Majestic Puma Rescued From The Zoo Lives As A Spoiled House Cat

Mariya and Aleksandr Dmitriev share a one-bedroom apartment with an odd pet animal – 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 they decided to take a shot and have him.

Just like any other pet, Messi requires lots of exercises to remain healthy. That's why his human parents purchased a special coat and harness for when they go for a walk. "He is like a dog. We started taking him for a walk, step by step. The animal hadn't been really active before, Aleksandr said in an interview with RT, "Now we walk a lot twice a day, as it's supposed to be. It doesn't differ much from owning a dog in this sense."