The internet has been captivated by the adorable ‘Big Floppa’, a cat with beautiful green eyes, a unique elongated nose, and tufted ears. This feline has taken the world by storm, as social media users have created memes, T-shirts, and phone apps based on his image. What’s surprising is that ‘Big Floppa’ hails from Russia and is not your average house cat. Moscow videographer Andrei Bondarev shared a photo of his “pet” on Instagram in April 2018, and this giant short-haired cat instantly became a viral sensation on platforms like Reddit. With his striking features and elongated ears, the cat, whose real name is Gosha, belongs to the caracal species, similar in appearance to a lynx. Although native to Africa, Asia, and India, Gosha was born in a Ukrainian cattery specializing in wild cats on December 21, 2017. Along with his two companions, Matvei and Zhora, Gosha, also known as ‘Kot Shlyopa’, has become a popular blogger and gained even more fame in 2020.
In April 2018, he made his way to Moscow where he found a new abode with the Bondarev family. The Bondarev household was made up of Andrei and his wife, Yelena, also known as Lena. Upon stumbling upon a photo of a remarkable wildcat on the internet, they immediately became enamored with the idea of having one as their own. After a year of meticulous preparation and consulting with experts, the couple finally fulfilled their dream and adopted a caracal.
Georgy and his furry friends embarked on a long journey to Moscow, enduring more than 24 hours of travel time. Upon arrival, the newest addition to the family, Gosha, was initially hesitant to explore their new living quarters. Fortunately, an older cat named Matvei came to the rescue and helped Gosha become comfortable in the new environment. However, the third cat in the household, Zhora, wasn’t too thrilled with Gosha’s arrival and kept his distance for a few weeks. Nevertheless, Zhora eventually warmed up to Gosha and the two are now good buddies. Despite some hiccups with litter box training, Yelena (Georgy’s partner) reassured him that this is common feline behavior and could easily be addressed. All in all, Gosha remains an active and playful kitten who has fit right in with the rest of the family.
Yelena takes good care of her caracal, Gosha, by providing him with a healthy diet rich in turkey, rabbit, and other nutritious ingredients. She mentions that Gosha is deeply attached to her and considers her as his human. Interestingly, Gosha exhibits traits that are typically seen in dogs – he is extremely loyal to Yelena. Despite this, he doesn’t enjoy being alone and is wary of strangers.
It has been brought to our attention by Andrei that Georgy exhibits aggressive behavior, particularly when he’s given cardboard pieces to play with. In his free time, he tends to tear them up and ruin them, much to the dismay of Andrei and Yelena. It’s unfortunate to note that this tendency isn’t exclusive to cardboard as he also causes damage to furniture and wallpaper.
Andrei revealed that his cat, Gosha, can be quite a handful. The furry feline has a habit of scratching through walls, leaving deep grooves down to the concrete. Despite Andrei’s attempts to repair the damage, Gosha’s persistent behavior made it a futile endeavor. Adding to the destruction, Gosha even managed to scratch their TV while they were watching Animal Planet. Nevertheless, in early 2020, Gosha became an internet sensation as a photo of him lounging on a windowsill with Zhora went viral. This led to an influx of memes, demotivational posters, and manipulated images featuring the mischievous cat. These quickly spread throughout meme communities on Instagram before becoming popular on other social media platforms such as Twitter and Reddit.
Yelena recounted how she stumbled upon Gosha’s internet fame through a mutual acquaintance of her husband’s, who also happened to own a caracal. Initially, they were thrilled to see Gosha making waves online and even uploaded some snapshots of him. However, Yelena started feeling uneasy upon seeing Gosha being appropriated in memes that propagated toxic and discriminatory ideologies like Nazism, racism, or homophobia. She vehemently denounces any such misuse of Gosha and deems it unacceptable.
A fresh addition to the Google Play App Store is the Big Floppa app that surfaced during the spring of 2021. This new app features Gosha, who is also known as Gregory in English, moving around on your screen when you tap on him. Numerous users have given positive feedback about this app, leaving optimistic reviews.
Someone left a comment expressing their fondness for the game, praising its engaging content and even sharing some spooky moments that gave them a startle. They were surprised when they clicked on Shlyopa (Floppa) and heard him growl. The game has a complete and satisfying experience that doesn’t need any extra add-ons. Yelena voiced her worries about Gosha’s monthly expenses, pointing out that while some supporters donate to assist other cats, the amount is not enough to cover necessary expenses like food and litter, which cost around 20-25,000 rubles ($270-$340).
In addition, the Bondarev household makes it a point to bring Gosha to a specialist for wild cats twice annually. They ensure that he receives the necessary check-ups and vaccinations. While he has a unique background, he is still perceived as a regular domestic cat by the family. However, his size requires extra attention and care as injuries he may sustain during playtime can be more serious than those of smaller cats. Additionally, bigger felines have the tendency to cause more destruction indoors. Despite these challenges, Yelena underscores the importance of treating all cats, regardless of their size or history, as cherished companions.
