Long before Fedja stole the heart of the internet, he stole the heart of Natalia Zhdanova, a Russian children’s bookmaker, who found the cat when he was just a few days old, sick and stray, in her backyard.
Upon scooping him up, Zhdanova noticed that his eyes were misaligned, which gives him the surprised look he’s become known and adored for. Fedja now has a following of over 35,000 on Instagram!
But, at the time she found him, Zhdanova told South West News Service, UK (SWNS), “He was very weak and was dying.”
With a further complication of the misalignment hindering the use of his back legs, Zhdanova took it upon herself to nurse the kitten back to health — with the help of a neighborly feline.
Handsome, Your Friendly Neighborhood Feline
Every day, Zhdanova’s neighbor cat, named Handsome, stopped by to help care for Fedja. “Handsome cleaned and licked Fedja and became like a father figure to him,” she said.
With the help of both Zhdanova and Handsome, Fedja made a full recovery and is now one year and nine months old. However, his ocular disposition remains unchanged.
“We’re not sure if it’s a genetic deformity, or if he was dropped by his mum as a kitten,” Zhdanova explained, not knowing the origin of what happened to Fedja.
“Now he is much healthier. He is a very sweet, gentle, playful, and intelligent cat. He purrs very loudly,” she added.
And, of course, Fedja and Handsome have remained the best of pals.
Become A Fan Of Fedja & Adopt A Cat Like Him
If you’re interested in finding out a bit more about Fedja and following along on his journey, you can do so via his Instagram, or his TikTok, both @Fedja_Kot.
He’s already amassed quite the following and seems to love pleasing feline fans all over the world with his dashing good looks.
(Picture Credit: Andrii Kozlytskyi/Getty Images)
And don’t forget to give a chance to a cat like Fedja! Cats who have medical conditions or deformities often have a harder time finding forever homes. Check out your local shelter, or visit CatTime’s adoption page to search for adoptable cats in your area!
How adorable is Fedja? Would you adopt a cat with unusual looks like him? Let us know in the comments below!