Cats come in all shapes and sizes: some small, some big, some skinny, others not so much. But, while there's certainly plenty of variety in the cat world, you've likely never seen a feline quite like this one. Meet Kefir the cat, a white Maine Coon hailing from the town of Stary Oskol in Russia.
While most cats’ growth tends to level off after a few years, at just two years old, Kefir simply hasn’t stopped growing.
Currently weighing in at 12.5 kilos – even Maine Coons, one of the largest cat breeds, tend to average out at somewhere between 6.8 and 11.3 kilos - Kefir is one hefty mammal. And since Maine Coons tend to stop growing by the age of 4, there’s a lot more growing to go.
His owner, Yulia Minina, named Kefir after her favorite yogurt drink, inspired by his milky white fur.
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Despite Kefir’s massive stature – he’s bigger than some dogs, after all – Kefir is a big softy really. Happy to cuddle and nuzzle against his favorite humans, Yulia says that Kefir has a heart of gold.
“The look is generally like that of a person,” says Yulia, “and Kefir has a formidable appearance, but he is a very affectionate and modest child.”
“When friends and acquaintances come to the house, all the attention is on him and he willingly allows himself to be stroked,” says Yulia on how visitors tend to respond to him.
“But when strangers come to the house, everyone first confuses him with a dog.” Entirely understandable, considering just how big he is.
However, his size has posed some challenges, particularly when Kefir tries to snuggle up to Yulia at night: “Now he has become big and heavy, and, of course, it is difficult to sleep like that.”
It’s clear to see that Kefir has as big a heart as he has a body!
