Messi, a 90-pound puma, lives with Mariya and Aleksandr Dmitriev in their one-bedroom apartment. Messi is not your typical cat. Messi was barely eight months old when the Russian couple first saw him at Penza’s Saransk Zoo and knew they wanted to have him.
Three cougar cubs were born at the Saransk Zoo, including Messi. The other two, Suarez and Neymar, were also given legendary player names in honour of the Russian city’s hosting of four World Cup games.
The wild cat, who had a multitude of health issues, was purchased by the Saransk Zoo when he was just three months old. The Dmitriev family, who were enamoured with the ill zoo animal, appealed to the proprietors and requested.
The big cat of his dreams had always been a lynx for 38-year-old Alexander, who never considered getting a puma. We think that having this puma as a house cat is part of our destiny, albeit it’s hard to explain why.
“We spent three days debating whether keeping such an exotic pet was righteous and whether it made sense to own one. However, nothing was able to stop our impulsive wish, Mariya, 28, told the Mirror. “So we went to the zoo and began buying Messi talks. When they agreed, even we were taken aback.
