July 9, 2025

Eugene Kibets: Cats on Mars Animal Rescue

A Kyiv-based rescuer on the life he didn’t plan for—and wouldn’t trade.

Eugene Kibets used to spend most of his time promoting concerts up to 70 a year, and listening to some of the 4,000 vinyl records he’s collected over the years. He had one cat. That was before February 2022.

Today, he runs Cats on Mars, an animal rescue shelter in Kyiv that cares for 57 cats, one rabbit, and one chinchilla. What began with cutting holes into apartment doors to free pets left behind has grown into a daily operation: coordinating with volunteers on the frontlines, responding to calls and chats from across the country, and sometimes pulling cats from the rubble after a missile strike.

We spoke with Eugene about how it all started, what daily life looks like now, the advice he hopes every pet owner takes to heart, and how you can help.

Tell us about you

My name is Eugene. I'm the co-owner of Cats on Mars, an animal rescue shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine. We've had our shelter for two years now, and our organization was established in spring 2022.

We started saving animals in Kyiv, then expanded into the surrounding region, and now we have partners across the country. It’s mostly cats, we can’t have dogs because our shelter is located in a city zone. But we do have one rabbit and one chinchilla.

Some of our cats have been with us for two years. As long as they need a home, they stay. Right now, we have 57.

Digging holes in doors: how the first rescue missions began

We tried to free the animals—cats, dogs, any kind of animals—who were locked inside houses or apartments after their owners left and didn’t come back. Most people thought they were only leaving for a few days… but it turned into weeks, and the animals were stuck inside.

People started contacting us with addresses and gave us permission to make a small hole in the wall near the door. So that’s what we did. The first rescue was on March 8th. That was the first cat my team saved from a locked apartment.

“I couldn’t leave my cat”

Maybe I was stupid like everyone else who stayed because we all thought it would be over soon. But also my cat. I didn’t want to stress him.

The first week, we stayed in a bomb shelter near my house. He was so stressed. By day five, I said, “Enough. I’m going back home.” There were bullets at night, but I told myself, my cat can’t live in a cage. So I went back for him.

What the early days looked like

When the Kyiv region was opened up again in April 2022, we started driving out there every day from 6 am to 4 pm, before the military curfew started.

We drove through empty, destroyed cities and tried to catch as many animals as we could. Some days we rescued 15 cats, a few dogs. We did that every day for 3 or 4 weeks. At that time, I didn’t have a shelter. We just had teams and a big warehouse to keep the animals.

The people who stayed through the occupation were incredibly kind and helpful. It was a scary time, but I loved it. I miss it sometimes, it felt like everyone was working together.

Rescuing pets on the front lines

These days, it’s mostly volunteers or soldiers near the front lines who organize evacuations. Once a month, they form a team. Some old ladies who stayed in those areas help gather the animals. Then the team drives out and tries to free pets that were left behind, sometimes tied up, with no food. They contact me, send photos of the animals they can rescue, and we coordinate with other shelters. If we have space, we tell them how many we can take.

” I can’t leave now. There are little lives that depend on me. My goal is to make a shelter that people don't want to cry.

How you can help

We had amazing support when we first started, even from locals. Most of our help came from international supporters. But in the last year, we’ve lost about 50% of that. We also lost 30% of our Patreon donors. I think people are tired of hearing about Ukraine. But our shelter costs are constant, so every month is tricky.

Any kind of support helps. Someone sent us cat blankets from the US two years ago and we’re still using them. If you don’t want to donate money, donate medicine, cages, or little houses for the cats.

Not just Kyiv: animal rescuers across Ukraine

Outside Kyiv, life goes on. People are still saving animals. There are small shelters with 50 cats, and others with 500, even thousands. This weekend, I’m visiting a small shelter that rehabilitates bears rescued from circuses.

Those rescuers on the borders of Ukraine keep doing the work, and it’s harder for them than it is for us in Kyiv.

Advice that could save a life

This isn't just advice for war, please, be friends with at least one neighbor. If something happens to you, they need to know you have an animal inside. A lot of animals died because no one knew they were there.

Also, always carry a small bag of treats. I keep one in my pocket or backpack to feed any dog or cat I meet on the street. Even if they’re fat, I still feed them.

The life he didn’t plan for

Am I scared in Kyiv? I’m tired of being scared. Sometimes I sleep through the air sirens. I can’t change anything. If I can’t change it, I’d rather sleep. When the war is over, I’ll leave for a year, with peace and calm in my heart.

I’m a music promoter. I used to do 70 shows a year. Now it’s maybe 2 or 3. Most of my free time goes to the shelter. I love them all. I know their old names. I miss them if I’m away for a couple days.

I have 4,000 vinyls. And a ticket to an Oasis concert. I bought it a year ago, for hope. I wanted to see them in Manchester. But I can’t leave the country. So in five days, I’ll be crying while watching it on YouTube.

We thank Eugene for sharing his story with us. You can follow his work on Twitter and Instagram, and support Cats on Mars animal rescue by joining their Patreon and Buy me a coffee.

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