A beloved museum cat named Behemoth was at the centre of a huge social media uproar after he was "kidnapped" in the morning and then returned by the evening on Wednesday (Aug 1).
The black Siberian and Persian cat is considered a "staff member" at the Bulgakov House Museum Theatre in Moscow, the BBC reported.
Behemoth is named after a talking cat in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master And Margarita and he has lived at the museum dedicated to the writer for 13 years.
A museum spokesman even said the cat is "under the supervision of his own doctor and stylist".
In the novel, Behemoth is a large and sarcastic black cat whwhich walks on two legs, talks, and enjoys both chess and vodka.
A woman apparently grabbed the cat and ran away, according to the museum's Facebook post about the incident. The post has received more than 2,600 reactions and 2,800 shares.
Russian media also reported on the incident, with a TV channel "seriously condemning" the person who abducted the cat.
There was collective relief at his return after the museum posted pictures on Facebook of Behemoth after his ordeal, with a line saying "the thieves got scared of the outcry".
A museum spokesman said the cat was returned in good health, but was feeling "discontent", adding that Behemoth was happy "talking to journalists and visitors".
