The followers of Stepan The Cat, a well-known ‘petfluencer’, were in distress when his Instagram account stopped being updated for a few weeks. Fans of the beloved feline had cause for worry and concern.
Stepan The Cat is a 13-year-old petfluencer from Ukraine whose fame and growing list of followers skyrocketed when a relatable TikTok video of him went viral. In the video, Stepan can be seen drinking wine with an arm propped on the table pensively as if questioning life. His ‘home-alone party’ spirit struck a chord with many individuals confined to their homes in quarantines and lockdowns. Overnight, he became an internet sensation and meme favorite, gaining thousands of fans on TikTok and Instagram.
Stepan, The Cat, Resides In Kharkiv, Ukraine, With His Human Family
Anna, the owner of a popular Instagram page with over one million followers, has not posted any updates to the page since March 3rd. This has caused worry among fans as she and her family live in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv. On February 24th, Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Kharkiv was the first city affected by this event. Anna’s fans hope that she is safe during this difficult time.
Since 2020, Stepan the Cat has been entertaining people, but the conflict in Ukraine put his and his cat mom’s lives in peril
Kharkiv was subjected to a devastating bombardment by Russian forces which led to the destruction of hundreds of buildings and the loss of hundreds of lives. Stepan’s followers knew he was in the city and Anna posted an update concerning his whereabouts on March 3 with a photo and videos of nearby buildings burning. No new updates were posted by Stepan, causing his fans great worry. Two weeks went past before Anna finally posted another update recounting their ordeal over the past couple of weeks.
Stepan along with his family, recently found safety after managing to escape the ravaging effects of war. The Monaco-based World Influencers and Bloggers Association have been taking care of them, providing all they need until they are able to make a safe journey back to their home in Kharkiv. To finance their needs while residing in France, the association is teaming up with other charity organisations for a fundraising effort. Nonetheless, there have been reports of fraudulent accounts pretending to be Stepan seeking donations.
When the crisis in Ukraine worsened, supporters worried about Stepan and his mother’s safety
Anna has recently taken to Instagram to update the public on the current situation of her cat, Stepan. Though he’s okay and safe, he has lost some weight due to not being able to sleep well during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. For now, Anna is not asking for donations but encourages followers to stay tuned because she will make an announcement soon. Everyone is hopeful that the conflict will be over soon so displaced families can return home and life can go back to normal.
Here are his fans’ responses
