Easter Kittens Born on Museum Roof Captivate Vladivostok

In mid-June, the center of Vladivostok was plastered with ads that begin like this:

«On the eve of Orthodox Easter, wonderful kittens were born on the roof of the Arsenyev Museum…»

Above the text — five fluffy gray faces looking into the lens. The ads hung in the Millionka quarters, near the «Gray Horse» stop, on Arbat, and intrigued with an unusual story. Freelance journalist VLADIVOSTOK1.RU contacted the people who care for them and learned how the kittens appeared.

One of the interlocutors, Lyubov, an employee of the Arsenyev Museum, about the kittens in the ad on Farpost:

«Perhaps the very atmosphere of history and culture made them so special! Their mother is a luxurious cat of Siamese (color-point) coloring, a true museum guardian. She passed on her grace and intelligence to the babies. The kittens are exactly evenly split: 3 wonderful boys and 3 adorable girls! Inquisitive, active, accustomed from childhood to a cultural atmosphere and beautiful views. These babies will bring happiness, warmth, and a drop of museum magic to your home.»

After talking with activist Inna, who helped find owners, you realize: the museum is indirectly involved, because the cat gave birth to the kittens on the roof of an annex to it, not on the cultural institution«s building. And Krasotka (that»s what the solo cat mom was named) does this regularly, a couple of times a year, because she has lived in this yard for a long time.

However, seeing the kittens is even easier this way. It turns out that a window of a brick building next to the annex overlooks this «fertile» roof. Inna took me there to introduce me to the animals. Workers are currently renovating, so there is cement dust everywhere, and it smells of strong tobacco. Boards are laid on the floor, gloves lie somewhere, gray rough walls everywhere. One worker seems to be sleeping against the wall, the second — talkative and attentive Maxim — told us about the cat family.

«You can set your watch by the mother cat. 10 o«clock, 3 o»clock and 7 o«clock — the whole gang sits by the window and looks in, knowing they»ll be fed. I swear. This morning at 10 o«clock I arrived, meow, I look: mom and all five are assembled. Fed. Now they»ll fool around, play — at 3 o«clock they»ll definitely come, knowing they«ll be fed. And at 7 pm. Lunch, breakfast, dinner,» says Maxim, who feeds them sausages, milk, and special food.

When feeding time comes, Krasotka is the first to approach the window — she waits for a treat, then with a decisive «Meow!» calls the children, who do not touch the food without her «command», then waits until the babies have had enough, and finally eats last.

One kitten — a black boy — the worker took for himself and named Marsel. Maxim admires his intelligence. True, he laughs that the kitten is voracious and wakes him at six in the morning.

«This kitten will grow up to be a masterpiece — he«ll be amazing. He»ll be a tomcat — a Japanese garden! My adult cat eats one pack a day. This one manages to wolf down his own, chase her away, wolf down hers, and devour three packs a day. We already feed him pilaf there, and soup somewhere, and something else. I think such a tom is a hooligan.»

The man says that the room they are renovating will be a hostel. To make it good for not only guests, the worker suggested to the client to build a house nearby — for future furry generations. Plus, the worker even came up with a name for the establishment — «Cat House».

«Just in case she has another litter — make several nests there. I«m a creative person, I»ll make such a house, you can«t imagine. You enter the courtyard, grass grows, cats lie there, [a person] can have coffee somewhere nearby. Purr-purr-purr, I»ll make it for myself,» Maxim convinced.

He is sure: animals can feel when they are loved.

«In my personal opinion: cats and women are the two most perfect creatures on Earth. God save us. The rest are uninteresting,» added the interlocutor.

According to Maxim, all kittens are intelligent and even allow themselves to be petted, but their mother teaches them caution.

«See: it«s clear she got burned,» said Maxim.

The cat«s history is not cloudless, according to Inna, Krasotka was found with a bloody head under a heating main. That was several years ago. Inna suggests she might have been thrown from a car and hit her head, because the frightened animal hissed and hid from people.

Over several years living in the yard on Svetlanskaya Street, Krasotka has given birth to more than 20 kittens. Neighbors wanted to sterilize the mother of many, but she is extremely difficult to catch — she does not come into hands. Inna and her neighbors find homes for all the fluffy children, and they have been feeding the cat for years. Inna is outraged that all responsibility for homeless animals falls only on them.

«Why does the whole village turn out when children go missing, when someone needs to be found? And why is there such indifference here towards animals who are not to blame? A woman passed by: «Oh, what cute kittens!» And not a single one would bring at least a pack of food to the guys [workers] who bought everything with their own money! To be touched by a kitten, kitty-kitty-kitty — that«s: »Oh, how nice!« But to think about what next, where will the animal go in winter? It will disappear,» concluded the interlocutor.

Now Krasotka is pregnant again, and soon a new litter will appear on the roof.

Where else are there working cats?

There are two buildings of the museum named after explorer Vladimir Arsenyev in Vladivostok. One is in the city center, the second is in the Egersheld area on Arsenyev Street. Now employees of both locations can hardly imagine their workplace without pets. There is a four-legged assistant in both. Moreover, the cats were completely coincidentally and without coordination named Vasilisa. Despite having the same name, their characters and stories are completely different. How they live was detailed in an article.

Another beauty lives in a unit of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS), she holds the title «Miss MChS» and the name Masya — you can read her story here. They also told about a lucky village cat who «rose to the rank» of «director of fish» in a chain of Pyaterochka stores.