010. Retrieved on July 2, 2015.
^"The nine lives of Russia's Hermitage Museum cats." Agence France-Presse at Hurriyet Daily News. November 18, 2015. Retrieved on July 18, 2016.
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