Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia largest bank, is offering to a new benefit to its first 30 customers who take out home mortgages of over $116,000. According to Bloomberg Business Week Global Economics, not only are they lending money, their lending cats.
According to a Russian legend, If a cat walks through a new home before you move in you’ll get have good luck. The state-controlled bank set up a special website to publicize the puss promotion. “Order a cat for your housewarming, and bring happiness and luck to your home,” reads campaign web ad. Future homeowners can choose between 10 feline talismans: a mustached tuxedo named Caesar, Sonia a red lynx point, the Angora named Fedor, Caramel the calico, Toffee a Siamese, orange tabby Apricot, Kuzya a Peterbald, a gray and white named Knoop, the brown tabby Timothy and of course a Russian Blue named Smoke.There’s even a video on the that shows a couple of homeowners having their home blessed by the kitties.
The kitties are all actually family pets. Some of them belong to Sberbank employees. As soon as the bank announced the launch of the puss promotion in mid-August they began receiving requests for loaner cats. Ownership lasts for two hours, barely time to even set out a litter box. Cat recipients must agree to an 8-page contract.
Even if you don’t live in Russia or aren’t buying a home you can still have the benefit of a short term “tailisman” by contacting a rescue group or animal shelter in your area and offering to foster a cat. If a two-hour stroll fills a Russian home with luck, just think about good fortune in store if you save a life and give a kitty a safe place to stay for a couple of weeks.s
