Six years ago, when Serhii Oliinyk decided to open a cat café in Lviv, Ukraine, could not imagine what would happen in his country only a few years later.
His café became a safe haven not only for cats but also for people who wanted a break from the daily stress of life and relax among friendly felines.
“I have a small team of several close people who have been working with me for several years and have become my closest friends,” Oliinyk told The Dodo. “The cats have also gotten used to these people, who help to take care of them and who play with them when there are few guests, because our fluffy residents love people’s attention.”
The cats, some of which came to the café when they were as young as four months old, kept coming, and they soon became twenty.
Oliinyk and his family just love taking care of them and helping them live a good life rather than ending up on the street.
But the cat café’s guests have also grown fond of the cats. They pet them, give them belly rubs, and generally treat them with love and affection. And the cats couldn’t ignore their kindness. In exchange, they sit or lie next to them, purring, making these people forget about the bad things that have happened in life and only focus on the good days that are ahead.
After the recent invasion of the Russian army in Ukraine, many families decided to flee to other countries, afraid of the consequences the war could have on their lives.
It was mainly women, children, and elderly citizens that fled the country to find shelter in Poland, Romania, and other countries bordering Ukraine. And they had a good reason to do it.
Already past the second week of the war, many people have been injured or even died in Ukrainian cities that are being regularly bombarded. But there are some who just feel that they have no other option than stay and pray for this war to end.
Just like the Oliinyk family, who couldn’t imagine leaving their café and the country without the cats they are hosting. So, instead, they decided to stay and hope for the best.
“Our cats have been living in [the] cat cafe since the age of 4 months,” Oliinyk said. “They are like family. We realized that we would never leave our country, that this was the only place where we could see ourselves in the future.”
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Today, the cat café is still open and welcoming guestss. The thought behind keeping the café open is that people now more than ever have the need to find themselves in a place where they will be distracted from the fear and frustration the war causes.
At the same time, they have made sure to provide a safe room in case of bombarding.
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“We currently have fewer regular visitors, but there are people who have come from other cities and need hot food and positive emotions,” Oliinyk said. “There are three large rooms in our cafe, two of which are located in the basement, so in case of an air raid warning, there is a safe shelter for our guests and cats.”
These owners are incredibly brave. If you’d like to help the cat cafe owners, head to their Facebook page for information about how to donate.
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