Odesa cat memorises route to shelter: the story of a pet who went viral online
Russian attacks on Odesa are so frequent that a cat has memorised her route to the bomb shelter. The cat’s owner posted a video on TikTok showing her pet running through corridors towards their apartment after the all-clear was given, occasionally glancing back to check that her owner filming is following. The video quickly went viral online.
Source: Viktoriia Ilkiv, the cat’s owner, speaking to Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia (Life)
Details: Viktoriia, 32, said that she and her husband adopted the cat, who is now five, from a shelter.
Quote: "My husband had always wanted a ginger cat, and then we came across a post from one of the shelters saying they were looking for a family for a cat whose previous owner had died from an illness.
We fell in love with her instantly and went to get her the next day. The shelter turned out to be a three-bedroom flat with 25 cats living there. We were told we could choose any of them, but our cat came up to us herself and sat on our lap. That’s when we knew she was ours, and we took her home without hesitation."
Details: Viktoriia added that the cat was very nervous at first, but over time, she began to trust her new owners. She has now lived with the couple for more than three years.
Viktoriia and her husband care about their cat’s safety, so they always take her with them to the shelter. If no one is home, she hides under the bed.
"We’ve seen just how clever and attentive she is," Viktoriia said. "She goes to the shelter with us, and we didn’t even train her – we just took her to the parking shelter a few times. Now, when she hears the sirens, she just looks at us and waits for our reaction. She’s not afraid of explosions."
Viktoriia said that whenever the siren sounds, she and her husband try to stay calm so their cat doesn’t get anxious. They stroke and cuddle her so she feels safe.
The cat is sociable and gets on well with people.
"Our cat doesn’t like other cats," Viktoriia said. "Even if another cat tries to approach her, she won’t let it come near. She hisses at dogs, but she’s friendly with people – she comes up to them on her own."
Interestingly, it is the cat who leads her owners back from the shelter: she knows where to go and which floor to get out at.
Quote: "When we get the all-clear and people start leaving, she knows it’s time to go home and runs to the lift herself.
Even if we’re in the lift with neighbours and they get out at a different floor, she knows it’s not ours and stays in the lift with us. She remembered all this after just a few times."
Details: As soon as the cat and her owners return from the shelter, she runs straight to her bowl.
"She knows we’ll give her a treat or some food to help her cope with the stress," Viktoriia said. "We don’t take treats to the shelter, because she refuses to eat when the air-raid siren goes off. By the way, her favourite treats are McDonald’s nuggets, prawns and Pringles. We spoil her and always share with her."
Viktoriia believes her cat’s ability to memorise the route to the shelter is not just the result of good training, but also a reflection of her personality.
Quote: "We never scold her or show any aggression. We always try to talk to her – she understands everything.
Our cat knows exactly where her litter tray is, where she can scratch and where she sleeps. Wherever she goes, she never damages anything. It’s not only her natural traits – it’s also thanks to us as her owners. We love her very much."
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