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Messi was one of three cougar cubs that were born at the Saransk Zoo in Penza, Russia. Messi and his brothers, Suarez and Neymar, were named after famous soccer players to pay tribute to Russia hosting four games of the World Cup.
Unfortunately, Messi began having health problems when he was three months old. The Saransk Zoo did their best to take care of him but they were okay with someone taking Messi off their hands.
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Messi's fate changed when Mariya and Aleksandr visited the zoo and saw him when he was eight months old. According to Mariya, Aleksandr always dreamed of owning a big housecat, and finally, their dreams might come true.
The couple thought their big housecat would be a lynx. When they found out Messi was sick and the zoo might give him up, they immediately started negotiations with to buy him and take the sick puma off their hands.
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Mariya and Aleksandr were pleasantly surprised when the zoo agreed to let them have Messi. They knew it would be difficult, but the first thing they had to do was nurse the kitten back to health.
Mariya said that beyond the challenges of Messi being a wild animal, he was extremely weak and required constant attention for the first few months. Even once Messi returned to full health, he still only grew to about two-thirds the size of a normal puma.
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Now that Messi is healthy, Mariya and Aleksandr have had to deal with the challenges of raising a wild animal as a house cat. The couple tried to find a wild animal trainer to help then teach Messi commands but no one agreed to work with the couple.
The couple also lives in a one-bedroom apartment. Still, they've done their best to accommodate Messi. The turned their hallway into Messi's den featuring stairs to climb and a real tree to scratch.
@I_am_puma/Instagram
Eventually, the couple was able to find a dog training school that allowed Messi to attend. The puma-turned-house cat can now respond to ten different commands. Much like a dog, Messi also requires a lot of exercise.
While in captivity, Messi hadn't been active at all. The couple had a special harness and coat made for Messi so they can take him on walks. Now, they can walk Messi twice a day for an hour each time.
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While Mariya and Aleksandr insist that Messi is gentle and has the same temperament as a regular house cat, there have been some animal activists that disagree. Many activists have voiced their belief that Messi should be living in the wild, but the couple disagrees since Messi has never had to survive alongside other animals.
Other activists note that even though Messi is gentle, he still has animal instincts that could be dangerous. For now, Messi will remain with Mariya and Aleksandr as the most spoiled house cat in Russia.
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Some of the animal rights activists who aren't a fan of Messi have questioned how Mariya and Aleksandr can legally own him. Some countries have stricter laws against owning what are considered to be "wild" animals, but Russia's laws are quite limited.
The only laws Russia has in place regarding wild animals are for if you injure or kill one. So technically, Mariya and Aleksandr aren't breaking any laws. Mike Tyson's tiger wasn't breaking any laws either though.
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As the controversy around Messi continues to grow, so does his fan base. When Mariya and Aleksandr brought home Messi, they created an Instagram and YouTube account for the puma. As of May 2019, Messi's Instagram account has 944,000 followers and his YouTube channel boasts 345,000 subscribers.
If you head over to his YouTube you can see videos of Messi and Aleksandr working out together, and even a video about how to properly give a puma a bath.
@I_am_puma/Instagram
Even though Messi is more than two years old, he still has some serious health issues that have followed him from his childhood. In particular, Messi has had to deal with muscular atrophy and rickets that likely stemmed from when he was neglected as a cub.
Messi also has to take specific minerals and vitamin supplements to keep his bones healthy. Still, he walks with a limp and has had to visit the vet several times.
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Even though Messi was originally named after Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi, both Mariya and Aleksandr couldn't care less about soccer. In an interview with Reuters, Aleksandr said the couple "are not soccer fans" but that has since changed.
Aleksandr also said now that they have Messi, the couple will watch soccer together and "cheer for the Argentina team simply because of our Messi." The global sport just gained two more fans thanks to this special puma!
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Pet owners spend an average of $1,285 on their pets every year. Americans alone spend $70 billion on pets every year. Taking care of Messi also comes with a high price tag. He is fed twice a day and his diet consists of raw turkey, beef, and chicken.
Mariya and Aleksandr say that it costs about 20,000-40,000 rubles every month to feed him. That equals out to $300-$600 just for food. That doesn't even include any of the pricey vet bills.
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Mariya and Aleksandr have gone to great lengths to make sure Messi feels at home in their apartment. His favorite toys to play with are empty bottles and balls. He frequently plays with his miniature soccer ball that was a gift from a Brazilian journalist.
Along with his specially-crafted climbing nook, Messi has a mirrored wall so he can keep himself entertained. Or, he can just sit beside the mirrored wall looking pensive while "Reflection" from Mulan plays in the background.
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It might sound crazy, but those dog training classes that Mariya and Aleksandr enrolled Messi in have actually worked. He knows ten commands and the list keeps growing. Messi is also perfectly fine walking in a harness and the couple says he rarely pulls.
Not only is his training working but Messi is a good friend to the other dogs in the class. All the neighborhood dogs have taken a liking to Messi and have no problems letting him learn with them.
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Not only is Messi on the way to being a well-trained puma in public, but Mariya and Aleksandr have even managed to house train him. Messi does most of his business outside when they go on walks and short day-trips.
When the option for a walk isn't there, Messi has been trained to relieve himself in the bathtub. It's the same bathtub that Messi has been trained to calmly sit in when Mariya and Aleksandr give him a bath.
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When Mariya and Aleksandr brought Messi home, he was calm but he wasn't super affectionate. Over the years, Messi has slowly become affectionate towards his human family and become more and more like a typical house cat.
Messi loves to be stroked and especially loves getting scratched behind his ears. He has his own "cat" bed but will often lay with Aleksandr in the couple's bed. Messi even learned not to have his claws out when jumping on the bed.
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Mariya and Aleksandr admit that having a large cat-like Messi as a pet has put some limitations on their life. Right now, the only options for holidays are those within driving distance. That doesn't mean they can't find a hotel that will allow Messi to stay though.
Aleksandr, who works at a printing house in town, also admits that he can no longer join his friends for a drink after work since he has to walk Messi. Those problems won't sound unfamiliar for anyone with a dog or kids though.
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While Messi is gentle and has never attacked a human, Mariya and Aleksandr have found that there are some animals that he just doesn't like. Messi is usually timid of any animals that are larger than him and make strange sounds.
Mariya and Aleksandr found that out the hard way when they took Messi to visit a farm with cows. Luckily, Messi won't actually harm the animals. He'll just stay on guard until they are gone.
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The other animals that Messi doesn't get along with is Mariya and Aleksandr's other cat. The couple already had six-year-old Sphynx cat named Kira before they got Messi. They introduced the two cats to each other but when Messi tried to play with Kira, she hissed and tried to claw him.
Since Kira isn't the biggest fan of Messi, Mariya and Aleksandr have made sure to keep the pair separated while in the apartment.
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One of the things Mariya and Aleksandr love about Messi is that he's as down to earth as they come. Mariya said she "thanks God" he doesn't realize he's a star because "stars usually have demands."
Instead, Messi lives without any special treatment and doesn't get jealous when Mariya and Aleksandr pay attention to Kira instead. Owning a puma is already pretty demanding, so Mariya is happy that "he does not ask for royal shrimps for breakfast."
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You might think raising a puma and a sphynx cat would be enough for Mariya and Aleksandr, but the couple has expressed a desire for more cats. They plan to move from their apartment and into a bigger house in the near future to give their cats more space.
The pair also hope to adopt a leopard in the future as a companion for Messi. The couple will likely end up with more criticism if they adopt another large cat, but they don't seem too phased about it. All they care about is giving Messi the best life they can.