Mexico’s National Palace declared that the cherished cats there will always be looked after and cared for.

About fifty years ago, cats started living around Mexico’s National Palace. It’s not clear how they got in past the military guards, but like cats usually do, they made themselves at home and won everyone over.

Since then, they’ve become an important part of the place. Many people can’t imagine the palace without them.

“I think cats are already a symbol of the National Palace. I wouldn’t picture Palacio Nacional without the cats, just like we couldn’t picture the world without cats,” said Adriana Castillo Román, who oversees the National Palace and Cultural Heritage Conservancy.

In a historic move, Mexico’s President Obrador has officially declared 19 of these cats as “living fixed assets.” He will be stepping down from office in October, but he’s made sure the cats will be cared for as long as they live. They even have their own palace veterinarian, Jesús Arías, who looks after them every day!

These well-known cats are everywhere, and they even walk ahead of the President during official events! Sometimes, they even interrupt morning meetings with reporters, who find it amusing.

As far as we’re concerned, this is the right way to do things! “…López Obrador is joined by cats like Bowie, Bellof, Nube, Coco, Yema, Ollin, Balam, and others, who seem to be very happy in the building. López Obrador himself has mentioned that the cats ‘rule’ the palace and often walk in front of him during official events,” according to AP News.

Among the 19 cats at the palace, one of the most famous is Bowie, a handsome orange cat.

Yep, he’s named after the famous UK music icon, David Bowie, who visited the palace back in 1997. We can bet Bowie would be flattered to have this cute cat named after him!

Some other cats have names inspired by the ancient Aztecs and their language, Nahuatl. For example, there’s Ollin, a gray and white cat, whose name means “Movement.” Another cat is named Nube, which means “Cloud.” The palace was constructed where an Aztec emperor’s palace once stood, and it goes back to the 1700s.

Even though the Aztecs might not have kept cats as pets, other cultures in Mesoamerica deeply respected and admired cats like Jaguars, Pumas, and Ocelots for their mystical qualities.

(Note: As an AI text-based model, I can’t directly access or view videos, but you can easily find this video by searching “Associated Press cats at Mexico’s National Palace” on the internet.)

Here are more scenes showing the National Palace’s feline ‘living fixtures’ happily roaming the grounds in Mexico City.

 

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We talked about a linguist named Yuri Knorozov, who was from Ukraine. He said his cat Asya helped him understand the secrets of the Mayan writing system. The ancient Mayans lived in southern Mexico and Central America for a long time.

In the 90s, Knorozov got a big award called the Order of the Aztec Eagle for his work. He said, “Even though I’m from Ukraine, I’ll always feel like a part of Mexico.”

 

Yuri Knorozov, who deciphered Mayan glyphs with help from his beloved cat Asya.

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