One cool cat: Niki’s human-like sitting poses go down a storm after owner starts posting pictures online
Standing on his hind legs and reclining on a chair like a human, this cat has learnt a thing or two from his owners.
Niki the cat has become such a big star in his native Russia that his image has been printed on T-shirts and he has appeared on Russian television after owner Virta started posting photos of him online.
Ever since he was a kitten, the two-year-old has happily assumed his unique posture and even tolerates the occasional outfit to compliment his pose.
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Cat in a hat: Niki the moggy has become a star in his native Russia after he learnt some human-like attributes and happily wears clothes and hats
Virta said: ‘Niki was able to sit like this ever since he was born.
‘At first he would do it not very often, and then he began to it every day.
‘He is very comfortable in this position, and he likes to stand on his hind legs like a meerkat sometimes too.
‘Niki likes sit everywhere, on the floor, in the bathroom, on the desk, on the cabinet, in the chair, on the couch, everywhere.
Famous feline: Ever since his owner Virta started posting photos of Niki online, he has become an internet star appearing on Russian television and being printed on T-shirts
Living the high life: Niki often stands on his hind legs too ‘like a meerkat,’ says Virta
‘The main thing is that he was sitting is his favourite position. He even sleeps like that.’
‘Niki learns very quickly, if a posture seems comfortable, he remembers it and then uses it.’
The cat has appeared on the Russian version of MTV, Channel U, and his profile has helped him raise money for victims of the Boston marathon bombing.
Virta now uploads new pictures of Niki to his Instagram account @FamousNiki to satisfy his army of fans.
Right at home: Niki would sit in this position occasionally as a kitten but now aged two, he does it every day
Lie back, relax: Niki looks only slightly interested in both his food and a soft toy duckling, much preferring to recline in his favourite position
Enjoying the finer things in life: Niki has good reason to sit up and pay attention as a cherry is dangled within his reach at the kitchen table
As Virta’s star is on the rise, two of the internet’s most famous cats came face-to-face for the first time recently.
The naturally disgruntled-looking Grumpy Cat and her cuter counterpart, Lil Bub were introduced by their owners while attending the five-day 2013 Internet Cat Video Festival in Minnesota.
One video uploaded to Vine shows the furry females having a stare-off, before sidling towards one another and rubbing noses.
Clever cat: Virta says this is Niki’s favourite position and even sleeps like this, having quickly learnt what posture is most comfortable
Feline for a good cause: Photos of Niki have been printed on T-shirts, he has appeared on the Russian version of MTV, Channel U, and his profile has helped him raise money for victims of the Boston marathon bombing
Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tadar Sauce, was the first to make it as an internet sensation last year.
She currently boasts over 1.2million Likes on Facebook, her own range of merchandise, a book and is set to play the lead in a Garfield-like feature film.
Meanwhile, Lil Bub came on the scene this year. She suffers from a rare bone deformity which means she has no teeth and is unable to close her mouth, leaving her pink tongue almost constantly sticking out.
Her rise to stardom began when owner Michael Bridavsky started photographing her with some of the musicians who recorded at his Indiana studio.
