Rescued From Waste Sorting Plant, Cat Becomes Deputy Environment Minister

Worker Mikhail Tukash scooping up a white plastic bag from a conveyor belt and slashing it open to discover a cat inside. He said:

I felt something soft inside the bag. I cut the bag open slightly and I saw eyes looking back at me.

The cat has made him a local celebrity. He has been adopted by the Ulyanovsk region’s Environment Ministry and unofficially given the position of deputy environment minister. The ministry said:

The cat was on the brink of death. A little longer and it would have ended up in the trash separator.

The ministry has announced a nationwide contest to choose a name for the cat, which it said was found to be in good health after a vet examined him. Ms. Rakhmatulina said:

I want to appeal to pet owners: remember that you are responsible for those you have tamed. If you can’t keep your pet at home, you can always leave it in good hands or at a shelter.