Couple adopts puma cub that couldn’t live in the wild

“Hello, we are Alexandre and Maria. And this is our cougar, who is called Messi”. Would you like to have neighbors like that? Calm down, don’t get scared ahead of time, we guarantee that it is not a wild beast, but an animal very well educated by its owners. This is not a story of a fight between neighbors, but the story of a family that is beyond different and that has a lot to teach.

We, from awesome.club, we believe in people’s ability to bond and love unconditionally. In this way, we can eliminate the border between having a domestic animal and a wild animal, always respecting the limits of nature and men. Today, we’re going to tell you more details about the life of Messi, the cougar who was adopted by a couple in Russia.

The World Cup was approaching and the three cats, born in the Saransk Zoo, were named after famous players. Some time later, Messi was sold to the zoo in Penza, a Russian city on the banks of the Sura River, where, a year later, he met his future adoptive parents, Alexandre and Maria.

Love at first sight was stronger than common sense, fear and insecurity. A few days later, the couple went to the zoo director with a proposal to adopt the puma cub. The couple did not encounter any obstacles, but our heroes were sternly warned about the animal: it gets very sick and needs a lot of care and attention.

This was no obstacle for first-time parents. Nor the fact that the entrance hall had to be transformed into a room with a ladder and a tree for the animal to climb, and the doorframes were transformed into large walls for the animal to scratch its huge nails. According to the creators, one of the walls should be covered with a large mirror, so that the animal does not feel alone, and they should buy a lot of toys. That is, the couple prepared a big welcome party for the new family member.

Messi really showed himself to be a fragile feline: chronic cystitis, rickets and muscle atrophy were some of the first problems that Alexandre and Maria had to face. Mandatory walks in the morning and at night always included bathing in puddles. Until they found an alternative to that desire: a bathtub big enough for an animal that size.

The walks were complicated by the problems mentioned above. A few months of taking vitamins helped Messi not only master the three-kilometre walks, but also try small jumps. At that moment, an old injury reappeared: a fracture in one of the front legs.

Messi’s owners continued to increase the walking time and always celebrated new achievements, until the cougar started limping again, this time due to problems with his hip joints. This meant that they had to go back to supplements and forced them to think about more balanced workouts. But there was a small detail: who would accept such an exotic ‘student’?

Dozens of calls were made to all kinds of trainers. After many disappointments, the big surprise: “I’ve trained lynxes, but not cougars. What do you think about trying it?”

Messi started having classes four times a week, first individually and then in the company of other four-legged friends. We don’t need to say who stood out in the group. Little by little the animals got to know each other and got closer. However, the environment created by the coach began to bear fruit: despite the differences, the dogs began to accept Messi in the group.

Professional training and training were not only positive for the puma’s health, but also helped to create a bond between him and the owners. After a while, Messi turned into a much smarter and more capable feline. Before, for example, he got too excited at the sight of food.

Messi is an intelligent feline and learns everything very quickly. He opens doors and windows by himself, sits in the corner when he knows he’s done something wrong, and even knows how to apologize in a touching way.

A feline will always be a feline, regardless of its size. Therefore, all the cardboard boxes in the house always had the same fate. If you have cats, you know what we’re talking about.

Just like his little friends, Messi loves to carry objects around the house. But he likes to do this with larger objects like watermelons and pumpkins.

With all sorts of stuffed animals at his disposal, the cougar still finds nothing more fun than a plastic bottle. Perhaps this is because ordinary toys last less time than a bottle. Or maybe because the bottles make more noise.

Even with the educational effort, the owners were not always successful. For example, the photo below clearly shows that the ‘No pets on the bed’ rule was not respected.

After all, who has the courage to say no to such cuteness?

Due to the many illnesses suffered in childhood, this cougar will remain less vigorous than its wild relatives. However, Messi is doing very well, and this allows him to travel and discover new places.

He feels great when he travels by car (a comfortable car, of course). He is very curious when he goes to a forest and loves the beach and the mountains. In fact, he is a great companion for his owners, regardless of the type of trip.

Messi is a very sociable feline that feels great in the company of people and other animals. His story serves to show that love, as always, is the universal language that unites all living beings on this Planet.

Unable to live in his natural habitat, Messi was adopted by people who did their best to give him a solid structure and the necessary affection for a happy life.