Maine attraction! Shaggy grey and black cat becomes a social media star thanks to his enormous size and unusual fur that 'makes him look like a lemur'

 An enormous cat has become a global online celebrity thanks to his size and unusual shaggy coat.  

Richie the Maine Coon has masses of fur, which some fans have said makes him look 'more like a lemur than a cat', and constantly needs to be groomed by his owner Adriana. As well as impressive fur style, the cat is also extremely large and measures almost a metre long. 

Adriana, from France, got Richie during the early stages of the Covid pandemic and after sharing pictures of him social media the cat has become an internet star with over 125,000 followers on Instagram.    

Richie the Maine Coon has become a global online celebrity thanks to his massive size and unusual shaggy coat

As well as impressive fur style, the moggy has also grown massively since he was a kitten, with Main Coon breeds weighing more than 9kg and growing to almost a metre long.

Richie has masses of fur, which some fans have said makes him look 'more like a lemur than a cat', and constantly needs to be constantly groomed by his owner Adriana

Richie's high-maintenance fur constantly needs to be groomed by his owner Adriana, who says he enjoys his coat being brushed 

'After sharing just one video of Richie on Instagram it went everywhere in one fell swoop on and I counted more than one million views [on the video]', she said. 

'The internet is really crazy. I even found Richie on the Chinese social network, he is everywhere in the world I think. I think Richie is really unique and I haven't found a Maine Coon that looks like him. 

'Today I have an incredible online community and a lot of people who are loyal and love to see Richie every day. Some people tell me that Richie brings them a lot of happiness.' 

Adriana said despite his global success her goal is to care for her pet, which everyone should realise is a big responsibility. 

Richie, pictured out for a walk, loves meeting people out and about but can be a little intimidating for some due to his large size 

Adriana got Richie as a kitten (pictured L-R) during the early stages of the Covid pandemic and his coat started off as grey all over 

Adriana said despite his global success her goal is to care for her pet, pictured lounging at home, which everyone should realise is a big responsibility

Adriana says Richie is incredibly friendly and loves meeting new people - but that sometimes his large size can be a little intimidating

'He needs a lot of care', she said. 'If he goes outside for example I have to clean his fur which catches all the dirt. 

'I brush him whenever he needs it and he enjoys it. This type of cat requires a lot of time and attention.' 

Adriana says Richie is incredibly friendly and loves meeting new people - but that sometimes his large size can be a little intimidating. 

'He loves meeting new people, especially children and he seems passionate about them, but some children are afraid of him', she said. 

'He likes to play and he has his own playroom. He sleeps a lot and isolates himself when he wants to rest himself. Otherwise he spends his time in our kitchen.

Richie is a high maintenance cat and requires lots of grooming of his fur and attention from his owner 

Maine coon cats are one of the largest breeds of domestic cat and named after the US state of Maine where they originate from

After sharing pictures and videos of Richie on social media, his owner revealed the cat has become an internet star with over 125K followers on Instagram

Maine Coon Richie has his own playroom - but when not playing the cat likes to leave his owner to get some sleep 

Riche's owner says the cat requires a lot of time and attention, however she's more than happy to 

'This is his territory and he also stretches out on the dining table and sits next to us when we eat.' 

Maine coon cats are one of the largest breeds of domestic cat and named after the US state of Maine where they originate from. 

It's not known when Maine coons first appeared in the United States but they are thought to be related to the equally large Siberian and Norwegian forest cat. 

Another legend has it the breed developed after arriving on a ship from France which was the carrying Siberian cats for French queen Marie Antoinette.