“The cat’s life is better than yours. Maybe it is hell for you, but he feels just fine,” says influencer.
A UKRANIAN influencer has sparked outrage again, after posting photographs of her tattooed cat.
Back in 2017, Elena Ivanickaya gained the wrong sort of online attention after sharing pictures of her tattooed sphynx cat named Yasha.
With an active online presence and an entire Instagram account dedicated to flaunting her cat’s tattoos, it’s no surprise that people have rediscovered the photos and causing a second wave of outrage years later.
Although the comments section of her Instagram posts are all filled with messages slandering Ivanickaya for animal abuse, she has only defended her actions. According to an article by Unilad, the hairless feline was placed under anaesthetic while the tattoo artist inked its chest.
Being an influence, the model lives a charmed life and can be seen posing with fast cars, going on grand vacations and wearing designer gear. She claims her cat lives a more luxurious life than most. “The cat’s life is better than yours. Maybe it is hell for you, but he feels just fine,” she said.
Ivanickaya also claimed to have checked with a vet before getting any work done on her cat: “He has not been castrated and he never will be, this would be real cruelty. I checked with the vet before getting him a tattoo and they were fine with it and a vet was present while they were doing the tattoo, so everything was under control. The cat is treated with love and care.”
However, that has not stopped an onslaught of attention from animal rights activists who relentlessly tag organisations like Peta and the SPCA to bring attention to the situation.
When the instance was first discovered online, police officials commented that they would investigate the model for animal cruelty. Police spokesperson Natalia Chovpylo said, “If we establish that the animal was tortured, we will open a criminal case.”
No information regarding the cat being removed from Ivanickaya’s care has surfaced, but it seems she is still the owner of Yasha as she continues to flaunt pictures of the feline online.
