Russian Cats Barred From Competing in International Competitions Over Ukraine Crisis

Frisky felines in Russia are sure to be on their toes after getting slapped with a sanction that will ban them from international competition. The sanction is one of many the world has hit against Russia as punishment for their ongoing special military operation in the Donbass region.

The International Feline Federation (FIFe), which first originated in Paris in 1949, has banned all Russian-owned cats from competing in its shows. Cats bred in Russia will not be allowed to be imported or registered in FIFe's pedigree book, so even if a Russian's kitty has a highly stamped passport with pawprints and all, there's no travelling out of the Big Village for the condemned pets.

"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 group noted on Tuesday. "Many innocent people died, many more are wounded and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are forced to flee their homes".

The group added in their statement that they will organise donations to support cat breeders in Ukraine, and will follow through with restrictions against Russian-owned felines until at least 31 May, and could extend the sanction depending on Russia's operation in Ukraine.

FIFe is an international organisation based in Paris, France, made up of 41 members from 39 countries across Europe, South America, and Asia. FIFe is responsible for organising over 700 events a year where over 200,000 cats are shown, according to their website.

The decision to punish cats for Russian "aggression" is so surreal that many thought it was a joke, at first. The news broke on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo, where one user asked: "What's all this [Russia-Ukraine conflict] going on with cats?"

Another said, "I thought this was fake news…"

Russia has been sanctioned by many international sports organisations (not fur-related) including the international football bodies FIFA/UEFA, which have sanctioned all Russian-owned teams from all competitions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has garnered heaps of criticism in recent days, with US President Joe Biden labelling him a "dictator", has been stripped of his black belt by World Taekwondo.

"Those non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international organisations should be non-political", complained Cui Heng, reportedly an assistant researcher at the Centre for Russian Studies of East China Normal University.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday lamented that sanctions are not only being imposed on government officials, but also affect the daily lives, similar to a military attack on your community, of average people, despite their political beliefs.

"I did not think that these sanctions, caused by impotent anger, would cover the sports movement, cultural exchange and would concern contacts between people", remarked Lavrov.