The history of the origin of cats in Russia began about a thousand years ago. Not so long time is obtained, given that in Ancient Egypt the domesticated ancestors of our Vasek and Musek lived more than 4000 years ago. The first fluffy purrs were brought to Russian soil in the 11th century, although there is a number of evidence that these animals appeared on the territory of the Circassian and Odessa regions of modern Ukraine several centuries earlier, approximately in the II-V centuries.
The history of the appearance of cats in the homeland of Burdenko, Marshak and Lomonosov is associated with many superstitions and different signs, both kind and disturbing. For example, it was believed that a three-colored cat brings good luck to a person, while a meeting with a black-haired representative of the feline family promises trouble. Even now, prejudice about black cats is not uncommon, but it is rather a residual phenomenon. However, black cats and cats in Russia were not always associated with misfortune. It was believed that if a black cat was placed in the house, it would protect the owners from thieves and bad weather.
By the behavior of mustachioed mice, the weather and events in the family were often predicted. So, it was believed that if an animal sleeps, hiding its nose, it means soon frosts; he washes - guests will come soon; does not give the hostess a pass - to a new thing. And this is just a small fraction of the folk signs associated with domestic cats.
How did cats appear in Russian cities and villages? The history of cats in Russia began with foreign seafarers and traders who brought not only all kinds of goods, but also wild animals for our ancestors. These fluffy creatures immediately fell in love with all their souls, the proverb immediately spread among the people: "There is no hut without a cat." As in a number of other countries, cats in Russia were under the protection of the law. How much our compatriots valued these animals can be judged by the fact that the fine for stealing a cat was even greater than the penalty for stealing a cow or ox.
Cats quickly became popular characters in Russian fairy tales. Bright representatives of the feline family, who left their mark in Russian literature, are the cat Bayun and the learned cat from Pushkin's poem Ruslan and Lyudmila.
In Russia, mustachioed purrs have always been loved, but they began to breed them only in the 20th century. In 1980, a society of cat lovers was founded in the Soviet Union, which organized cat exhibitions. Today, Russian felinologists breed about 20 breeds that have gained fame not only in their native land, but also in old Europe and even overseas.
