Tehran, the capital of Iran, is home to a cat museum where 27 different breeds of cats coexist. While the Turkish Van cat attracts the most attention in the museum, which is located on the upper floor of the two-storey cafe in Tehran, there are pictures of cats on the walls of the museum and paintings depicting the story of the famous Iranian poet Ubayd Zakani’s “Mouse and Cat”. Iranian families and young people who want to spend time with cats frequently visit this museum in Tehran.
Museum director Nida Ekberiyan stated that they voluntarily took care of the cats and then turned the upper floor of the cafe into a museum, and that the spendings of the visitors in the cafe and the souvenirs sold in the cafe were used for cats.
A worker who stated that they take care of stray animals with the income obtained from the cafe on the ground floor of the museum, said, “The lower floor of the museum was designed for the visitors to have a pleasant time. The upper section is entirely owned by cats. Currently, there are 27 cats here, but this number may increase. We sell souvenirs. The income from the sale is used to meet the needs of stray animals outside. The food needs of the cats in the museum are met with the tickets purchased by the visitors.”
Aynur Sena Çabuk