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Radiation Kitty
Location: Chernobyl, Ukraine
The Kittenmaster writes: Yesterday I visited the site of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine. I spotted this little fellow just outside the 10km exclusion zone, where we stopped for lunch. He looked happy and healthy, and was certainly very friendly (and yes, I know he’s not strictly a kitten, but I thought you’d like to see him anyway). Animal life in the area, after originally suffering terribly (all small mammals were dead within a couple of years) has actually flourished since the accident, and the absence of humans for two decades has done more to benefit wildlife than radiation has damaged it. Growing numbers of Mongolian horses can be seen roaming the landscape, and the abandoned town of Prypiat, once home to 60,000 people, is inhabited almost exclusively by bands of fearless wild boar.
Author: Tom “The Kittenmaster” Cooper
Tom is the owner of 4 amazing cats, and using the Daily Kitten he provides a place for cat and kitten lovers to share the love for their own cats and kittens.
Pounce!!!!!
Good Monday Morning TDKers!
Wow. I tried!!
Pounce! wHAT A DARLING KITTY, THANK YOU kITTENMASTER!
Thank you KittenMaster what a great way to start a Monday with Radiation Kitty!!
The Kittenmaster rocks! I had heard that Chernobyl is returning to a wild state. Glad that it includes cats.
Kittens are great! But, cats are special too and this is a nice bio. When I travel, I usually have to take a picture of the first cat I see.
Bless his little heart… glad he appeared to be happy and healthy!… and friendly! 🙂
Good morning all – Radiation Kitty is the bomb. (no pun intended)
Okaaaay, so I’m the only one who is wondering what the heck is our Kittenmaster doing in Ukraine??!!??
It’s Easter, Kiev is only three hours from London by plane… just thought I’d take a weekend break.
Awwwwww, very cool, KM. We don’t mind a cat instead of a kitten at all! Very cute!
It’s amazing how you mention that the wildlife is thriving now again without humans around. That says a lot.
We’ve got ourselves a globe-trotting KM, PM!
in honour of Arcalian:
Life must go on FUZZ
Radiation FUZZ
Glow in the Dark FUZZ
RK sure is sweet! I am so glad the animals who live there are not suffering. I hope there are kind people outside the exclusion zone who are leaving out kibble and cuddles for these poor little felines
Mutant FUZZ
Plutonium FUZZ
In all fairness, I did not create FUZZ, one of the “old guard” members did that. I merely am the one who uses it most.
But thank you!
Further down the page someone mentioned a life without people website. One of the cable networks (Discovery I think?) Did a one hour special along the same lines. During the show they went to that abandoned down outside Chernobyl, (you can stay for short periods of time without getting fried), and they showed, amongst other things, a young forest growing up in a soccer football stadium. It was at once peaceful and eerie.
Nice picture, KM. When I first saw the title of the picture, I thought the cat would be glowing green or something.
Good the hear the cats and other animals are doing well again there. His/her eyes are looking a bit sad though…:-P
KM. thanks so much for sharing a wonderful story with us and this beautiful kitty shows so much strenght!
Thank you Kittenmaster. It’s comforting to know that life is flourishing again after such a terrible disaster. Life really does go on. Very nice picture of this fellow too!
Rad Kitty – to inspire hope and life anew. A wonderful Resurrection Sunday message.
Oh!! Little R.K. is so sweet looking! What a cutie! Thanks Kitten Master for this for sharing your experience with us. ^..^
Remarkable, KM. Thank you for bringing back this picture and report.
Hello to all! Lovely little kitty this morning, and I’m so glad that she seems happy and is friendly. I’m new to TDK, 57-yo, recently married (2nd), and currently we have two rescued kitties, Possum, a 4-yo gray tabby maine coon mix, who needs to gain a few pounds; and Pepper, an 11-month-old black/chocolate, short-hair kitten, who needs to lose a pound or so!
Hi Dottie! Come on over to TDK chat and introduce yourself!
Yes Dottie..come join us at the cyber cafe..the link is toward to top right of this page and says TDK Chat in pink…oh and welcome
I think it’s great you adopted two adult cats. I adopted a 1 year old brown tabby and a 4.5 year old try-color a year and a half ago. I think adult cats make better adoptees because they know what it’s like not to have a home so they appreciate it more.
A cute cat. 🙂 Chernobyl disaster happened 22 years ago… I feel very old but very relieved to know the nature is recovering so well.
I couldn’t believe it’s been that long either, Miu. Living in Denmark at the time, this was all over the news for years afterwards.
Welcome dottibj. Please go to Chat and introduce yourself and kit family … join catster so we may see the kits.
Is it my imagination or does this cat have VERY large paws and short legs??? Thanks KM for the pic and story. I love it!
