Iran : "Miauzim” a museum for cats in Tehran that aims to enhance their coexistence with the population

Tehran: A large cat lying on the stairs of the Cat Museum in Tehran receives visitors to this institution, which includes about thirty cats roaming its corridors and halls.

These animals, which bear many names, including “Shaherazade”, “Faroukh”, “Shapur” and “Shirin”, are the actual stars of the museum, which opened in 2020 in a small two-storey building in the center of the Iranian capital.

The people in charge of this institution named it “Miaozime” (merging the words “Meow” meaning the sound of the cat and “Museem” meaning “museum” in English) in order to promote their goal of “promoting the coexistence of visitors and cats” in the halls of the museum and its café, according to what they said. His manager, Hussain, explains Dari's campaign.

The museum, which does not have large financial resources, includes paintings, photographs, cartoons, and a collection of stamps (from Iran, Korea, Guinea, Ukraine ) that celebrate cats.

However, the majority of visitors go to the museum to get close to the adopted cats, who represent many breeds, and to pet and play with them.

Among these animals is a large number of Persian cats, which are characterized by long hair and calm natures, and their origin goes back to what today constitutes the border area between Iran and Turkey.

“Since I adore cats, I love this place very much, which is characterized by its friendly atmosphere,” said student Mina (21 years old), while cuddling a brown cat. As for her friend Muhammad (20 years old), who is also fond of these pets, he decided to “buy a cat” in the coming weeks.

"When people go to the museum and meet Faroukh, a cat who was born blind, they realize that cats are citizens of this city and can coexist with the residents," says Dari.

The director of the museum seeks to replace the existing negative perception towards cats due to the inconvenience caused by stray cats in the streets of major cities, particularly in Tehran.

Cats have been very popular in Iran for centuries. "It appears in many works of art, especially in Persian miniatures," says Dari.