It is not just people suffering from the war, but the animals too. Some of them were abandoned by now their former owners, while others were left alone and without any care due to the death of their owners. Their owners could have died under shelling, succumbed to illnesses or starvation, or they could have been killed by the occupants.
There are a lot of animals in our country that are in dire need of a new home. Luckily, there are Ukrainians who are ready to give them their love, warmth and care.
A cat from Bucha
A Kyiv resident Denys Nadtochiy had a pure-bred cat that he found in the streets and adopted. However, in August of this year, Denys’ beloved pet died due to kidney failure. In September the family decided to adopt another pet. Everybody understood: a lot of animals have lost their homes because of the war. Denys’ friends have organized an animal shelter called «Hatul Madan», where animals who suffered from the war can get help and shelter. And there, in that shelter, Denys met a cat evacuated earlier from Bucha.
«Around 150 animals are living in the shelter,» says Denys. «All of them are glad to see people and are trying to get their attention. I feel like I want to take them all home, but I can’t help all of them. We decided to choose just one animal. In the shelter, they named this cat Tuchka. But this name didn’t stick to the cat, and the cat didn’t even react to it. Then the can was renamed and got the name «Sylvia». In the beginning, she was very scared. But in my opinion, the shelter itself is kind of a stressful environment caused of the format of this establishment. Although the shelter itself is amazing and people working there are trying to create the best atmosphere possible.»
At home, Sylvia got comfortable quickly. From Denys’ experience, it is important to be aware of the fact that animals are very different, that every animal has their own temper, and every animal reacts differently to different conditions. His Sylya turned out to be a very tender and caring cat, so he managed to win her trust with his tenderness and care. Denys also has a piece of advice for people who adopted a pet from a shelter for the first time to take good care of their pet’s health.
«An animal can’t tell you where it hurts,» says Denys. «It makes diagnosing harder. That’s why it’s so important to visit a vet as soon as your pet went through the initial adaptation process. It is worth it to get your pet checked by a doctor to make sure there are no health issues or illnesses. In addition to that, it’s important to ask about the pet’s vaccination status.»
A Little Tiger
After the full-scale Russian invasion, Tetiana Sylina and her two younger kids left for Cherkasy. They had to leave their cats behind, and they’ve been missing these cats terribly. That was when the woman decided to adopt a pet after she was back in Kharkiv. There were a lot of abandoned pets in the streets of Kharkiv.
When Tetiana was at home she learned about an old cat from Northern Saltivka (a neighborhood in Kharkiv, — editor’s note) that needed help. This neighborhood was hit the worst by the enemy’s shelling. That’s why it was no wonder that the animal turned out to be very traumatized and it was quite difficult to help this cat adapt to the new environment.
«It was one of the hardest tasks,» says Tetiana. «I don’t just have an experience with cats, I am actually a certified felinologist, and I know a lot about cats. I couldn’t have even imagined that something could have gone wrong, that I could bring another cat home and wouldn’t be able to make that cat adapt to my other cats and our apartment. I couldn’t have even imagined that the new cat could feel uncomfortable. But that cat survived the shelling and bombings in Northern Saltivka. I haven’t ever seen an animal that was as traumatized as this one. When they brought this cat here it seemed that it was just a little tiger.»
Tetiana called the cat Hars and set up a little cage for the pet so that it felt more comfortable. That way the cat could watch everything that was happening in the room. But the cat couldn’t get used to its new home. It started attacking everyone who would walk past his little nook. Luckily, Tetiana’s older daughter Yaryna was able to help. She took Hars with her to her private house. Of course, the trip was quite challenging for the nervous and stressed cat. It even got hurt when it tried to escape through the car window. But everything ended well.
«Next day she was already petting the car,» says Tetiana. «I have no idea what happened. The cat had one stress, and then another one, and then the cat almost died. But it started feeling better soon and even allowed us to pet it, and a few days later we could even kiss the cat. Later on, the cat made friends with Yaryna’s other pets. «Daughter, I think, he liked it here. Let him stay here then,» I said to my daughter. Meanwhile, the cat would approach me and let me pet him as well. Everything felt well with time.»
However, Tetiana’s daughter and her husband suddenly developed an allergy. Tetiana had to take the cat back. Luckily, Hars was so much calmer by that time. There were only some health issues that Hars had but these health issues were resolved as well. It was a completely different animal now. Tetiana said it was hard for her to imagine what constant bombings and shelling did to the cat. It is still shaking when it hears even the distant sounds of bombs.
Responding with love
In March a volunteer Maryna Vorontsova has adopted two Sphinx cats after her friend asked her about it. Two calamitous months they spent in Saltivka. The woman got so fond of these two cats that it was hard to say goodbye. Her friends noticed it and made a post about a search for a Sphinx cat. That was how Vincent entered Maryna’s life. Vincent adapted to his new home pretty quick.
At first, the cat didn’t even have a name. It was scared and very thin. Maryna asked its former owners, «How can one treat an animal like that?». But they responded that it wasn’t actually their animal.
Later Maryna got another Sphinx cat, a female cat called Mila. Mila was brought from Kramatorsk where the nursery operated. Young animals were evacuated from that nursery while the older ones were left. This cat came to Maryna already pregnant. The woman learned about the cat’s condition later after she opened the cage. Surprise! Maryna had four cats already at that moment. And now Maryna takes care of Mila and her kittens.
