World Cat Day - Cat Day!

On March 1, World Cat Day is celebrated ! Cats have lived side by side with people for thousands of years, but only since 2005 it was decided to enter the International Festival, celebrating the merits of these noble animals in front of mankind.

A cat's day is needed in order to realize the role of cats in people's lives. At the dawn of human civilization they were worshiped as deities, later attributed to bad influence and friendship with the dark forces. In some cultures, they are endowed with nine lives, mythical and healing abilities, as well as the ability to predict the weather.

Cat services were required to people from time immemorial. It's not for nothing that it is sung in a Russian lullaby: "Go, Kotya, spend the night, wash my child." Apparently, for this "jug of milk" and for "a piece of pie" this conscientious Kotya does his "soporific" work well, once they call and sing about him for several centuries.

On a festive World Cat Day, it would be nice to remember what help these people, these wonderful companion animals, are giving us, people.

Although the holiday is common, but in every country it is celebrated in its own way. In the United Kingdom, for example, cats are formally in the service of Her Majesty. Moustached employees are called upon to hunt mice at Buckingham Palace, they wear a special uniform and live in small cozy houses. On March 1, on World Cats Day, fluffy courtiers are treated to cat delicacies.

In Austria, cats are in the service of the state. They guard the country's grain storehouses from small rodents. On World Cat Day they, as always, will be given milk, broth and meat, this tasty food they are provided for life.

Many museums in the world keep cat's "security service." The British museum even pays the mustached "agents" a salary. In the Hermitage such a service exists from the 18th century. At the request of the Empress Elizabeth, the largest "mice-comfortable" cats were sent to the court from Kazan, because St. Petersburg was flooded with rats. Since then, at the Winter Palace, several dozen cats have been living and carrying a museum service.

World Cat Day for Russian museums Vasek and Barsikov, as well as for British Maxs and Oscars - a simple work day. But if you think about it, they do not just catch rats and mice, they guard nothing less than the unique cultural heritage of all mankind!

Russian "Hermits", so called Hermitage mustachioed-striped museum employees, do not pay wages, but treat them as conscientiously. Veterinarians serve them without waiting lists, and after the "retirement" they are always looking for suitable "good hands" and give them to comfortable home conditions. And candidates for future co-owners carefully check.

At the Hermitage Museum there is a "Cat lovers' club", and in March the members of the club celebrate the "Hermitage" Day. And the St. Petersburg artists Mitki created a monument to the cat next to their workshop, calling it Tisha the Sailor and dressing, naturally, in a vest.

Speaking about the cat, it should be noted that today's cat world is great and diverse. There are countless different noble breeds, their representatives are worth a lot of money. Thoroughbred handsome men, winning in prestigious exhibitions, winning medals, it is easy to be proud and love.

But, at the same time, there are mongrel Vaska and Murki, who are also cats, although they look completely different. The hosts save them, picking up free on the streets, are proud and love no less than thoroughbred and just like that!

It is necessary to mention one more holiday, concerning our "smaller brothers". October 4, the birthday of St. Francis, the patron of "all creatures of the earth", since 1931 the World Animal Day is celebrated . The holiday was established to ensure that every year there are events that increase the awareness of people of the planet of one simple truth: animals and the environment in general need protection.