Even Russian cats are banned from international competitions amid Ukraine invasion
- Federation Internationale Feline cites ‘shock’ of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in announcing ban
- FIFe’s decision is one of just many bans, sanctions and boycotts that have been placed on Russia
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 Federation Internationale Feline 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 the country. Not only that, but any cat belonging to exhibitors living in Russia cannot enter any FIFe show outside the country, no matter where they were registered. The restrictions will be in place until May 31.
“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.
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.
