Animals
Meet Messi, a Gentle Puma Living His Best Life as a Spoiled Housecat and Social Media Superstar
Messi the puma acts like a cross between a dog and a cat.
(TMU) — While many of us are quite content with our pets—be it a Pit Bull, a Siamese cat, or a domestic guinea pig—there are some among us whose love for animals knows no bounds. We’re talking about those who keep miniature pigs, tarantulas, monkeys, and boa constrictors as pets.
And then there’s Aleksandr and Mariya Dmitriev, a couple who rescued a puma from a petting zoo in Penza, Russia after officials decided that they had no choice but to euthanize the large cat due to his health problems.
The puma, named Messi after the wildly popular Argentine pro footballer, was in for a major stroke of luck. When the couple encountered him at the zoo it was “love at first sight.” After convincing zoo officials that they could adopt the puma they brought Messi back to their apartment. Messi, who was “weak and demanded a lot of attention,” was eventually nursed back to full health.
Messi is now fully grown and acts like a cross between a dog and a cat. Not unlike your typical dog, Messi loves to go for walks twice a day to ensure that he remains in good shape. Aleksandr and Mariya also take Messi to training classes throughout the week.
But when Messi is relaxing at home he does typical cat things: lounging around with his human friends, scratching on posts, and climbing into boxes. He also loves to be petted and adores playing with humans. And he doesn’t even use his claws!
Thanks to Aleksandr and Mariya, Messi has also become an online “influencer” of sorts. With his very own YouTube channel and Instagram page appropriately titled “I_am_puma”—complete with verification badges—Messi now has a combined total of over 2 million followers and subscribers.
Let’s take a look at the leisurely life of Messi the puma through the eyes of his Instagram account!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6k8M5mIyMq/
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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