Maine Coon cats have long been known as gentle giants. That’s because these big and lovey fluffs can reach impressive proportions. The weight range for females is 10 – 15 pounds, while males can tip scales at 15 – 25 lbs.

So, because kitty boy Kefir is a Maine Coon, cat mom Yuliya Minina expected him to be big. But she never expected Kefir would grow so large that people mistake him for a dog. And he’s not done growing either. Not even two years old yet, Kefir’s still got a couple of years until he reaches his full size. And now that he’s been discovered by Instagram cat lovers, we get to follow along as Kefir keeps growing!

When Yuliya saw Kefir as a snowy white kitten at a cattery near her Stary Oskol, Russia home, she knew they were meant to be together. She chose the name Kefir for him because his fur was silky and white, just like the dairy drink. And like the rich drink he’s named for, Kefir had an appetite for only meat and all-natural foods, turning up his adorable pink nose at dry kibble!

Even as a small kitten with big ears and snowshoe paws, Kefir had an enormous personality. As the months passed, his body caught up with ears and feet to make one huge cat with an even bigger heart. Though Kefir’s a monster of a cat, Yuliya said he’s “a gentle creature in the body of a formidable beast.”

Only a year and nine months old, Kefir already outweighs the average Maine Coon male at 26.5 pounds. And as Maine Coons don’t stop growing until three or fours years of age, who know just how large this boy will get.

And that might become a problem for Yuliya’s sleep!

“At night he likes to climb on me and sleep. When he was a kitten, it didn’t cause me any inconvenience,” Yuliya explained. ”But now he has become big and heavy, and, of course, it is difficult to sleep like that.”

The only other problem with a cat so large and extra fluffy is all the cat fur tumbleweeds Yuliya has to sweep up! Otherwise, as his mom told Bored Panda, Kefir is “a truly perfect cat.”

“This is a super-smart cat. It weirdly can feel the general mood in the house,” shared Yuliya. “Kefir doesn’t meow, doesn’t yell, and doesn’t harm the furniture.”

And when visitors arrive, he welcomes them to the house like a polite cat. But they’re often confused upon first seeing the big boy, with Yuliya explaining, “Many people think that it’s a dog at first.”

But Kefir is all kitty and one hundred percent extra-large, with Yuliya promising there’s no photoshop involved in their pictures. And because the world has fallen for Kefir, he’s decided to take over his mom’s Instagram account more often. So, check in on Kefir on Instagram or visit him on TikTok!