You see cats everywhere, in numerous postings on Instagram, videos on YouTube as well as in countless family photos. Nothing new really – in ancient Egyptian times, cats were revered and countless cat statues were carved at the time.
However, despite their ubiquitous presence in the social media, in TV ads, in real estate marketing images, in shops and many other places, cats seem to be aiming ever higher in the publicity stakes. Cats say it is time stand up for themselves and join a union.
Cat cafes
There are cat cafes in many countries, including in St Petersburg in Russia where one of the cafes, which is located at 10 Yakubovich Street, boasts of having 25 cats. It even claims that the cats that live in the nearby Hermitage museum drop in to this cafe to mix with the cafe cats and have a snack.
Union of cats
Well, things are not standing still in the cat world in St Petersburg. According to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti in an article, reprinted in the Russian paper “Unification” , a Union of Museum Cats was formed in St Petersburg.
Members of this Union consist of these cool Cafe Cats and the cats that live in the Hermitage Museum, the Fortress of Peter and Paul. Another member lives in the home of the famous poet, translator and memoirist Anna Akhmatova (1889 – 1966).
Cats have been present at the Hermitage Museum (previously it was the Winter Palace) since the 18th Century when Tsar Peter the Great brought a cat home with him from his trip to Holland.
kapitolina
Across the Neva River at the Fortress of Peter and Paul, a female cat by the name of Kapitolina has lived there for 21 years and only now, with the onset of old age has allowed a younger cat, Fedor, to visit the premises.
During our visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress Cathedral in early 2019, we met Kapitolina, who was enjoying a few rays of the sunshine in the Cathedral’s garden. Our friend Marina, who works there, spotted Kapitolina. Despite numerous entreaties, she refused to be patted by us, favouring Marina instead. She obviously had a policy of not allowing herself to be touched by visitors – reckoned that there were too many of them and their hands were often sweaty and sticky.
Filimon
Meanwhile in the Castle in the city of Vyborg (to the northeast of St Petersburg) their “working” cat, with the grand name of Filimon, has been there for the last 10 years. During our visit to the Castle in 2015 we were introduced to Filimon who was most obliging in giving us a bit of his time in what is undoubtedly a busy daily schedule of keeping an eye on the medieval castle.
All in all, it is estimated that there are roughly 50 – 60 cats that live and work in the various museums in this part of Russia.
Once the Covid pandemic has been defeated, I look forward to visiting St Petersburg again and Catching up with a few of the cats there for a Cattochino or an Americatto at a cat café!
