A WHOPPING 28lb cat the size of a small child has become a viral star — thanks to his massive frame, love of raw meat, and a bed made for a husky.
Zeus, a “majestic”; Maine Coon, who lives in with his owner, stretches a jaw-dropping 4ft 3in tall when on his hind legs.
But despite his lion-like looks, the gentle giant is far from a predator.
Zeus is owned by tech whizz Daniela Ermolaeva and her partner Liviu, who document his day-to-day antics on .
“He’s the sweetest cat,”; said 33-year-old Daniela.
The super-sized feline lounges on a bed meant for a sled dog, high-fives on command, gives paw and even hits buttons for treats — but his floofy tail still spills off the edge.
Daniela joked: “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.’”;
The lifelong animal lover had always dreamed of owning a Maine Coon — the largest breed of domestic cat — but never thought it would come true.
“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 eventually shared her dream with Liviu, telling him she didn’t “need presents like or fancy cars”;.
After months of research, she spotted Zeus online as a kitten with “big eyes, a big tail”;, and instantly knew he was the one.
Liviu made the ultimate romantic gesture — by bringing him home.
From the moment he arrived in 2021Zeus was already larger than their other cat, eight-year-old rescue Mata.
By age one, he’d hit 10kg — and just kept growing.
“Nobody believed that he could get bigger, but every year he has gained one more kilogram,”; Daniela said.
“So now, at four years old, he is 13kg – he’s huge.”;
And he’s not done yet — Maine Coons grow until they’re five, so Zeus could balloon to 14kg (30lb), almost three times the average for his breed.
Feeding him isn’t cheap — Zeus chows down on 500g of food a day, including 250g of raw beef, posh dry food and heaps of treats.
“It is very expensive for the maintenance of a Maine Coon,”; said Daniela.
“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.”;
Despite his size, Zeus is anything but a beast. The mellow moggy has even made friends with the neighbour’s Golden Retriever.
