The article describes the ways the image of cats is used to make museums attractive to visitors. The author has studied how this practice is applied in such museums as the Hermitage Museum, house museum of Anna Akhmatova on the Fontanka River, the State Museum of Vyborg Castle, and archaeological reserve «Tauric Chersonese». Moreover, some social networking pages on Vkontakte and «Classmates» have been analysed, including those of the cat Bridgelet, the cats from Chersonese, and the cat Philimon from Vyborg Castle. The article proves that the images of the cats from these and other museums have become popular means to attract prospective visitors. The following examples of conducting such a marketing work can prove it: social networking pages run in the name of cats, various contests and events connected with cats. The author has come to the conclusion that the usage of feline images is brought about by multifaceted transformations in society. In particular, nowadays museums and libraries function not merely as places to store data and historically valuable artefacts, but also as leisure facilities. In addition, the attitude to domestic animals plays a huge role here, as now they are kept at home for pleasure, rather than for work. We can’t but mention the changes in the system of social values: domestic asceticism has been replaced by a convenient and cosy way of life, thus popularizing the images of animals that are associated with it.