Thanks to all of you who welcomed me today. I’ve been following TDK since sometime the middle of last year, and many of you seem like friends already! I’ll be happy to join you at TDK Chat tomorrow, but I have no clue how to find catster. Could someone help me with this?
Welcome, Dottie! Catster: http://www. catster.com
That went awry… Simply write ‘www.catster.com’ in the address bar.
What a great adventure, Kittenmaster!
Hope you see many more cats.
22 years ago? That goes to show we’re all getting old-LOL. But I’m glad the animal life is doing well. RK makes a great statement for them.
I’m so happy to hear that the wildlife is coming back to the area. Reminds me of a website…I think it is called The World Without Us. Shows a timeline of what would happen to your house without you, and New York City…when it reached the point where animals had retaken the city and it was full of trees and wildlife, I thought…get us humans off the planet, we’re ruining it!
Here is the website…
http://www.worldwithoutus.com/
Supposedly the DMZ (demilitarized zone) between North and South Korea is a haven for animals too, because there are no people. (And I am guessing that maybe the trip to Russia is what had Kitten Tower in a whirl several days ago.)
I took two pictures of feral kittens in Spain, one out of Pipa’s Mum’s window and one in the park. Maybe if I send those pictures in, I will finally be favored by Kittenmaster with a kitten of the day!
Thanks for sharing this picture and story. I hope it was a good trip.
It’s A Hard Knock Life FUZz!! Look at that cute little scowl he has on his face!
~ j
Pretty kitty! Thank you, KM! We were in St. Petersburg (Russia, not Florida!) and noticed lots of stray kitties. But they all looked well fed. I wonder if people feed them? How wonderful to know that things there have recovered so well!
I saw a program on TV about Earth without people and it showed Propyat. It’s nice to know animals are surviving there. Thanks for showing us this sweet little cat.
Wow..Thanks for Radiation Kitty,KM! How uplifting it is to hear that life is thriving regardless of man’s mistakes. It really is quite amazing isn’t it? Happy Trails Radiation Kitty!
maybe they can trade? 🙂
sorry, that was for dottiebj!
wish it were as simple as a trade! but thanks anyway!
KM, thank you for sharing Radiation Kitty, he is a very welcome picture of health in a dismal situation. I am glad that the area is rebounding with animal life.
Great story and photo, really glad you shared this here.
Reading your Bio. made my heart beat a little faster as I felt a bit of sadness also.” Hello Radiation Kitty”, God protect you and so many like you. Thank you KM, you make us aware of our lack of gratitude for everyday blessings.
CatsPawMa is now Mimi cause I could’nt remember my password, so I just used The name my grandkids call me.
It is amazing that so many animals are living quite well there. Like Catlessinto, I am hoping someone is feeding the little furry ones out there. 🙂
Wonderful story! Thank you, Kittenmaster!
I don’t know if I would be as brave and enter that devastated area. Thank you for the update KM. I did see a video clip (I don’t remember which channel produced it) on the wildlife now flourishing in Chernoblyl.
If we manage to wipe each other out with our stupid wars and greed, there is hope of life reestablishing itself.
Yea!!!!!
22 years ago? *gulp*
Thanks KM, great picture & story, very appropriate for Easter.
Aww, what a sweet kitty!!!! What a story too! 🙂
We’ll just call him Rad, because he’s totally rad, dude! 😀
Fantastic story! Elizabeth
What a fascinating place that must be!.. I will send white light to all those animals! 🙂
what a cutie pie! glad he looks happy and healthy. sure is adorable 🙂
I remember that area was mentioned on a Discovery Channel special about how the world would look if Mankind just vanished one day. The town was pretty much abandoned and the Wild has invaded with very little effects from fallout.
I’m all for having more adult cats on TDK despite having Kitten in the site name. I think my Sarge would make a great edition.
this cat needs 2 eat a whole lot more
KM, thank you so much for sharing this inspiring photo of RK. I remember when the disaster happened, and it was devastating to the hearts and minds of all critter lovers–human, mammal, reptile and otherwise. This photo gives us glorious proof of the supremacy of nature–not somehow but triumphantly! A wonderful day to all…Lisa
Lovely kitty! Nice to take 1st kitty pics when traveling. I have had experience with Children of Chernobyl and have noted that wildlife is coming back in the “dead zone” but the people close to the area still suffer with some side effects and as the children born on or about the disaster date (4-26-1986) grew older there were more complications such as thyroid issues & leukemia. Our children were from Belarus just about 50 mi from the Chernobyl site. Great children who came! All were hosted by volunteer host families in the summer.
Glad to see cats are surviving—must be mice/birds there! And hopefully some people feeding the kitties.