Woman Fled Ukraine With Cat, Now Settled in South of France

Woman Escapes War in Ukraine With Kitten, Now They’re Exploring South of France

By Sara Barnes on August 24, 2022

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A post shared by Jennifer Shyshkina (@jen_shishka)

It’s been six months since Russia invaded Ukraine. Since that time, millions have fled the country and taken their furry friends with them. When the war started, dancer Jennifer Shyshkina knew she needed to leave with her beloved kitten Simba. The two were inseparable before the conflict, and their bond only deepened as Shyshkina packed a bag and took Simba to start over in the South of France.

Shyshkina rescued the cat in fall 2021. Since then, Simba has been a comfort during the worst moments of her life. “From the very beginning,” she writes, “Simba was the biggest sweetheart and support in my life. This boy has helped me to handle mentally the four-year relationship breakup and then the beginning of the war. Can’t be more thankful.”

In photos and videos from the beginning of 2022, Shyshkina shares that they were forced into a bomb shelter once explosions started in Kyiv. After being able to flee via car, they endured a long trip out of the city and into another part of Ukraine. The journey continued on into Bulgaria and ended after spending two days traveling to France.

Once the pair made it to Aix-en-Provence, they began to settle in and remain there today. Simba went from being an indoor-only cat in Ukraine to an outdoor-loving feline in France. Shyshkina bought him a harness and a leash, and the two go on walks together where the kitty is free to roll around in the dirt, say hello to horses, and bop along in the fields.

The trauma of war was made survivable by the curious and cute kitty. “Simba was by my side all this time,” Shyshkina says in a video. “I love this cat more than anything. Looking at everything that’s going on in my country, I’m just happy that me and Simba have each other.”