28-Pound New York City Cat Rivals Bobcat in Size
— -- Meet Samson, the massive 28-pound fluffy feline taking the internet by storm.
He’s a 4-year-old purr-fect purebred Maine Coon that rivals a bobcat in size. And his owner, Jonathan Zurbel of Brooklyn, wouldn’t have it any other way.
“He’s a great companion and he’s a great pet in every way,” Zurbel, 42, told ABC News of his enormous kitty. “He smells good always. He’s the perfect pet.”
Despite his large stature, his owner insists he’s not overweight at all.
“He’s not a fat cat. This one is a strong cat that’s not overweight,” he said. “He’s just a big cat.”
Samson, who goes by Catstradamus on social media, is suspected to be the largest cat in New York City, although there’s no definitive proof.
“It’d be nice to say he’s the biggest cat in the world but I don’t think that’s the case, but I claimed it in New York,” his owner explained. “I’ve asked all these vets and groomers and they don’t know any other in their records as large as him.”
Zurbel inherited Samson from his brother who could no longer take care of him. He’d never even seen the cat before agreeing to pet sit for a while, but eventually became so attached to him that he officially took him in as his own.
The two now live happily ever after in Zurbel’s apartment in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, where it’s not uncommon site to see Samson being wheeled around his personal stroller.
“He’s got his own stroller. People go crazy,” the proud owner said. "Moms think I’m pushing a baby and then they see it’s a fuzzy thing. Most people assume it’s a dog and then they say, ‘Holy [expletive], that’s a cat?’ They think it’s a bobcat or a lynx. They try to take selfies with him and he’s not really into that."
He may not be into taking selfies with random strangers, but Samson sure knows how to ham it up for the camera. His Instagram account has nearly 30,000 followers.
