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Giant Kitty Who Gets Mistaken for Lynx , Bobcat, ‘Wild Animal' in San Jose Goes Viral

What’s 27 lbs, 4-ft tall and eats a pound of meat every day? Not a bobcat or lynx, not even a “wild animal,” as some passersby in San Jose’s Rose Garden neighborhood (mistakenly) think.

It’s just Spock the house cat — a giant 4-year-old Maine Coon who was adopted by Colleen Pizarev and has now gone viral.

"We have people who walk through the neighborhood and see him at the window. They knock on my door and say: 'I am concerned you have a lynx in your house,'" Pizarev said. "In most cases I am able to diffuse the situation ... I say, 'No it’s okay he has a tail.'"

Sometimes, people mistake Spock for a bobcat. Some have even threatened to call animal control.

"When I'm in the front room I get a lot of strange looks," Pizarev said. Spock's story made it to page six of the Rose Garden Weekly and he was discovered by local media. Buzzfeed and the Daily Mail came calling and pretty soon Spock was trending on Facebook. Thankfully, Pizarev says, Spock is oblivious to all the attention.

The worst part about going viral? "People are stretching the truth about Spock — suddenly he's 5-ft tall," Pizarev said.

"I just want to raise awareness about the breed," said Pizarev, who has adopted two other Maine Coons from an Oakland cat rescue center. One of them, Fluff Ball, bosses Spock around even though he's only 10 lbs. The breed is large, highly affectionate and people-oriented, with a "clown-like personality," according to the International Cat Association.

"They are the sweetest, most wonderful gentle giants," Pizarev said. 

Pizarev adopted Spock when he was fiive months old — his tail was longer than him even when he was a kitten. "He was supposed to be a show cat, but his eyes turned a different color, so we adopted him," she said. "We love him to bits — he's full of personality and a joy to have."

And like a lot of kitties, Spock thinks he’s a human trapped in a cat’s body.

On Facebook, Spock's story has sparked a conversation about Maine Coons and how gentle these huge cats are with people.

“You all right out there, San Jose? A bobcat implies a short tail, this is obviously a Maine Coon,” User Robyn Ostrokol joked.[[365849131, C]]

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