Russian cats are the latest to be banned from international competitions after Ukraine invasion

March 4, 2022 3oliver

First, it was FIFA, UEFA and the International Skating Union banning Russian athletes and teams from all events, followed by the International Paralympic Committee barring Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the upcoming Winter Paralympics.

Now, cats from Russia can’t compete in any international competition, the Fédération Internationale Féline announced.

In a statement posted on their website, FIFe said any cat bred in Russia cannot be imported or registered in their pedigree book outside of the country. Not only that, but any cat belonging to exhibitors living in Russia cannot enter any FIFe show outside of the country, no matter where they were registered. The restrictions will be in place until May 31st.

“The FIFe Executive Board is shocked and horrified that the army of the Russian Federation invaded the Republic of Ukraine and started a war,” the statement read. “Many innocent people died, many more are wounded and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are forced to flee their homes to save their lives. We can all witness the destruction and chaos caused by this unprecedented act of aggression.

“The Board of FIFe feels it cannot just witness these atrocities and do nothing,” the group added.

A woman carries her cat as she walks near Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi railway station in Kyiv in the morning of February 24, 2022.

The group, which calls itself the “United Nations of Cat Federations,” is an international group made up of 40 countries that regularly puts on cat shows throughout the world. Created in 1949, the group puts on over 700 shows a year, with more than 200,000 cats taking part, according to its website.

In the statement, the group said many of their cat enthusiasts are “desperately” attempting to care for their cats and other animals as Russian forces continue to invade Ukraine. The group added members of its clubs in the bordering countries of Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova are “lending a helping hand to their Ukrainian breeder friends.”

To help out those affected by the invasion, FIFe’s board of directors said it will dedicate part of its budget to Ukrainian cat breeders and owners.

“We hope for the sake of our Ukrainian friends that this terrible situation will not last a lot longer and we wish them a lot of courage and good fortune!” the statement reads.

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FIFe’s decision is one of just many bans, sanctions and boycotts that have been placed on Russia and its citizens in recent days as a response to the Ukrainian invasion, including companies like Apple halting the sale of products in the country and Toyota suspending its import of vehicles.

Since the invasion began last week, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said an estimated 2,000 civilians have died.

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.