A group of feral cats living in Mexico’s National Palace have been declared “living fixed assets” by the country’s president.

The cats – which have access to every part of the palace and often walk in during meetings or interviews – are the first animals in Mexico to be given the title. While the term “fixed assets” is often used for buildings and furniture, applying it to cats means the country’s Treasury will now have to provide them with food and care – even after President Andrés Manuel López Obrador leaves in October.

Adriana Castillo Román, general director of the National Palace and Cultural Heritage Conservancy, said: “The cats are now a symbol of the National Palace. Just as we understand this world, I wouldn’t understand the National Palace without the presence of these cats.

He added: “We have to make sure the cats are taken care of.” Right in the heart of Mexico City, the presidential palace is the home of the country’s executive.

It is built upon the former palace of Indigenous Emperor Moctezuma who, interestingly, honoured hairless dogs known as Xoloitzcuintle. They went as far as burying them with their owners.

López Obrador has previously said the cats dominate the building and that they can often be seen walking in front of him during official ceremonies. Some of the cats are named after artists, such as “Bowie”, who paid a visit to the palace back in 1997 to meet with painter Diego Rivera. Others have names coming from the Aztec language, such as Ollin – meaning “movement”.

One cat known as Zeus – who has since died – became famous last July when he walked into the president’s press briefing, standing in front of the cameras and wandering among reporters until staff moved him on. Reporters were asked to stop feeding the cat as he was spending his days getting food from different people and was “getting really fat”.

Members of staff have said the cats have been living in the gardens for as long as 50 years. However, it is not clear when they first turned up or how they got into the palace in the first place.

She said: “Some employees that like cats would bring them leftovers from home and, every once in a while, canned food or rice and soup.” Staff worked with vets from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in order to get them vaccinated, sterilized and microchipped. They also built them little homes and feeding stations around the garden.