Nomination "Our Brothers": four-legged pets performed a truly heroic deed by protecting their owner from a poisonous snake. On the eve of International Cat Day, we naturally want to tell you about these incredible animals. They can not only give their owners love and warmth, but also fearlessly stand up to protect them.
One of the amazing cat stories took place in the spring of 2026 at the "Vereskovaya Polyana" estate, located in the village of Cherusti, Moscow Oblast. One April day, Greta the cat and Krendel the tomcat were walking in the yard as usual, waiting for their beloved owner. When Yulia Sergienko approached the porch of the house, she saw a viper nearby. She froze with fear, but at that moment, her brave pets surrounded the venomous snake and began to deftly strike it with their paws, driving it away, "360.ru" reported.
"When I returned from the shop, I saw a viper near the steps. The two cats started jumping around it. I am terribly afraid of all snakes, especially venomous ones. I tried to throw a box over the viper, but it didn't quite work. The cats started chasing it away, and it slithered off the property," Yulia shared.
According to the owner, snakes rarely slither into the yard. Mostly, this happens in the spring when the reptiles finish their mating season and look for a place to lay their eggs. "Because of the surrounding swamps, there are many vipers in our area. There are various kinds, not just grey and black ones, but also reddish ones, like smooth snakes," the estate owner noted. Notably, the fluffy bodyguards appeared in Yulia's house for a reason. Many years ago, these tails were rescued from the street by the Sergienko family themselves.
The charming smoky cat Greta is already in her 8th year. In 2019, when the coronavirus was raging in the country, public catering establishments began to close due to the quarantine. At that time, Yulia's youngest daughter was studying at the Scriabin Moscow Veterinary Academy and working part-time at a cat cafe. When the establishment found itself on the verge of closing, the cafe staff began looking for kind, caring hands for their little brothers, and took some of them home. That is how Greta ended up in the warm home of Muscovites Yulia and Viktor Sergienko—first in a capital apartment, and later in the Moscow suburbs. The cat quickly adapted to the estate. 'Greta liked the countryside. It turned out she is a great hunter, and not just of mice. She has caught snakes on multiple occasions,' Yulia said.
The charismatic Krendel, also known as Mister Cat, is slightly younger than his tailed partner. He is about 7 years old. In the spring of 2020, the future owner rescued a tiny kitten with bottomless grey-blue eyes from a tall pine tree, where he had been chased by dogs. At home, he was washed, then taken to the vet and tested. 'When he behaves like a playful rascal, we call him Krendel. But when he is serious, important, and imposing, he is Mister Cat. He is very affectionate and loves guests. When tour groups visit us, he is the first to run and greet them. He is friends with Anglo-Nubian goats. Such a companionable guy. But he doesn't like over-familiarity,' Yulia noted.
According to the owner of 'Vereskovaya Polyana', Krendel's fur is very fluffy and soft, quickly tangling into mats that are impossible to comb out. Therefore, he is periodically shaved, leaving a little hair on his head and tail. With a lion-style haircut, Mister Cat looks brutal and behaves accordingly.
Yulia and Viktor Sergienko are native Muscovites who started building a house in the Moscow suburbs about 10 years ago. Eight years ago, leaving the apartment in the capital to their daughters, they moved to Cherusti to engage in livestock farming and related business. Their family has always treated nature with respect and animals with compassion. The four-legged pets, most of which they picked up, sheltered, or had abandoned near their gates or over the fence, return their owners' love with sincere affection and loyalty.