International Cat Federation banned Russian cats from international competitions and condemned the invasion by Ukraine as “unprecedented acts of aggression.”
Federation Internationale Feline, a group that considers itself “the United Nations of Cat Federations”, has posted a statement on its site stating that it “cannot just witness these atrocities but do nothing”.
This week, Russian-bred cats cannot be imported or registered in any FIFe Pedigree Book outside Russia. Also, exhibitors who live in Russia are not permitted to enter any FIFe shows.
According to the group, the new regulations will be in effect until May 31, and they “will be reviewed as necessary.”
FIFe stated that it was “shocked” and “horrified” by the Ukrainian war.
The group released a statement saying that many innocent people were killed and more were wounded, and that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians had to flee their homes in order to save their lives. “On top, our Ukrainian feline lovers are trying desperately to care for their cats and other animals under these difficult circumstances.”
FIFe’s Board stated that it would dedicate a portion of its budget for support to cat breeders in Ukraine.
According to its website, the federation was established over 70 years ago. It holds more than 700 shows per year and has over 200,000 cats displayed.
This is Russia’s latest setback. Russia has already been subject to sanctions from a variety of countries, including the U.S. and was excluded from a wide range of high-profile sports and organizations, such as FIFA or UEFA competitions. The International Olympic Committee also recommended that athletes from Russia and Belarus should be excluded from international competition.
Over 1,000,000 Ukrainians fled during the invasion.
