Pumba Caracal

Pumba Caracal is a giant domesticated wild feline who enjoys watching TV and hates being left alone at home. In case you are not familiar with the species, Caracals are medium-sized wild felines characterized by long canine teeth, long tufted ears, long legs, a robust build, and a short face. Full-grown Caracals reach up to 20 inches at the shoulder and weigh up to 42 pounds.

While many countries prohibit residents from keeping Caracals as pets, it is legal in some. And Latvia is one of those countries where it is legal to keep a Caracal as a pet. Pumba Caracal lives with its owner, Deniss Jegorovs, in Latvia.

Pumba's Life as a Pet

According to Deniss Jegorovs, this domesticated wild cat's owner, Pumba typically wakes up with them in the morning and begins to cry for food. Pumba the pet Caracal eats three times a day, with its diet consisting of mostly raw meats. In the wild, Caracals usually prey upon birds and small mammals. In an Instagram video, Deniss is seen giving Pumba a raw chicken lap. Deniss says one of the responsibilities that comes with owning a wild cat, such as the Caracal is the big meals that you’ve got to feed them.

Deniss also owns a Maine Coon and British Shorthair cats, with which Pumba likes spending time. Despite looking ferocious, Pumba the Caracal is described by its owners as a big softie feline who hates being alone. Pumba likes sitting next to its owners and watching TV in the evening and playing with its favorite plush toy. Apparently, Pumba is overweight and metabolically healthy, perhaps due to overfeeding or lack of exercise.

Because it hates being alone, Pumba usually follows its owners during the day. According to Deniss, Pumba once escaped from their home and was found after a two-day search. Pumba's owners are now faced with the challenge of not letting Pumba escape from their home. Pumba lives outdoors in summer and indoors in winter.

Why Does Pumba The Caracal Always Hiss?

Being a wild feline, Pumba the Caracal is often seen instinctively hissing at its owner for no apparent reason. While this behavior may sound aggressive to you, it is not. Caracals have a hissing habit, which is often mistaken for aggressive behavior, whereas it is ultimately a form of cat communication signs of love. Caracals typically hiss to express their mood, much like a content-purring cat. In addition to hissing, Caracals also growl and meow to communicate.

Pumba's Popularity

Pumba the Caracal is one of the most followed cats on social media. As of the time of this article, Pumba has 1.4 million followers on Instagram, 338 thousand followers on Facebook, and 9.5 million followers on TikTok. While some fans like Pumba, others hate the fact that it is being kept as a pet. In addition, many fans express concerns over Pumba's weight and over its owner purposely doing some things that stress the feline and put it in defense mode.

Pumba's owner admits that Pumba is a very kind feline when you are not annoying him. Whenever Deniss takes Pumba out for a walk, they are met with both funny and scary looks from members of the public. While some people are happy to see a Caracal for the first time and want to take a photo with it, others are frightened and ask if it is dangerous.

However, according to Deniss, Pumba is a big ol’ softie!