Published Jul 25, 2025
Natalie Bowman / Cats.com
When you see images of this goliath orange cat in this age, you might think: “No way. That has to be AI!”
But this Maine Coon named Finn, who at 4.27 feet long is about the size of an average 9-year-old child, results from nature, not artificial intelligence. His human, Natalie Bowman of the San Francisco area, describes her mammoth cat as a handsome gentle giant who is affectionate and can even be a bit needy.
“He’s a real cool dude,” Bowman, 35, jokes about her long and thin cat, who weighs about 20 pounds and stretches out like a big Slinky in her arms. “He’s got silky fur, and he’s very regal.
“Finn sometimes has separation anxiety. He has to be really close to me,” she says. Not that she minds: She loves her colossal cuddle bug!
On Bowman’s TikTok page, @theaquarianmermaid, a few videos of Finn have gone viral, as they capture both the cat’s gargantuan size and his lovely purrsonality. Check out this video of Bowman dancing with Finn, cuddling with Finn, and carrying Finn.
Natalie Bowman / Cats.com
“He’s gentle, wise, and hilariously dramatic when he wants attention,” Bowman continues in her description of her beloved Finn. “He can be very poised and regal, but he’ll always seek attention from anyone – both strangers and me. He’s kind of a mama’s boy.”
Finn – who has a deep and powerful purr motor – turns heads wherever he goes, and he startles maintenance technicians who come into Bowman’s apartment in Redwood City, California. The first-floor apartment has a fenced-in patio connected to the pool, and whenever someone comes to the pool, they peek through the slats in hopes of catching a glimpse of Finn, who is 8 years old.
“He’s kind of a community mascot,” says Bowman, who is about 5 feet tall. When Finn stands on his hind legs and raises his front paws to his mom, Finn’s head lands right under Bowman’s chin.
She has to use a dog-size carrier when she brings Finn into the vet’s office. Bowman took Finn on an airplane once, but he was too big to fit under a regular seat, so she upgraded to first class for extra space. When she puts a leash on Finn and takes the cat for a weekly walk like a dog, people stop and point and say things like: “Oh my God, that’s a cat!”
“They do a double take thinking it’s a dog at first,” Bowman says.
Before Bowman bought Finn from a Maine Coon breeder at 3.5 months old – when he was about as big as a size-10 women’s shoe and had big ears – she had been searching for a body pillow to snuggle while sleeping.
Natalie Bowman / Cats.com
“Then, I realized I manifested the purrfect body pillow,” says Bowman, who spoons with Finn under the covers in bed. “There are times when I’ll be completely on the edge of the queen bed and he’s there with the rest of it to himself.
“I just love it – the more cat, the better,” she jokes.
Bowman has enjoyed a lifelong draw toward animals, and she has interacted with exotic cats – like a tiger, leopard, and jaguar – at sanctuaries. She became intrigued by the beauty of the longhaired Maine Coon cat, and she just had to get one. Now, she lives with two Maine Coons.
As huge as Finn is, his feline roommate – a Maine Coon youngster named Cruz – may be saying: “Hold my beer!” This year-old cat already weighs almost 16 pounds, and Bowman expects Cruz to outgrow Finn eventually, because Cruz has a much thicker build. Unlike most cats, who are pretty much full grown at 1 year old, Maine Coons continue growing until about age 4.
Finn is a very special cat, Bowman says, and unlike any animal she has ever had – like a soul companion.
“I had a strange feeling when I first got him, in my car headed home – it’s like he’s honestly imprinted on my lap,” she recalls. “I knew that he was going to be more than just a pet for me. I’d say he changed my life in more ways than I can even count.
“Pets are just special in that way – during the downtime or struggles life throws at me, he’s really comforting and knows when to show up and sit on your lap,” says Bowman, who works in her family’s respite care service for children.
Other Giant Cats
I searched social media for other enormous cats, and found these two cool accounts:
Fig & Friends
@through.the.lleaves / Tiktok.com
@through.the.lleaves on TikTok
Wow! You have to see this guy to believe it. This TikTok user has a pinned video with more than 396 million views showing her holding up a titan of a cat – this blonde colored Maine Coon named Kusa looks like he is three times as wide as this human! And, to drop your jaw even more, the caption says this guy is only 9 months old – so technically, the colossal cat is still a kitten. A funny user commented: “That’s a bob cat, bro.” Another one said: “You sure it’s a cat?”
Another reel shows this giant as a little kitten. What a growth spurt!
Samson
@catstradamus / Instagram.com
@catstradamus on Instagram
Sadly, the Instagram account for Samson, a Maine Coon considered to be New York City’s biggest cat, is a memorial one. I am grateful that Samson’s human, Jonathan Zurbel of Brooklyn, keeps the memory alive of this amazing mammoth cat, often compared to a lion or a bobcat.
Samson, nicknamed “Catstradamus,” made his introduction to the world about eight years ago in this YouTube video. Samson, a white and brown titan, lives on in the form of King Samson’s Dynasty on the Castradamus Instagram page.
