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A house cat weighing 13kg and standing at more than four feet tall has become a ‘social media star’ as millions view the massive feline online.
The large pet named Zeus is owned by Daniela Ermolaeva, 33. The IT worker says she had always dreamed of having a Maine Coon – a large domesticated cat breed – but never thought the “stars would align.”
That was until her partner Liviu surprised her with Zeus in 2021.
Since then, Daniela and Zeus have amassed thousands of followers and millions of views online, as the owner says she has been enjoying sharing the “fantastic creature” on her social media channel @zeus.mainecoon.official.
Zeus may “scare some people” due to his size, measureing 130cm (4ft 3in) when he stands on his two back paws with his front paws stretched out, but Daniela said he is “the sweetest cat”.
The “gentle giant” can do tricks, such as offering his paw, high-fiving Daniela and pressing buttons for treats, and he sleeps on a husky-sized bed, which his fluffy tail does not fit into.
She said: “He’s a very good actor, but he is a cat.
“He will do something for 10 seconds and then he wants to lay down and is like, ‘Give me food, please. I’m Zeus, I’m a majestic cat’.”
Daniela, who lives in Moldova, explained that she has always loved animals.
She saw Maine Coons – the largest domestic cat breed – during her childhood and thought they were “something from a fairy tale”, but she did not think she would ever own one.
“I was fascinated by this breed, but it was not an available option in my life at that moment,” she said.
“That just stayed in the back of my mind, and I thought, someday, maybe, I will fulfil this dream.”
She told her partner of her dream to own a Maine Coon, saying she does not “need presents like jewellery or fancy cars”, but even he did not think it was possible to care for such a large cat.
However, with Liviu’s support, Daniela thoroughly researched the breed’s characteristics and spent three months looking for the perfect Maine Coon.
When she saw the picture of Zeus, who was being offered for sale, she knew he was the one.
“I saw a story online about this little kitten with these big eyes, a big tail, and I just knew it was him,” she said.
“I asked my boyfriend to make a minimum deposit so the kitten wouldn’t be sold, and he just came home with this little kitten and surprised me.”
In 2021, Daniela met Zeus for the first time – and even as a kitten, he was larger than their eight-year-old rescue cat, Mata (pronounced Mitza).
At one year old, Zeus weighed 10kg and has gained 1kg every year since.
“Nobody believed that he could get bigger, but every year he has gained one more kilogram,” she said.
“So now, at four years old, he is 13kg – he’s huge.”
Daniela explained that Maine Coons typically continue growing until they are five years old, meaning Zeus will most likely reach 14kg.
Speaking about her reasons for calling him Zeus, she said: “I wanted the most majestic and remarkable name I could give to him, and I had the name Zeus actually reserved for my future dog.
“I wanted a big, fluffy black dog in my future, and I was sure that Zeus was the perfect name for a dog… but after a week researching for names, I just gave up and said, ‘No, this cat will be Zeus’.”
Maine Coons have large, pointed ears, an intelligent expression, a long and thick coat and a spectacular tail, which can wrap around their body for extra insulation, Purina says.
The typical weight for the breed ranges from 4.8kg to 8.2kg, meaning Zeus is larger than average, and his length from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail is 120cm (4ft).
When he is standing on his two back paws with his front paws stretched out, reaching for food, Zeus reaches 130cm (4ft 3in), which is nearly as tall as Daniela who measures 5ft 3in tall.
“Even for a Maine Coon, he is not average sized – he is really fascinating,” she said.
Daniela said Zeus exercises by playing with toys and using his floor-to-ceiling scratching tower, and he enjoys climbing on her and the fridge.
He has a strict grooming regime to maintain his “beautiful” look, with Daniela brushing his glossy, cotton-like fur with a comb several times a day.
For his diet, he consumes 500g of food every day, which includes 250g of raw beef, along with the “highest quality” dry food and up to 50g of treats.
“It is very expensive for the maintenance of a Maine Coon,” Daniela said.
“While I can’t give any specific numbers on how much I spend in total per month, everything he needs – food, grooming, toys, veterinary care – if you multiply the maintenance expenses of a regular cat by three, you’ll get an idea.”
Zeus often scares other cats due to his size, but Daniela said he is “mellow and quiet” and has even made friends with their neighbour’s Golden Retriever dog.
She decided to start posting content of Zeus on social media to keep friends and family updated on his growth, but one day, one video received a million views in one week.
Since then, Zeus has become a “sensation” online, with some of his videos of him standing on his back paws receiving more than 50 million views.
Daniela said: “He very quickly became a sensation, because it was something new.
“Maybe because of his very big size, the very beautiful fur, the very interesting tricks that he did, people became interested.”
Daniela said she knew Zeus would have a “great future”, but she never expected him to become this popular.
She said she will continue posting content of Zeus online, as she feels it is important to educate others on the breed and she enjoys being “creative” with her videos.
For those wanting a Maine Coon, she said people should do their research and ensure they are “mentally and financially prepared to maintain the beauty of this breed”.
“Becoming an Instagram influencer or Instagram blogger, it was not in our plans at all,” she said.
“We have videos that have views of 50 million, 40 million, 30 million and several with 20 million on Instagram and also TikTok.
“He’s really a social media star.”
To find out more about Zeus, search @zeus.mainecoon.official on social media or visit: zeusthebigcat.com.
English (US) ·