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 Moldova with his owner, stretches a jaw-dropping 4ft 3in tall when on his hind legs.
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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 Instagram.
“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 jewellery 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 2021 Zeus 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.
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