A group of cats living in the basement of a Russian museum is feeling fortunate after a French philanthropist has donated part of his inheritance, specifically to the cats. Not the museum.

The basement of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, which houses nearly 3 million works of art, artifacts, and sculptures, has also been home to a group of cats for several centuries since the time of Empress Elizabeth.

The founder of the museum, Catherine the Great, designated the animals as the guardians of the art galleries and used the felines to keep rodents away from the premises.

The sum is not very big but it\’s really important. At present, the cats are looked after by volunteers and museum staff. They even have their own washing machine and the services of a local veterinarian and They are mostly supported by donations from kind donors.

The money will be used for repairs in the museum\’s basement, where the cats reside.

For more info and news of these cute little felines, you can follow their Instagram account