Cezar the cat may look like a lion but rather than being ferocious, he is the sweetest feline you’ll ever meet.
“My Cezar is exceptionally affectionate, cheerful, and, like all Bengal cats, very gentle,” Cezar’s owner, Wojtek Czachurski, 63, told The Epoch Times.
Czachurski, from the small town of Bochnia in southern Poland, works in a salt mine and is also a passionate photographer. He regularly takes snaps of his beautiful and highly unusual kitten and shares the shots online; he has received amazed responses.
“I’m not surprised because he’s unique. A cat with a wild look and color, in addition to being long-haired, is really unique,” he said.
Often, people will comment that 2 1/2-year-old Cezar must be a mix of a Bengal breed crossed with a Maine Coon or Siberian cat. Some even accuse Czachurski of faking the cat’s look with photo-editing tools. However, the cat lover says he then explains it all patiently.
“Cezar is the truest, original Bengal cat with a pedigree. Among breeders, it is called a Sirocco Cashmere Bengal,” he said.
Czachurski, who got into photography simply by taking pictures of his granddaughter out on walks together, has a whole happy bunch of cats at home. There’s also a husky dog that has lived with Czachurski and his family for 15 years.
Far from being an overwhelming set-up for the little tomcat kitten when Czachurski brought him home from the cattery Sirocco Bengals and Cashmeres, it turned out perfectly. Before adopting the Bengal cat, the animal enthusiast read up on the special breed, learning that it requires a lot of attention, care, and exercise.
“Most importantly, he does not like loneliness,” Czachurski said. “Cats of this breed are very friendly; they like to be with people. At times, they won’t leave their owners even for a moment. He loves the company of other animals—he feels best in a group.”
And who are the friends of Cezar the lion-cat?
One is a 3 1/2-year-old “caring and very gentle” Bengal tomcat called Borys and another is the “powerful yet gentle” silver Bengal tomcat named Portos. Aside from sleeping and eating, what the little gang loves most is to play.
“They have inexhaustible energy,” Czachurski said, adding that his three cats have certain “dog characteristics,” such as being able to fetch and sleeping at their owner’s feet. True to cat form, all are extremely curious.
For Czachurski, who grew up around animals, being able to share his home with such majestic felines is a dream come true.
“As a child, I was fascinated by wild cats such as pumas, panthers, cheetahs, and jaguars,” he said, “I dreamed of having one of these at home.”
Czachurski insists that despite their size and big characters, his furry friends cause no problems, adding that his Bengals don’t like to be picked up, and will only come for petting and cuddles when they feel like it: “They are clean, extremely intelligent, cheerful, affectionate, and beautiful. They do not damage furniture and do not show any aggression or hostility towards humans. They want to be [with] people.”
Cezar is now a young adult weighing over 14.3 pounds (6.5 kg). The proud owner, Czachurski, has great respect and love for Cezar and his little gang and likes sharing the joy they bring with the world.
“The Bengal cat is a beautiful breed,” he said, “so why not show it off?”
