Puma Rescued From A Contact-Type Zoo Can't Be Released Into The Wild, Lives As A Spoiled House Cat

[catbyte]

I'm not sure how I feel about this, but he does seem happy. I certainly hope he's one-of-a-kind. He is magnificent, though.
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By​ Li

Mariya and Aleksandr Dmitriev share a one-bedroom apartment with one of the biggest names in soccer – Messi. No not the star himself, but his namesake – a 90lb puma. The Russian couple first spotted Messi at the Saransk Zoo in Penza when he was just eight-months-old and decided that they had to have him.

Messi was one of three cubs born at the zoo. The other two, Suarez and Neymar, were also named after famous players to celebrate the Russian city hosting four matches of the World Cup. The cub was sold to the Saransk Zoo when he was three months old and suffered from health problems. Enamored with the sickly animal the Dmitriev’s appealed to the zoo and asked if they could buy him.

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Taking on the care of Messi was a challenge in many ways. Beyond being a wild animal, the cat needed extra medical attention and care, “‘he was quite weak and demanded a lot of attention,” said Mariya. Even though the couple has nursed the cub back to health, he is still only two-thirds of the size of the average puma.







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As you can imagine some animal and environmental rights activists have objections to the Dmitrievs keeping an exotic animal in their home and believe Messi belongs on a wildlife reserve or in a sanctuary. While others note the danger of living with wild animal.

But the couple believes that he would not survive alongside other animals as he has never lived alone in the wild. “Of course it’s quite dangerous having such a large cat at home, but Messi is a special animal,” Mariya told the Mirror.





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https://www.boredpanda.com/zoo-rescued-puma-house-cat-messi-russia/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Puma toe berries ! :)

Just like kitteh toe berries, but BIGGER !

[jmowreader]

2. Well...

Since he doesn't seem to know his people or the dogs at the dog park are what food looks like, he should be okay.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Love the look on the face of the girl with the black & white cat

standing along the fence next to Messi.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. That's not a cat

Look at the pic again.

It looks like a Border Collie

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. He certainly looks contented and happy.

[napi21]

6. I understand the fear of ant wild animal being unpredictable and this kitty is going to get much

bigger and stronger than he is right now. but he's such a sweet little boy now. How could the rescuers ever turn him into a quasi wild environment and just hope for the best? They really need to keep a close watch on him every day from now on for actions & responses that show his wild instincts emerging. Maybe. Just maybe somewhere there's a place where he could transition to meeting other pumas. I know there are areas like that for animals in Africa ans they're operated to acclimate abandoned baby animals whose mothers were killed by rich hunters. I watched a video about a baby hippo whose mother was killed and he was injured and rescued by a young woman who nursed him back to health. He adopted her as his surrogate mother, and ran and played with her for quite a few months. She knew this hippo would grow way too big when fully grown and she turned him over to one of these transition areas.

Hard as it is to let go of an animal you've grown so close to, you can't risk Your life, and that of your mate, your friends, neighbors, etc.

[Lisa0825]

8. Agreed. nt

[catbyte]

15. According to the article, he's fully-grown. He's about three years old. However, he is a wild

animal, and 90 pounds of cougar can do a lot of damage. He's fully 1/3 smaller than normal cougars because of the health problems he had as a cub.

[Rhiannon12866]

16. I've visited the Western North Carolina Nature Center where they have a few big cats

That were previously "pets," so they can't live in the wild - as are all the animals there. They made me sad.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. That's a big kitty!

[mr_lebowski]

9. I appreciate what these folks are doing, but lets not forget this is a MOUNTAIN LION aka COUGAR

These are not f***ing pets, man.

I predict this will not end well. I'm sorry.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

11. +1! And I'd hate to scoop that litter box!

[littlemissmartypants]

10. Beautiful. nt

[Dem2theMax]

12. At the dog park? Noooooooo.

Someday, this nice little 'kitty's' natural instincts are going to kick in. It is part of who they are. I hate to think of what is going to happen when that time comes.

Surely there has to be a way to incorporate this animal into a more appropriate environment.

And no one is allowed to use the joke 'don't call me Shirley.'

[catbyte]

14. According to the article, it's a dog obedience class, not a dog park. So I think there's a little

more control, but yikes.

[Dem2theMax]

18. There won't be any control when that kitty cat decides

to become a PUMA.

I spend a lot of time at the dog park, and I see fights break out with dogs you would never expect to behave in that way.

Even in an obedience class, there will always be a dog who will need a timeout because they have misbehaved. I can just see one of those dogs thinking it would be real fun to put a paw on that cat's face.

So I agree with you. Yikes!

[Dem2theMax]

19. Shirley you jest.

That joke can never be out of style! It's a classic.

HIGH FIVE right back at ya!

[Niagara]

13. Messi is one handsome fellow!

I wonder if Russia has animal sanctuaries that could take Messi, instead of a zoo or a human family.

We have some amazing sanctuaries in the U.S. such as Big Cat Rescue (Florida) and Black Pine Animal Sanctuary (Indiana).

[Cold War Spook]

20. Do not forget to feed her before you go to bed.

They do not like to go to bed hungry.