(A note from the author: the video becomes even more ridiculous if you turn on the closed captioning.

That was a rhetorical question; unless there’s parkour involved, Russians aren’t allowed to film it. I don’t know the exact reason, but I do have a theory.

Every Russian is ingrained with the desire to crush capitalist pigs and free the proletariat from the shackles of the oppressive petite bourgeoisie, but 100 years of stacking bourgeoisie body parts in the basement of the Kremlin is tiring for anyone. Combine that with a national blood alcohol level of about 0.15 and the answer becomes clear. Throwing bottles and cans at a cat stuck in a tree is the last true Russian pastime that hasn’t been ruined by government. This is their one activity that they can turn to at the end of a long, hard day to cheer themselves up and forget that they’re living in Russia for a few, fleeting minutes.

I prefer to think of this footage as more of a documentary than a bizarre bit of folderol. This is probably the first and last look we will ever get into the underground world of Russian cat saving. Personally, I feel blessed.