A few years back, we shared Fedya's story on Bored Panda, and today, we would like to update you on his growing popularity.
Four-year-old Fedya, a gray cat, was rescued by Natalya. Since he was a very sick kitten, Natalya took him in to nurse him into the healthy and happy cat he is today. However, one thing did stand out from other cats – it's Fedya's face. You might say his facial expression gives him a permanently surprised look due to his unusual eye placement. Fortunately, that doesn't negatively affect Fedya's life; in fact, on the contrary, his unusual looks have gained him an astounding amount of 369K followers on Instagram.
So, without further ado, we invite you to read the story below and get to know Fedya – the cutest scaredy-cat on the internet – better.
Meet Fedya, a weird-looking cat that, despite all odds, now enjoys a happy life and popularity on social media
Image credits: fedja_kot
Fedya’s early days were quite challenging as he was underdeveloped, very weak and sick
Image credits: fedja_kot
Bored Panda once again reached out to Natalya, who told more about the challenges Fedya faced in the early days.
“In the first days, Fedya was very weak. He couldn't find his mother on his own to suckle and eat. We fed him goat's milk from a pipette. When he was one month old, he immediately understood the purpose of the litter box and went to the toilet not by the shortest route, but along the perimeter of the room, along the walls, turning at the corners. Perhaps the walls helped him orient himself in space. As Fedya grew up, he started trying to jump onto the windowsill to get out onto the street. But he couldn't do it. He trained for almost a year before he could. He doesn't know how to climb trees. For a long time, about a year, he couldn't jump onto the bed - he climbed, digging his claws into the blanket.”
“In the first days, Fedya was very weak. He couldn't find his mother on his own to suckle and eat. We fed him goat's milk from a pipette. When he was one month old, he immediately understood the purpose of the litter box and went to the toilet not by the shortest route, but along the perimeter of the room, along the walls, turning at the corners. Perhaps the walls helped him orient himself in space. As Fedya grew up, he started trying to jump onto the windowsill to get out onto the street. But he couldn't do it. He trained for almost a year before he could. He doesn't know how to climb trees. For a long time, about a year, he couldn't jump onto the bed - he climbed, digging his claws into the blanket.”
Image credits: fedja_kot
Image credits: fedja_kot
Luckily, his current owner, Natalya, took Fedya in and nursed him back to health
Image credits: fedja_kot
Image credits: fedja_kot
Image credits: fedja_kot
In 2019, Natalya also created an Instagram account dedicated to Fedya, and not long after, he became an Internet sensation
Image credits: fedja_kot
We asked Natalya to share the moment when she realized that Fedya was getting famous.
“I realized that Fedya became an internet sensation when we gained thousands of subscribers in a few days and journalists from different countries started writing to us. And then our local journalists found out about us and started calling. It was amazing to me. I didn't consider Fedya an exclusive cat; to me, he was just an ordinary cat, a bit strange and funny. As an introvert, I found popularity difficult to handle, but I was very pleased that my cat brought so much joy to people around the world.
“I realized that Fedya became an internet sensation when we gained thousands of subscribers in a few days and journalists from different countries started writing to us. And then our local journalists found out about us and started calling. It was amazing to me. I didn't consider Fedya an exclusive cat; to me, he was just an ordinary cat, a bit strange and funny. As an introvert, I found popularity difficult to handle, but I was very pleased that my cat brought so much joy to people around the world.
Image credits: fedja_kot
Image credits: fedja_kot
People were fascinated by his unique looks and, at first, couldn’t believe that he was in fact a real cat
Image credits: fedja_kot
Natalya also shared what it’s like to manage Fedya’s social media accounts.
“Managing a cat account is both easy and difficult at the same time. You can simply show Fedya's life and his friends, and its endless content. But it can become boring for subscribers, so I try to make humorous videos. That's how our activity started. If there's any idea and I need to shoot a fictional story about cats, it's difficult because cats see the situation very differently from me. However, they can transform any of my ideas even better than I imagined. So it often turns out to be fun because Fyodor's facial expression always saves the situation.”
“Managing a cat account is both easy and difficult at the same time. You can simply show Fedya's life and his friends, and its endless content. But it can become boring for subscribers, so I try to make humorous videos. That's how our activity started. If there's any idea and I need to shoot a fictional story about cats, it's difficult because cats see the situation very differently from me. However, they can transform any of my ideas even better than I imagined. So it often turns out to be fun because Fyodor's facial expression always saves the situation.”
Image credits: fedja_kot
Image credits: fedja_kot
Fast forward to today, Fedya continues to surprise and steal people’s hearts all over the world
Image credits: fedja_kot
Natalya continued: “I'm delighted with the huge number of subscribers, and I love each and every one of them. They are my like-minded people, cat lovers, Fedya's fans, and just people who come to our account to relax and smile. Our subscribers are our wings, our strength, huge support, and a wave of love. I used to communicate and respond to every message, but now I simply can't manage it. Sometimes I check direct messages and respond as much as I can handle. I don't want anyone else to respond to messages addressed to me because I consider it unfair. I'd rather reply much later, than myself.
Image credits: fedja_kot
Image credits: fedja_kot
His fame serves a purpose beyond mere entertainment, as the merchandise created by Natalya helps support a shelter housing 50 animals
Image credits: fedja_kot
Fedya’s charitable actions are inspiring. Natalya shared more about the shelter they are helping.
“The shelter, which we fully support, belongs to my mother. There are about 35 cats and 15 dogs in it. We purchase food, litter for toilets, and medicines. We pay for surgeries. Our subscribers help us a lot with donations; without them, we wouldn't cope. Thank you to each of them for participating in the shelter's life. Now almost all the cats are healthy, well-fed, and groomed. Two cats are seriously ill, and several new cats still need to be sterilized.”
“The shelter, which we fully support, belongs to my mother. There are about 35 cats and 15 dogs in it. We purchase food, litter for toilets, and medicines. We pay for surgeries. Our subscribers help us a lot with donations; without them, we wouldn't cope. Thank you to each of them for participating in the shelter's life. Now almost all the cats are healthy, well-fed, and groomed. Two cats are seriously ill, and several new cats still need to be sterilized.”
Image credits: fedja_kot
Image credits: fedja_kot
Fedya is a genuine miracle who has an impact on everyone he comes into contact with. His story is a heartwarming reminder of the significant influence that pets have on our lives
Image credits: fedja_kot
And lastly, Natalya added: “I would like to thank the Bored Panda audience because they were the very first readers of Fedya's story! Yes, you were the first international publication to publish our story when Fedya and I were just starting our journey. There were many others later, but Bored Panda will always remain in our memory! Fedya and I send greetings to all the readers of Bored Panda!”
Image credits: fedja_kot
Image credits: fedja_kot