«We adopted them all without the second thought! We love them and we take care of them,» says Maryna. «They gave us so much love in return, there is noting to compare it to. One should give an animal some time. That way the animal will adapt faster and will realize that nobody is going to hurt them her, but instead there is food and care here. Vincent is getting used to his new environment day by day. Now he even approaches his plate together with other cats. And when one tries to pet him he closes his eyes. He still thinks someone cat hit him. But time goes by, and he feels better and better. He runs around, jumps a lot and allows to pet and kiss him now. He likes to sleep under the blanket, putting his head on the pillow.»
The woman remembered how her 13-year old cat Kyryl has died right after the Russian invasion. Her cat had some serious health issues. But because of the constant Russian bombings in Kharkiv the woman couldn’t visit the vet on time. Maryna still misses her cat a lot. And she already learned how different the animals are.
«Kyryl never threw anything from the shelves, for example,» she says. «But Vincent… No matter what and where you out, everything interests him. He would smell everything around him, touch it with his paw, throw it, and then jump and run after it. My mom gets sad pretty often these days. But when Vincent approaches her, she can’t be sad anymore.»
To save a little world is a great feeling
Tetiana Kopytova lives in Kyiv suburbs. One day she found an injured cat. At first, everybody thought the cat was hit by a car. But it was wrong. At the vet clinic, they told Tetiana that the cat had a gunshot wound. They called the cat Max. Max underwent a complicated spine surgery. The doctor didn’t see a chance for this cat to walk again.
But they decided to give a young cat a chance. Max went through a rehabilitation process in one of the best vet clinics in Kyiv. Tetiana’s friends decided to help her with the cat’s treatment. Later on, the cat learned to stand but unfortunately, it couldn’t walk. After the surgery, Max required constant care. As Tetiana emphasizes, it is not easy even in peaceful times to find a new home for a cat with a disability. And now, during the war, it is an even harder challenge. It became clear that Max would stay in Tetiana’s family.
«However, it doesn’t prevent Max from being a happy and cheerful cat! He is very caring and nice, he is joyful, he likes playing with toys, and loves food,» says Tetiana. «As any other animal with a disability, he also has his physiological issues. Animals don’t realize that they are limited in something. If nothing hurts them and there is someone with them who takes care of them, feeds and loves them, they wouldn’t need anything more, they would feel completely happy! We have a lot of cats but Max feels quite confident among them.»
Of course, it is not so easy to take care of such a cat. But whenever Tetiana looks at her beloved cat Max she understands that after all these hardships he was through he finally got his justice. The cat survived, and now he gets the love, care, and warmth he deserves.
«What is my advice for people who decided to adopt a pet? Maybe, to be determined and to understand how important it is, especially nowadays. There are so many lost and – what is even scarier, so many abandoned animals now! Many of them die as they aren’t used to living on the streets, and many of them end up in animal shelters and often feel depressed there. That’s why if you have an opportunity to give a real home, warmth, love, and care to even one animal, do it! Understanding that you just saved one little world feels so amazing.»
There is enough love for everyone
Kharkiv resident Anna Prokayeva wanted to adopt a pet after the full-scale Russian invasion. And this opportunity presented itself when her friend Lilia was saving the animals from the «Feldman Ecopark». Due to the constant Russian bombings, many animals’ enclosures were damaged and the animals were scattered all over the park’s territory. Some of them died in the attacks.
When the bombings subsided for a short time, Lilia and other volunteers managed to get some guinea pigs and rabbits out of the park. At first, Anna has seen her beloved rabbit in the photo. She felt immediately that this was her rabbit. That was how a female rabbit Mia found herself in Anna’s home. In the beginning, the animal remained quite traumatized as it went through serious stress before that.
Anna says, «Of course, I’ve read quite a lot about the rabbits and their behavior. I noticed that Mia was a little bit different. She needed two months to adapt. She would hide in a corner and wouldn’t communicate with us at all. Mia has even bitten me once when I wanted to carry her. She didn’t like to be touched or petted.»
«The sounds of exploding bombs could have been still heard. I saw how she reacted to them. By the summer she finally adapted a bit better and even started leaving her corner from time to time, communicating with us, playing, and jumping. She started going outside, nibbling on grass and getting some fresh air. And now we have complete trust, even though Mia still doesn’t like to be too close to other people.»
Anna spoke a lot with other rabbit owners, and that helped her understand what to do and how to behave with her pet. This is a social animal and it needs to be near people. Anna gave her rabbit enough personal space as she doesn’t use a cage at all. Mia can spend her time outside, in the yard, and she can dig holes in the ground outside, as the rabbits love to do. However, Anna had to set a certain perimeter for Mia that she is not allowed to cross as there is a forest nearby, and the forest contains all kinds of dangers for a rabbit.
«It was news to me that rabbits usually lick you as a sign of trust,» says Anna. «That is how they show their affection. Mia can approach me and lick my leg or my arm. I think humans always need to love someone. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be another human being. There is enough love for everyone.»
Organizations that help animals
There are a few organizations in Ukraine that help animals that suffered during the war. There are organizations among them operating all over Ukraine, while there are many local organizations as well. There are some of them with the links and their social media handles:
ZooPatrol (Kyiv)
Kyiv Animal Rescue Group (Kyiv)
Animal Shelter Sirius (Kyiv)
House for Rescued Animals (Lviv)Animal Rescue (Kharkiv)
