The Dmitrievs live with Messi in a two-story house on a large plot of land in Penza, Russia.
In 2017, the Dmitrievs started an Instagram account and a YouTube channel for Messi, which became popular by 2018 and continues to grow in subscribers.
The cubs were given these names because Saransk was one of several cities proposed to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
[5] Messi was significantly smaller than other typical male cougars, and as the species is not native to Russia, he could not be released into the wild.
[1] When they first purchased Messi, Alexandr and Mariya Dmitriev lived in a small studio apartment in Penza.
[citation needed] In 2017, the Dmitrievs started an Instagram account and YouTube channel for Messi, both called "I_am_puma".
Pictures and videos published to these social media accounts show various aspects of daily life with the cougar.
The Dmitrievs own another female cheetah, named Gerda, who has a calm and gentle personality similar to Messi's.
[15] Despite mostly favorable attention on social media, some have criticized the Dmitrievs for keeping Messi under domestic circumstances.