Meet Richie. He’s absolutely massive.
That’s in large part due to his breed – Maine Coons tend to hefty – but also his mounds of fluffy fur.
All this, combined with unusual colouring, means that Richie has become a bit of an Instagram star, and often gets compared to a lemur or a yeti. We can see the resemblance.
The gentle giant is a black smoke, which means he has luscious black fur on his head and legs, but he also has a shaggy, sheep-like coat of lighter grey.
No wonder, then, that he’s racked up more than 126,000 followers online, who all flock to marvel at Richie’s beauty.
The cat – who measures almost a metre long – belongs to Adriana, from France, who rehomed Richie during the early stages of the pandemic.
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‘After sharing just one video of Richie on Instagram it went everywhere in one fell swoop on and I counted more than one million views,’ she said.
‘The internet is really crazy. I even found Richie on the Chinese social network, he is everywhere in the world I think.
‘I think Richie is really unique and I haven’t found a Maine Coon that looks like him.
‘Today I have an incredible online community and a lot of people who are loyal and love to see Richie every day.
‘Some people tell me that Richie brings them a lot of happiness.’
Despite Richie’s slightly ferocious, otherworldly appearance, Adriana says he’s a very sweet and friendly cat.
She said: ‘He loves meeting new people, especially children and he seems passionate about them, but some children are afraid of him.
‘He likes to play and he has his own playroom.
‘He sleeps a lot and isolates himself when he wants to rest himself. Otherwise he spends his time in our kitchen.
‘This is his territory and he also stretches out on the dining table and sits next to us when we eat.’
If you’re gazing upon Richie and have fallen so in love you’d like your very own Maine Coon, stop right there.
Along with sharing photos and bringing joy to people, Adriana wants to raise awareness of the effort needed to care for these majestic creatures – rehoming a Maine Coon is a big decision.
‘He needs a lot of care’, she notes. ‘If he goes outside for example I have to clean his fur which catches all the dirt.
‘I brush him whenever he needs it and he enjoys it. This type of cat requires a lot of time and attention.’
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