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A rescued puma can’t be released back into the wild, so he lives as a spoiled house cat

A Russian couple lives in a small apartment with a giant, odd roommate. In addition to its massive dimensions, the 90-pound puma has a monstrous moniker. He is known as Messi, one of the most recognizable names in soccer history. Mariya and Aleksandr Dmitriev first encountered Messi, the puma, at Penza’s Saransk Zoo. The lovely cat was just eight months old at the time.

He was born at the zoo as one of three cubs. Suarez and Neymar were both named after legendary players to commemorate the Russian city’s hosting of four World Cup matches. Messi was sold to the Saransk Zoo as a three-month-old cub. Here, he battled health problems.

Mariya and Aleksandr immediately fell in love with the puma. As a result, they decided to make an appeal to the zoo in order to purchase him.

According to his wife Mariya, Aleksandr, 38, had always desired to possess a large cat. “He always envisioned owning a lynx – never a puma,” she explained. It’s difficult to describe, but we believe that this puma is a necessary part of our destiny.”

“We spent three days debating whether it was moral to retain a puma and whether it was prudent to do so. However, nothing could stand in the way of our spontaneous wish,” Mariya, 28, told the Mirror. “So we went to the zoo and began negotiating the purchase of Messi. We were taken aback when they agreed.”

In any case, caring for Messi posed a significant difficulty for the Dmitriev family. Apart from being a wild animal, the puma required medical attention. “He was pretty frail and required a great deal of attention,” Mariya explained.

Messi, like any other pet, requires a great deal of attention. Additionally, he demands a great deal of activity. As a result, his human parents invested in customized clothing and a harness to enable them to take him for walks. “He is similar to a dog. We began by taking him for a walk, one step at a time. Aleksandr stated in an interview with RT that the animal had been inactive previously. “Now we walk a lot, twice a day, like it should be.” In this regard, it is similar to keeping a dog. “

Finding a handler for a wild animal was not an easy process. However, the pair eventually discovered a dog training school.

“His actions convinced us that he is a full member of our family and that he would not do anything wrong save for a few minor misdemeanors. He is really friendly and enjoys human contact. He gets along nicely with others,” Aleksandr explains.

Messi, the puma, is not simply a celebrity among his parents. He also has over 600,000 Instagram followers and over 1780,000 YouTube subscribers! However, this is unsurprising given how beautiful he is.

Take a look at him in the video below!