Brave cat mom escapes basement in Ukraine with her 3 cats

Alina, her mother, and her three rescue cats were able to escape from a basement in Mariupol, Ukraine. For five days, they travelled to the Ukraine – Poland border, carrying the three cats with them at all times.

Alina was determined to bring her rescue cats Buck, Tom and Marysia, to safety no matter what!

Ukrainian refugee Alina with Marysia, one of her three cats. 
Photo: Mike Zomer/© IFAW

Alina had to hand over her cats to the soldiers to be checked at every checkpoint. Every step of the way, they’d pray that they and their cats could survive another day.

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Two of her cats are strays that she rescued from the street and the other one is a 19-year-old kitty she adopted after his former owner passed away.

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“They were just regular happy cats, playing with each other, sometimes fighting with each other… They had normal lives up until the war began. We moved them into the basement and they spent a month suffering under the bombing and the shelling, just like us.” said Alina.

Alina’s story: Risking her life to escape Ukraine with her pets

What’s next for Alina and her cats?

Alina and her cats will continue their journey into Germany. From there, they may seek temporary refuge in Belgium or Denmark before eventually embarking for the West. She says she plans to keep travelling with her cats until she reaches the United States or Canada.