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Home > News > World News > Article > Beware Theres a lion at home

Beware! There’s a lion at home

Updated on: 25 April,2021 07:37 AM IST  |  Russia
Agencies |

A cat-obsessed Russian couple has been living with a feline cougar for the last three years that has now become a social media star

Beware! There’s a lion at home

Lion

Aleksandr and Maria Dmitriev, a young couple from Penza, Russia, have been living with a mountain lion in their tiny one-bedroom apartment for the past three years. Messi is a three-year-old cougar. In the wild, it is considered an apex predator, but Messi was born in a petting zoo and has spent most of his life as a house cat, so he basically behaves like an overgrown cat, for now.


Messi the domesticated cougar tied to a leash like any ordinary pet, Aleksandr Dmitriev cuddling Messi
Messi the domesticated cougar tied to a leash like any ordinary pet, Aleksandr Dmitriev cuddling Messi



The Dmitrievs are aware that Messi is a predator that will, at some point, test their strength to establish, who is in charge of the house, but they have taken steps to keep his wild side in check. Aleksandr and Maria, both trained psychologists, have always loved cats. Their hairless Sphynx, Kira, had always been enough for them, but in 2018, when they heard that a newborn cougar cub at the local petting zoo in Penza was in serious need of medical attention, they couldn’t just sit by.


Messi the cougar with Maria Dmitriev
Messi the cougar with Maria Dmitriev

Since the animals at the zoo live in small enclosures, they decided to give this ill cub a better chance at life. So they decided to buy him, and were surprised when the petting zoo actually accepted. They brought Messi home and managed to nurse him back to health, but it didn’t take long for them to realise that if they wanted to keep him, they had to make some adjustments around their home.

Messi is seen sitting comfortably in his new home
Messi is seen sitting comfortably in his new home

Aleksandr and Maria converted the hallway of the apartment into the feline’s headquarters, lining the walls with bamboo panels, which are better suited to withstand its sharp talons and can easily be replaced. The big cat has gained a huge following on social media.

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The building does not have conventional air conditioning, and mostly relies on dehumidifying the humid air, making it more comfortable and less sticky. Finally, there is a piping system that can pump cold water through concrete floors to cool the building if it gets above 78 degrees Fahrenheit. “Kendeda’s goal was not really to build a building. Our goal was to be a catalyst for changing how buildings should be designed,” said the foundation’s sustainability advisor, Dennis Creech.

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He’s easy to identify among his bandmates, as he’s the one with the face half covered with long, blonde bangs. He’s been sporting the bizarre hairstyle since January 2020, and has managed to generate quite a lot of buzz in South Korean entertainment business, because of it.

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