A bold cat turned a Tbilisi supermarket into its personal buffet, and the fallout has now hit one of Georgia’s biggest grocery chains. The National Food Agency fined the owner of the Libre supermarket network after a viral clip showed the feline calmly snacking inside a refrigerated deli case. Inspectors who rushed to the store found problems far worse than the four-legged customer.
The Viral Video That Sparked The Outrage
The clip, which exploded across social media this week, shows a cat perched inside a refrigerated display unit. It was casually nibbling ham slices before moving on to sausages, treating the deli counter like an open menu.
The scene unfolded uninterrupted, with no employees or customers appearing to intervene. That detail alone left many viewers stunned. Shoppers asked the obvious question. How did a cat sit inside a chilled food case long enough to film a full meal without anyone stopping it?
Within hours, the footage moved from local feeds to international news. Comment sections filled with jokes, anger, and disbelief in equal measure.
What Inspectors Found Inside The Store
The agency said it identified the store in Tbilisi featured in the clip and launched an unscheduled inspection. The visit happened fast, and the findings were grim.
Inspectors uncovered what the agency described as “critical violations” of sanitary regulations, along with expired food products being offered for sale. The cat, it turned out, was only the start of the story.
Here is a quick look at the action taken against the store:
| Action | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fine issued | 5,000 lari (about $1,870) |
| Operations affected | Part of food prep work suspended |
| Expired stock | Sealed and set for destruction |
| Inspection type | Unscheduled, triggered by viral video |
The supermarket operator was fined 5,000 lari ($1,870), while part of the store’s food preparation operations was temporarily suspended. The expired goods were sealed off and will be destroyed under the agency’s supervision.
Why The Libre Brand Matters In Georgia
Libre is not a small corner shop. It sits under the management of Nikora Trade, which also runs the Sunday chain in Western Georgia, Velesi, and the Nugeshi supermarket chain. The production of meat products is the first and one of the most successful directions of the holding company Nikora.
That meat-focused identity is exactly why this incident stings so much for shoppers. Nikora accounts for 35% of the meat product market and has confidently maintained a leading position in this market segment. When a cat helps itself to ham and sausage in a store tied to the country’s top meat brand, trust takes a real hit.
Libre runs dozens of branches across Tbilisi alone, from Saburtalo and Vake to Gldani and Didi Digomi. It is a name millions of Georgians see every week.
A Pattern Of Food Safety Problems
This case is not a one-off. Georgia’s food regulators have been busy.
In February 2026, the Tbilisi Department of the National Food Agency identified critical violations at seven out of 19 establishments checked on February 13. The inspections uncovered serious food safety and hygiene breaches that pose risks to public health.
Common problems flagged by inspectors this year include:
- Improper cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and equipment
- Malfunctioning ventilation and exhaust systems
- Sale of unlabeled or expired food products
- Temperature control violations
- Presence of rodents at one facility
Last year the pressure was even broader. In 2024, inspectors examined 512 food outlets in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. Out of more than 1,200 inspections, 92 violations were identified and legal measures were applied in line with current legislation.
The Libre incident now adds a fresh, very public chapter to that running list.
What Shoppers Are Being Told To Do
The agency is using this moment to push a wider message about hygiene and consumer rights. The incident also sparked renewed discussion online about food safety standards and hygiene controls in retail chains.
The National Food Agency urged consumers to pay close attention to product labelling, storage conditions and sales practices, and encouraged the public to report violations via the hotline of Georgia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture. Members of the public are encouraged to contact the hotline at 1501.
- Check the expiry date on every deli item before it reaches the bag.
- Look at the storage temperature shown on chilled cases.
- Watch out for open trays or unsealed cold cuts left exposed.
- Snap a photo if something looks unsafe, then report it.
Behind the laughs and memes, this story carries a real edge. People trust supermarkets to be the safe step between farm and family table. When a cat strolls into a chilled meat case and no one moves to stop it, that trust cracks. Georgia’s regulators acted quickly this time, but the bigger question hangs in the air, and it belongs to every shopper who has ever picked up a packet of ham without thinking twice. Have you seen anything like this at your local store? Drop your thoughts in the comments and tell us how you feel about food safety in supermarkets today.
