A Russian couple lives in a small apartment with a huge and odd roommate. Aside from its size, the 90-pound puma has a well-known moniker. Messi is his name, and he is one of soccer’s most famous players. Messi, the puma, was originally observed by Mariya and Aleksandr Dmitriev at the Saransk Zoo in Penza. The lovely kitty was just eight months old at the time.
At the zoo, he was one of three cubs born. The other two, Suarez and Neymar, were also named after legendary players to commemorate Moscow’s hosting of four World Cup matches. Messi was sold to the Saransk Zoo when he was barely three months old. He was having health problems while he was there.
Mariya and Aleksandr have fallen in love with the puma at first sight. So they decided to appeal to the zoo in order to buy him.
According to his wife Mariya, Aleksandr, 38, had always dreamed of owning a big cat, “He always thought about having a lynx – never a puma. It’s hard to explain but we believe that having this puma is part of our destiny.”
“We had three days of thinking hard about whether it was moral to keep a puma, and whether it was common sense to have one. But nothing could fight our sudden wish,” Mariya, 28, told the Mirror. “So we went to the zoo and started negotiations to buy Messi. We were surprised ourselves when they agreed.”
Taking care of Messi, on the other hand, was a major challenge for the Dmitriev family. The puma required medical treatment in addition to being a wild animal. “He was frail and needed a lot of attention,” Mariya explained.
Messi, like any other pet, need a lot of care. He also demands a lot of physical activity. His human parents bought him a special coat and leash so they could take him on walks. “He reminds me of a dog. We began taking him for a stroll, one step at a time. “Now we walk a lot twice a day, like it’s supposed to be,” Aleksandr remarked in an interview with RT, “as it’s intended to be.” In this way, it’s not unlike to having a dog.”
It wasn’t simple to find a wild animal handler. However, the pair eventually discovered a dog training school.
“With his actions, he persuaded us that he is a full member of our family and that, aside from a few minor misbehaviors, he would not do anything harmful.” He’s a kind guy who enjoys making eye contact. “He gets along with everyone,” Aleksandr explains.
Messi, the puma, is not simply a celebrity among his parents. He also has over 600k Instagram followers and 1780k YouTube subscribers! But, given how lovely he is, this isn’t surprising.
Take a look at him in the video below!
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