My wife and I both had dogs and no cats for many decades. Our last old wienerdog died and we were heartbroken. A little more than a year later one of the stray cats that we put food out for decided to move in with us and take over the house.
He started out normal sized, but it turned out that he was actually still a kitten and he kept getting bigger and bigger. I thought that maybe we were feeding him too much. But the vet said that he was not fat; he is just a really big cat. He acts a lot like a dog and loves chasing down balls and especially playing “hockey” with milk jug and juice bottle caps.
I have always had allergy problems with cats and some dogs, but he does not bother me, other than he likes to cover my face when I am sleeping. When I wake up I often have fine cat fur stuck to my lips and in my nose. He is a super fluffy cat; a Siberian with three distinct layers of fur. He sheds so much that I purchased a Robo-vac for every level in our house. He likes to whack the robo-vacs and knock them off their base stations. Sometimes he “accidentally” pushes their go buttons and they vacuum the entire story.
Great story about the huge Siberian cat, fireman15!
But this unexpected feline presence in America as early as the 1500s changes EVERYTHING!
At one time we had 5 cats living at our home.
Similarly, although a life long dog person, out of pity, I nevertheless took in a stray cat about a year ago. A male black and white short hair cat with classic tuxedo markings, he is badly spoiled, keeps me in sight as much as possible, and likes to watch TV. He communicates when he wants to be fed, to go outdoors, and even when he decides that it is time for me to go to bed.
Siberians are supposed to be hypoallergenic to most people. You were lucky to get one for free. They’re very expensive to buy. Beautiful cats, with personalities more like dogs, as you’ve found out.