Simba the fluffy prowls the instagram scene

This week’s Social Cat is a brave and sometimes fearless feline who’s all about channeling the spirit of his big cat forefathers. His name is Simba the Fluffy, and while technically he’s a Persian/Turkish mix who resides in comfort in Dallas, at heart he is all about prowling around the Sahara Desert doing big cat things. Also, he often finds himself dressed up in a lion costume.

Read on to learn about this growling presence on the Instagram scene.

The inner beast

First up, let’s cut to the chase: What exactly qualifies Simba the Fluffy to call himself “part lion?”

Well, according to his faithful human, it’s because “his coat contains a mane, and every summer we give him a lion cut. It’s outrageously adorable.”

In slightly more fearsome terms, she adds, “Simba’s brave personality also contributes to this.”

A reluctant fashionista

Part of Simba the Fluffy’s big cat status involves dressing up in a lion costume from time to time. How does he take to this added layer of unruly fur?

Well, apparently not too enthusiastically. As his human says, “Simba definitely doesn’t like his lion hat. After cooperating for a few seconds, Simba will immediately put his head down, and every single time I bring it up, he’ll give me this mean look and just put his head down again. Then I obviously take it off and he’s back to normal.”

“Simba is definitely a very overdramatic cat!”

A little fluff ball

Simba’s journey begins in Dubai, where his humans had moved from Dallas. After being forced to leave their own cat, Sammy, at home, they decided to adopt a new kitty. After searching for a few weeks, they found a “gorgeous little fluff ball” — although when they called up to inquire about him, they were told he’d already been adopted.

Undeterred, they kept searching and found “another handsome guy.” After they scooped him up and put him in the car for the journey home, his humans realized something shocking. “This was the same kitten that we wanted to adopt last week!”

It turns out the family who first took Simba couldn’t keep him due to some allergy issues. “We were just simply made to be together,” reflects his human now.

Hyperdrive!

Beyond his big cat links, Simba the Fluffy is said to be a very unique character. “He’s either very hyper or passed out on the sofa,” says his human. “He’s also very loving and comes to my room every morning, jumps on my bed, and gives a bunch of kisses.”

“In addition, he’s super brave,” she adds. “We actually took him to a park and he simply went along and sat on a bench observing everything!”

The cinematic scene

As you’ve likely guessed by now, Simba the Fluffy is named after a character in The Lion King. But what if our feline friend could have snagged a cameo in the movie?

“He would probably be in ‘The Circle of Life,’ on his way to the elephant graveyard,” speculates his human.” Just like Nala and her pal, he’s not afraid of anything — well, except dogs.”

Splish splash

As befits a cat with a lion-esque mane, Simba the Fluffy is required to take a bath from time to time. It’s a routine that he likes to ham up for his social media followers:

“On Instagram, we make it seem like he’s incredibly angry with it, when honestly he actually doesn’t mind. While we are giving him a bath, he will just sit there with a little frown, but he does cooperate — a couple of meows here and there is the only complaining.

“I think he actually likes the time after the bath,” his professional spa assistant says, “because I allow him to go outside in the sun for a while to dry off.”

Caturday, it’s a Caturday!

While Simba spends his working week living up to his wild part-lion reputation, when it comes to the weekend, he’s all about enjoying his Caturday.

Asked about his ultimate leisure schedule, his human says, “Knowing Simba, he would like a room with a few other kitties, an outdoor garden full of birds he could chase, and afterwards just some peace and quiet with a huge treat machine.”

Prowl over to Simba the Fluffy’s Instagram page to keep up with his big cat adventures.

Read about more Social Cats of the Week:

• Introducing Pugsley, an Otherworldly Exotic Shorthair
• Nicolas Wants to Be the Biggest British Shorthair in the World
• Meet Lady Pippa Hathaway, the Instagram “People’s Princess”

About the author: Phillip Mlynar writes about cats, music, food, and sometimes a mix of all three. He considers himself the world’s foremost expert on rappers’ cats.