People walking by Colleen Pizarev’s home in San Jose, California, are often caught off guard by the giant cat in the front window. The cat has actually been mistaken a number of times for a bobcat lurking inside her home, but after taking a meow-ment to investigate, they soon realize the pet isn’t furr-ocious at all.
“I get people who knock on my door to say, ‘I’m very concerned you have a wild animal in my neighborhood,’” Pizarev told ABC News of the fairly common occurrence. “I live by a park and get a lot of foot traffic in front of my house and people will knock on the door and express concern that I have a wild animal in my home.”
It’s no wild animal, however. It’s just Spock, Pizarev’s beloved Maine Coon.
Spock weighs a whopping 27-pounds, is nearly 4-feet-long and eats up to a pound of food in a single day.
“He eats about a pound of meat,” said Pizarev. “When you get a Maine Coon they are very clear, he can only eat meat. He eats chicken and I buy it in bulk and then freeze it. Chicken, pork and turkey are his favorites. They can’t process regular cat food.”
Spock is almost 4-years-old and was adopted from a breeder when he was younger and “he just kept growing,” his owner explained. “He’s a wonderful cat. He’s very gentle.”
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But although Spock may not be wild, he’s still not the easiest roommate.
Her curious cat refuses to be alone and will open closed doors.
“He does not like doors closed. He does not like to be alone,” she said. “Maine Coons are extremely social. If you go in a room and shut the door, he’ll open it. He’s been doing that since he was about a year. When he’s on his hind paws he can put his paws on the counters in my kitchen.”
Spock also watches YouTube videos to help him fall asleep.
“They mature slowly so he’s still a kitten, technically an adolescent,” she explained. “As a typical adolescent, he’s addicted to YouTube. He really enjoys it. He’s an indoor cat so we like to help him think he’s chasing squirrels. It puts him to sleep. We call it his bedtime stories.”
Spock is also a bit prone to breaking things. His owners have even resorted to locking down the decorative items in their home with earthquake putty.
“You have to earthquake-proof your house in California anyway, but I’ve lost more things to Spock than the earthquake in 1989,” Pizarev said. “They are so big but they are just normal cats so they have no idea that they’re like these feline wrecking balls. When they jump up on a table the table goes over. And they’ve got enormous paws. His paws are 2 inches wide.”
The earthquake putty Pizarev uses to keep the breakables in her home sturdy “is rated for an 8.0, or Spock,” she joked.
And even though her enormous fluffball might give passerby a reason to “paws,” she assures there is absolutely nothing to worry about “unless you’re walking a squirrel.”
“The only thing he absolutely goes nus for is squirrels and possums,” Pizarev said.