Murrrchim: A special place of refuge for animals in Nizhny Novogorod

‘Murrrchim’ is no ordinary Cat Café. Only six years from having first opened, it is home to 160 cats and 5 dogs and a turtle. An impressive number, but a bit over the top I hear you say? Well, not exactly. It is not the sheer number of animals which reside here that makes this organisation so unique in comparison to its commercial counterparts. People usually set up these businesses by purchasing these animals for the purpose of creating a petting-zoo-cum-café for cat lovers. By contrast, the establishment of ‘Murrchim’ arose from necessity.

It all started several years ago when the director Alina Tokman moved back to Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, after having lived in France for many years. It was upon her return that she noticed something rather disconcerting: there were an abundance of stray animals in the street which have little to no help from the government and local groups.

In Russia, stray dogs are often tagged and neutered but further management of the stray population is not obvious. In 2021, a list of instructions was posted on the Kremlin website by the president and a federal law passed in 2018, but I cannot comment on the efficacy of either of these.

In recent years in France, this has received more attention from the establishment of new animal protection laws and the introduction of heavy fines. BBC News quickly came down on France in 2018 after the release of a joint video campaign by Fondation 30 millions d’amis (a large animal shelter organisation) and Santévet (an animal health company).

Ms Tokman picked up a stray, then a second. She looked after this growing number of cats in her flat with the help of her friend, Svetlana Ribanova. In 2015, they created the organisation ‘Bezdomish’ (Бездомыш) as a rehabilitation centre for stray animals. When the number grew to fifteen it became apparent that they would need to find a more comfortable arrangement for the animals. Shortly after, in 2016, ‘Murrrchim’ Cat Café was opened as a means for the cats to have a bigger space to occupy and to support the increasing expenses of the treatment and feed for the animals. These together are one project, whereby ‘Bezdomish’ is responsible for the initial procurement and rehabilitation of strays, and’ Murrrchim’ as the café accessible to the public where the animals live until they are successfully adopted by a new owner.

People call or communicate via VK when they see animals in the street. They are brought into the ‘Bezdomish’ centre, often with the help of volunteers where they are vaccinated, spayed and treated as required. Only those who are in a fit enough state and adjust well are then allowed into the café section. Unfortunately, there are some who suffer from lost limbs or serious illnesses, so, they stay in the ‘Bezdomish’ rehabilitation section of the building. Each day, there is a member of staff that has had veterinary training in order to perform vaccinations, set up a drip and daily care routines. For complicated procedures, like operations, the animals are taken to the local veterinary centre.

When you visit the café, you are charged a small entrance fee which varies with how much time you wish to spend there. Naturally, the abovementioned entrance fee and any donations go towards operations, daily treatment, feed and litter that the animals require.

It should be mentioned that the name ‘café’ has a very general meaning in Russian. In this case, it is used to convey that the public is welcome to visit, and has lighter, more welcoming connotations than the word ‘Shelter’. In any case, think we can all agree that a meal around over a hundred cats sounds like more of a nightmare than a dream. Nonetheless, free tea and coffee is available upon request.

You can pet and play with any of the cats that aren’t sleeping. You needn’t worry about being a bother as, at any one time, you will probably be ambushed by several animals eager for affection! If you fall head over heels for one of the animals you can put forward a request for adoption. The café ensures that you are provided with all relevant information regarding responsibilities and care for the animal you would like to adopt in an interview with the director. The agreement is finalised by signing a contract. Even after this, the café requires that you remain in touch, so to check up that everything is going well in the time following the adoption.

Some people who contribute 100₽ monthly to the clinic that receive additional photos and updates about the animals from the clinic on VK. There are several types of volunteers who help with the project: firstly, there are volunteers who help walk the dogs, as they go out four times a day; secondly, the company doesn’t have a dedicated vehicle so, locals often help out when there is an emergency. Lastly, help with maintenance and miscellaneous tasks is often provided by members of the community.

The café hopes to be able to move to a bigger property soon in order to provide the best possible environment for the animals under their care and to expand their operation.

This is a unique initiative doing its part in the community. I wonder why I have not come across more places like it before…

Find out more about ‘Murrrchim’ cat café here on VK.

To make a donation click here for the details described on their page.