Finn the cat has grown so big he is now 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) long, the average height of a nine-year-old kid. And many people mistake the enormous Maine coon for a dog.

Owner Natalie Bowman, 32, adopted Finn in 2017 when he was just three-and-a-half months old.

The cat’s stupendous size makes him an expensive pet to maintain. Finn gets fed three or four times a day, and Natalie spends $150 a month on his food.

Natalie, a healthcare provider who lives in San Carlos, California, often walks Finn through their neighborhood on a lead, and he has now become a local celebrity.

“It’s really funny,” Natalie said. “They think he’s a dog, and then when they get closer they say, ‘Oh my God, it’s a cat’—and they love him.”

When Natalie has visitors, they are often given a fright by the huge feline.

“I’ve had service people come around to fix things,” she said. “It’s always fun to see grown men get shocked by my cat, they often say he looks like a bobcat or a wildcat.”

Despite his size, Finn is a gentle giant and gets along splendidly with Natalie’s other cat.

“It took them a little while to adjust to each other, but they love each other now,” she said.

Natalie said Maine coons need a “lot of time and affection,” and Finn has “separation anxiety” so she takes him into the office sometimes.

“He is a very sociable cat and he loves to talk, he’s very loud,” she said.

“Finn is really docile and curious. He is so funny and is very needy and affectionate; he loves cuddles and to be spooned.”

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