A Ukrainian man has faced fierce criticism after pictures of his heavily tattooed cat surfaced online.
Mr Shafiev, 35, posted pictures of his six-year-old cat who is covered in what appear to be gang tattoos across his face, back and chest.
The owner was appealing for help after his pet jumped out of the car window and ran off into the night near Yekaterinburg, but his cries for help have been met with condemnation for his treatment of the cat.
The owner expressed his fear about the safety of his pet Bes, since the area is inhabited by brown bears, wolves, wolverines, sable and lynx.
Mr Shafiev said: “He jumped out of the window, disappeared into the darkness and tall grass.
“I searched for it myself everywhere, I called for the cat, it was useless. I’m very worried. I’m not eating, not sleeping.”
But animal welfare activists are livid with Mr Shafiev, and have lambasted him on social media for tattooing his cat and subjecting it to a painful procedure.
Animal rights campaigner Elizaveta Skorynina said in a statement: “A person can choose to endure the pain in order to wear this ‘beauty’ later on in life, but the animal is not given the right to choose.
“This is purely desire of the owner. It is impossible to guess what pain threshold a cat finds impossible.
“Under general anaesthetic an animal can suffer side effects. Using ‘muscle relaxants’, the pet does not move but at the same time it feels and understands everything.
“I see nothing positive in such an experience.”
Another activist added: “For a cat, this procedure is painful, comparable to a burn.”
Should there be punishments for owners who treat their pets in this way? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
First-ever plant-based training programme to launch in the UK
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 22nd January 2021
“We hope to inspire and empower the next generation of chefs through the HIT course by highlighting just how easy it is to add creative meat-free dishes to menus.” HIT Training has launched a new plant-based culinary school in the UK. The chef academy has teamed up with meat-free pioneer, Quorn to present an eight-month …
Michelin star awarded to a vegan restaurant in France for the first time
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 19th January 2021
Vegan eatery ONA has also been awarded Michelin’s green star – in recognition of its strong ethical practices. A vegan French restaurant has won a Michelin Guide star, the first for an establishment serving only meat-free products in France. Claire Vallee runs the ONA restaurant in the city of Ares, near Bordeaux, in south-west France. …
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a …
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …