In the Austrian region of Weinviertel, you often see the model of a cat. This symbol is known as a cellar cat (Kellerkatze). Local people believe a cat living in a wine vault will always rest on the barrel with the best wine.
The mysterious cellar cat
A reason for the behaviour of the cats might be they prefer the warmest barrel. This piece could also be the one where the fermentation works peculiarly well. This is only one of several explanations I heard about this symbol. But it’s the story I like most.
Later, the winemaker started to mark the cask with the best wine with a model of a cat. Guenther Stockinger, a sculptor in the Weinviertel region, is known for still producing such cellar cat models.