This 90 lb puma, named Messi, is a beloved pet of Mariya and Aleksandr Dmitriev who live in Russia.
The couple first saw the puma in the ZOO Saransk in Penza in Russia. This is when they decided they want it to become a part of their lives.
Messi was among the three puma cubs that were born at this ZOO. All of them were named after soccer players as a celebration of Russia’s hosting of 4 of the World Cup matches.
The other two cubs were named Neymar and Suarez. Unfortnately, Messi, at the age of 3 months, experienced health issues.
The ZOO couldn’t take proper and full care of the ill cub and with the couple falling in love with him, they pleaded the ZOO to buy him from them.
ZOO Accepts, Messi Becomes the most Spoiled Puma Pet
The couple always dreamed of having a larger feline as a pet, but always thought of a lynx, never a puma, until they saw Messi. The couple said that it’s not easy to explain, but they believe that Messi is a part of their destiny.
For long three days, the couple was thinking about the morale of keeping a pet puma and whether there’s common sense to it.
But, it seemed that nothing could overrule their wish, recalls Mariya. They were positively surprised when the ZOO accepted their offer and agreed to sell them Messi.
Taking Care of a Puma Has Its Challenges
The couple was aware that taking care of a big cat like a puma isn’t anything like caring for other common house pets like dogs and cats, and it was a challenge for them in so many aspects.
But, who can say no to this cute, plush face?
Plus, in the case of Messi, he also needed medical care and attention because he was quite weak. They did manage to nurse him back to full health, but the cat grew only to 2/3 of the size of an average puma.
Although smaller than average pumas, it’s still larger when compared with other house pets. Messi also needs a lot of exercise- his owners bought him a special harness and take him out on walks.
Aleksandr said that he’s much like a dog and wasn’t very active before- now, they walk him twice per day. In that sense, it doesn’t differ much from owning a larger dog breed.
In terms of training to obey commands and do some tricks, Messi wasn’t very easy. Still, the couple managed to acquire a wild animal handler that helped in the process; still, the success was low.
Soon enough, they found a dog training school that allowed the puma to be a part of the training course. The puma can now respond to 10 different commands, believe it or not!
When describing Messi, the couple says he’s a full-pledged member of the family and that he doesn’t do any bad things apart from small naughty things- he’s quite kind and likes people and gets very well with them.
The couple documents their day-to-day life with Messi on social media and people love the awesome trio.
In fact, on Instagram, Messi has more than 500K followers and 175K followers on his YouTube channel.
Though the couple lives in a one-bedroom apartment with the puma, they’ve done all they can to ensure their large pet has a loving and comfy environment.
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