The Moscow Cat Theater, world-famous for its unique feline show, may be shot down, the theater's spokeswoman, Irina Vasilchikova, told RIA Novosti news agency.

"During one of our recent performances, several members of the Economic Crimes Department (UBEP) have entered the hall and demanded that the show be stopped and for Yuri Kuklachev, the theater's founder and chief performer, to proceed backstage. All this in full view of the children watching the show," Vasilchikova said.

After searching the safe in the make-up room, the UBEP officers accused Kuklachev of stealing cash, the spokeswoman said. According to Vasilchikova, the charges were based on the fact that while the theater was packed, only 20 tickets were officially sold. However, as Kuklachev explained, most of the audience consisted of children from a children's home who were admitted free of charge. Worse, Kuklachev discovered that that the theater's accounts were copied without his knowledge and that the ownership documents for the building were missing.

"The theater is state-owned, so the building is being fought for, as it presents a really fetching piece of real estate," Kuklachev said.

"I don't know who is behind this, but I may lose my home, and my work which I dedicated my whole life to. They want to destroy the theater, this is obvious. I have already received hints to surrender the building and was even offered a replacement in the outskirts" he added.

Kuklachev promised to recount the situation in detail during his upcoming press conference, scheduled for June 28.

A professional circus clown, Yuri Kuklachev began his cat show in 1976. Popular in Moscow and abroad, Kuklachev's Cat Theater has a company of over 120 cats who perform alongside human mimes in a variety of shows, including The Nutcracker and Cats From Outer Space. The cats are often rescued from the streets by Kuklachev, and his training technique involves spending long hours examining each cat's natural behavior before developing tricks to incorporate it into a performance. Shows are usually accompanied by traditional clown acts by Kuklachev and his team.  

By Oleg Liakhovich