KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — A pet cat in Rostov, Russia has gone viral on social media for its permanently startled expression.

Owner Natalia Zhdanova said she found the feline, now named Fedya, as a weak and sickly stray in her backyard when it was just a few days old.

The 40-year-old was quick to notice that her new kitten had misaligned eyes — giving him a surprised look — and issues using his back legs, People.com reported.

Zhdanova nursed the kitten back to health with a little help from her neighbour's cat, Handsome, which would come over daily to help nurture the little pet.

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“He was very weak and was dying. Handsome cleaned and licked Fedya and became like a father figure to him.”

Gradually, Fedya, now one year and nine months, gained strength and began to grow, but his face remained unchanged.

 

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A post shared by Федя Кот (@fedja_kot)

The cause of the cat's unusual expression is still unclear.

Zhdanova, who produces educational books for children, said they were unsure if Fedya's expression was due to genetic deformity or if it was dropped as a kitten.

“Now he is much healthier. He is a very sweet, gentle, playful, and intelligent cat. He purrs very loudly.

“He is inseparable with Handsome They are the best of friends.”

Fedya has 36,500 followers on its Instagram (@fedja_kot).