A Maine Coon kitten less than two years’ old is on track to becoming the world’s biggest cat, already weighing in at 12.5 kg.
Kefir, who lives in the small Russian town of Stary Oskol with his owner, Yulia Minina, is so large that people often mistake him for a dog.
At one year and 10 months old, the white-furred kitten has already surpassed the average adult weight of Maine Coone cats.
Male Maine Coon cats usually weigh between 6.8kgs and 11.3kgs. Kefir will not reach his full size until he’s roughly three or four years old.
While Kefir – who get’s his name from the milky fermented drink – has a “formidable” appearance, he is “very affectionate and modest”, Minina said.
“I could not even think that an ordinary baby can become so big. He not only grew up big in appearance, but he is also very smart and always behaves calmly,”
Explaining Kefir’s calm nature, Minina said he is always willing to be stroked.
“When strangers come to the house, everyone first confuses him with a dog,” she said.
“But when friends and acquaintances come to the house – all the attention is on him and he willingly allows himself to be stroked.”
He is also affectionate and often likes to climb on top of Minina to sleep, which has become inconvenient given his size.
“He has become big and heavy, and, of course, it is difficult to sleep like that,” she added.
A Maine Coon currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest domestic cat.
Measuring at 120cm long, Barivel, from Italy, has held the title since May 2018.
Barivel’s owner says that despite his size, he is a “quiet and shy” cat, whose favourite foods are tuna and chicken.
