Meet Messi The Puma, unlike most of the big cats that exist in the Wild, Parks, Sanctuaries, and Zoos, this big cat lives in a 1BHK apartment somewhere in Russia.
Messi was born in captivity at a zoo in Russia but suffered from various health problems when he was just three months old. During his stay at the Zoo, Messi was kept in a very small enclosure and was malnourished, which caused him to develop muscle weakness, rickets, and a urinary tract infection.
The zoo decided that because Pumas were not native to Russia, they could not simply release this adorable animal into the wild because of its illness that prevented him from living in another zoo or animal sanctuary. So, the volunteers of the zoo planned to euthanize him.
A Russian couple by the name of Aleksandr Dmitriev and Mariya Dmitriev heard about the sickly cub, and after talking with other Puma breeders and learning everything about the maintenance and care of the animal, they took a leap of faith and approached the Zoo about adopting it, and to their surprise, the Zoo agreed.
The Russian couple had always dreamed of owning a big cat, such as a Lynx. Aleksandr said that it’s hard to explain, but they believe having this Puma as a house cat is part of their destiny.
He then added that they had three days of thinking hard about whether it was moral to keep such an exotic pet or whether it was even common sense to have one, but if they hadn’t adopted him, he wasn’t going to survive much longer at the Zoo.
Messi The Puma Enjoys Life With New Family
Taking on the care of Messi was a challenge in many ways because he is a wild and exotic animal, and the cat needed extra medical attention and care. The Puma was in such ill health he could barely walk when the couple bought him. Aleksandr found it difficult to walk with him in the beginning because of his illnesses, but after several months of taking vitamins, Messi could walk for 1.5 miles and even jump a little.
Even though the couple had nursed the cub back to health, it was still only two-thirds the size of an average Puma.
The couple originally lived in a one-bedroom apartment and had done their best to accommodate Messi’s needs, such as converting their hallway into Messi’s Den, complete with a tree, bamboo walls, and a hiding hole. They even turned their bathtub into the world’s biggest kitty little box.
But eventually, they did move into a bigger house, with much more room for Messi to play around in,
Now regardless of their size, cats are still cats, just like smaller house cats, Messi loves playing with something round, but instead of balls of yarn, he prefers bigger objects like watermelons and pumpkins.
Just like any other pet Messi requires lots of exercises, just like a dog. But unlike dog training, this big cat was not easy. The couple tried a wild animal handler but was not successful. But finally, they found a dog training school willing to train him, and now he responds to more than ten different commands.
After a long period of rehabilitation, Messi now lives a happy and healthy life with a loving family, but as you can imagine, some animal and environmental rights activists have objections to the couple keeping an exotic animal in their home and believe Messi belongs in a wildlife reserve or in a sanctuary.
Messi would have died after being euthanized at the Zoo for being too sick, and he could not have been released into the wild as a foreign species. So being rescued and cared for was his only chance at living.
There are also some people who think that it’s too dangerous to keep wild animals in your home, as sooner or later, they could attack the owners or someone else.
But if you watch any of the videos on Messi’s Youtube Channel, you will notice that Messi is extremely close to Aleksandr. It might be a male bonding thing, or Aleksandr has a special connection with animals, but Messi is so affectionate with him and very friendly towards other people.
Final Words
What is especially endearing about this story is that it proves that humans and animals can form a strong bond of unshakable devotion and trust and how animals do, in fact, express love on a very deep level, and unlike many humans, animal’s love is unconditional.
