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The Hermitage cats ((ロシア語: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,〔Rodgers, James. "(Hermitage palace is cat's whiskers )" ((Archive )). BBC. Friday 5 October 2007. Retrieved on 2 July 2015.〕 and three people act as caretakers.〔Cole, Teresa Levonian. "(St Petersburg: the cats of the Hermitage )" ((Archive )). ''The Telegraph''. 23 May 2013. Retrieved on 2 July 2015.〕 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.〔"(Cat "Army" Guards Treasures )" ((Archive )). ''National Geographic''. June 12, 2009. Retrieved on July 2, 2015.〕 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.〔Marquardt, Alexander. "(St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum Home to Masters...and Cats )" ((Archive )). ''ABC News''. July 30, 2010. Retrieved on July 2, 2015.〕 In May 2013, the count had grown to 74 cats, of both sexes (but neutered), according to Haltunen.〔 There are kitchens for preparing their food ("they all have different preferences"), and even a small hospital.〔 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.〔 ==History== The cats were present in the museum, originally a palace, since the 18th century;〔 in 1774, Elizabeth of Russia ordered cats to be placed in the palace in order to control the mice.〔 James Rodgers of the BBC stated that the belief is that the cats originated from Kazan, a city known for having cats good at catching mice. The cats remained in St. Petersburg except during World War II,〔 when the existing cat population was killed. A new group of cats replaced the previous cats since the rat population had increased.〔 In the 1990s Khaltunen began a programme to care for the cats, which previously lived in poor conditions.〔McGrane, Sally. "(Russia’s Museum Cats )" ((Archive )). ''The New Yorker''. September 25, 2012. Retrieved on July 2, 2015.〕 As of 2007 the museum now adopts cats needing homes.〔 In 2011 the museum began a "Catfest", a celebration of its cat population. "Catfest" has included cat painting contests and scavenger hunts for children.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hermitage cats」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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