Kristina Shramko, a Vancouver (Canada) resident, has lived with her boyfriend in Wuhan’s Hanyang district for the past eight months. She had hoped to fly back to Canada but decided against the trip upon learning her cat wouldn’t be allowed on the plane for the trip home.
With the city of 11-million under lockdown since January 23, Kristina rarely goes out. The last time she went out for food she wore a mask and officers checked her temperature before allowing her to enter the supermarket across the street from her residence. She discovered a shortage of food on that trip.
Kitya, a female ginger cat, is Kristina’s sole companion (her boyfriend was on a business trip when the quarantine began and is staying with family in a different providence). During an interview with Business Insider, Kristina explained her decision to remain secluded with her cat
She’s been there for me throughout this whole quarantine. I should be there for her, too. I don’t know when the epidemic will be over so it’s kind of abandoning her in a way, even if I give her to a friend.
Since no one is working, money is becoming scarce and that worries Kristina. Being alone in a ‘ghost town’ is taking an emotional toll on her as well. Kristina spends her day watching movies, working on her YouTube channel and playing with Kitka.
Rumor has reached Kristina that the quarantine could last until April or May. She has friends checking on her daily through social media. Many have told her to get out or she’ll die. Kristina admits she didn’t take coronavirus (now named COV-19) seriously in the beginning.
In my mind, a super contagious and deadly virus just didn’t seem real. It seemed like something you only saw in movies. After a few weeks, it really kicked in that this was a serious matter.
Since she’s taking precautions like frequent handwashing and staying inside, Kristina believes she’ll be fine and she and Kitya will survive the outbreak. There’s no better companion when life throws a curve than a pet. Kitka is fortunate to have Kristina. Many pets were left to fed for themselves and at least 2,000 have been helped by a team of cat lovers. You can read a story about those cats by clicking on the link following this article.
Would you refuse an offer to return home if your cat wasn’t allowed to accompany you on the trip? I know I would! I wish the two of you the best of health. Stay inside and stay safe.
Wuhan Pet Life team has already helped more than 2,000 cats struggling to survive inside their homes
