THE world’s longest cat is so huge that some fans question if he’s real, his owner said.
Barivel, a 3ft 11in moggy in Italy, set the world record for his incredible length.
Edgar Scandurra and Cinzia Tinnirello, Barivel’s owners, said the feline was a special cat for the family.
Edgar said: “He is a little shy and when people see him, they are very shocked.
“For us, he’s a little gift. A big gift.”
Barivel was born in September 2016 – and he was two years old when he broke records in 2018.
Longer than a baseball bat at the time, the family said they expected Barivel to grow a little more.
Maine Coon’s don’t stop growing until they are between three and five years old.
Of his large size, Edgar said: “A lot of people, when I post a photo, ask in a direct message, if he’s photoshopped because of Barivel’s large size.
When the family first got Barivel, they were a little shocked at his size compared to the other cats they own.
Edgar said: “He was very calm and very shy. He is a very good cat.
“We like to go outside but we like to go with the buggy. People are very surprised to see him. It’s strange to see a cat outside in a buggy.
“They want to take a photo of him and want to pet him.”
But with a massive cat like Barivel, the record books were never far from Edgar and Cinzia’s minds.
They said: “From the start, we thought about this Guinness World Records title… for us he is like a gift.”
And Barivel has found fame online – with an Instagram account and thousands of followers.
Pictures show the furry feline playing with his toys and dressed up in Santa hats and sunglasses.
A big cat like Barivel has a big appetite, his owners said.
His family said he always has biscuits available – leading a pampered life.
Edgar said: “He likes a lot of tuna fish and many other types of fish.
“When we eat, he has to eat because he smells our food, like fish or chicken and he loves chicken.”
An avid cat lover, Edgar said the not-so-tiny companion can teach people how to stay calm.
He explained: “For me, some doctors have said that you have to buy a cat because a cat can change your life and you are more comfortable, not only with you but with the world because cats are very strange.
“They teach us a lot of things.For us he is like a gift because he has a good personality.”
Barivel’s name was initially chosen by the breeder.
Edgar explained that in their Italian dialect, Barivel meant “clown or joker”.
He added: “Barivel is not really a joker. He is very calm and very different.
“I say he is like a Buddhist cat because he is very special.”
Another popular Maine Coon cat that went viral on social media is a white moggy called Kefir.
The three-year-old white Maine Coone weighed a whopping 26lbs.
His owner Yulia Minina would post updates of the large Maine Coon on her social media accounts.
Yulia told Pets Radar: “The look is generally like that of a person, and Kefir has a formidable appearance, but he is very affectionate.
“But when strangers come to the house, everyone first confuses him with a dog.”
Maine Coon’s are one of the largest breeds of domesticated cats.
They originated in Maine and have a distinctive physical appearance and a dense coat of fur which helps with the cold Maine climate.
According to the American Cat Fanciers Association, Maine Coon’s are also known to have a dog-like disposition and gets along well with children, other cats and dogs.
The owners of Barivel and Kefir were contacted for comment.
BARIVEL the Maine Coon cat might be the longest domesticated cat in the world, but how does he compared to the some of the world's largest living animals?
The Blue Whale is currently the largest animal alive, the Blue Whale averages approximately 110 tonnes and 79 ft.
The African Bush Elephant is the largest of all elephants. Its average weight is 6 tonnes and they can reach up to 10.4 tonnes and measure 23 ft.
Saltwater Crocodiles are the larges of the reptiles. They often weigh between 1,000 – 2,000 lbs and average about 14.8 ft. A crocodile called Cassius in Australia is the largest living saltwater crocodile in the world.
The Common Ostrich is the largest bird in the world. Ostriches weight 230 lbs and are approximately 6.9 ft
