The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg employs cats with their own IDs and everything! The museum has been employing felines since it was founded in 1764. Their jobs? To guard the artwork against rodents.
Rodents can easily be taken care of today with chemicals, but that wasn't always the case. Throughout the museum's history, there have been multiple times when cats have been absent from the museum, and rodents always became a problem. Now they are kept around because the cats are a living legend and the museum's unofficial mascot.
The museum "employs" up to 60 cats at a time. They rely on donations from museum patrons and employees to pay for the cats' food and medical care, if needed, as the museum's official budget doesn't stipulate any funds for the cats.
It's not a lack of money that limits the number of cats at 60, though. If the number of cats exceeds 60, they start cat fights and neglect their duties.
These cats, dubbed "hermits," are well-respected by both staff and citizens of St. Petersburg. There is even a day set aside each year called "Hermitage Cat Day," which is marked on the museum's memorable date calendar. On this day, the museum features a large number of informative exhibitions and contests.
