Mounds of abandoned clothes and other personal items lie strewn along corridors leading out of Ukraine. The farther people carry their things, the harder it is, so they leave them behind.
However, everywhere amid the exodus of more than 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees are the pets people would refuse to leave behind.
These are some heart-wrenching photos of Ukrainian cat moms holding, kissing, cuddling and comforting their fur babies in times of war.
As missiles and bombs rain down on Ukraine, these brave cat ladies struggle to keep their precious fur babies safe from harm.
Busya ran up a tree during air raid but mom refused to leave her behind
Ukrainian soldiers blessed with the love of stray cats
Foreign med student flees Ukraine with his two cats tucked into his coat
Stepan, a senior Ukrainian kitty finds safety in France
Brave cat ladies come to the rescue of 70 shelter cats in Ukraine