Omar the maine coon might be longest cat in the world

UPDATE: HE’S in the running to be named the world’s longest cat, but massive Croydon moggie Omar might have a new crown: the most popular.

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UPDATE: One day ago, no one knew who Omar the cat was.

But now the massive moggie — in line to be crowned the world’s longest cat — could be also Australia’s most popular.

Since the Maroondah Leader broke the story yesterday, owner Stephy Hirst has been inundated with requests from as far abroad as the UK.

Ms Hirst said Yarra Valley Water even wanted Omar to promote its Choose Tap campaign.

But she said Omar was a reluctant star.

Appearing on Channel 7’s Sunrise this morning, Omar hid under the bed while Ms Hirst spoke to presenters.

Ms Hirst said Omar was now relaxing after a day of interviews and photos.

Weighing in at 14kg — three times the size of a normal feline — the three-year-old maine coon is in the running to be crowned the longest cat in the world, thanks to the power of social media.

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Ms Hirst, from Croydon, started an Instagram account for Omar two weeks ago, and his popularity exploded after his photo was featured on the Cats of Instagram account, which has 8 million followers.

Ms Hirst, 29, was then contacted by Guinness World Records, who said Omar could be the longest cat in the world.

“At first I thought ‘is this real?’,” she said.

Stephy Hirst’s maine coon cat Omar might be the longest cat in the world. Picture: Alex Coppel

But after confirmation, she said she would now send Omar’s measurements in for verification.

The current record holder is UK-based Ludo, also a maine coon, which measured in at 118.33cm long in October 2015.

Ms Hirst said she recently measured Omar at about 120cm.

“We thought he might be (the longest cat in the world) but we hadn’t done anything about it because he might not be fully grown yet,” she said.

Ms Hirst and partner Rowan Lawrence got Omar when he was a kitten.

“Rowan always wanted a big cat,” she said.

“(Omar) was tiny when we got him but then he just started growing and was 10kg at one year old,” she said.

Omar is more than a handful. Picture: Alex Coppel

A typical day for Omar includes waking up at 5am for breakfast — a couple of scoops of kibble specially made for maine coons — and napping outside on the trampoline.

He eats raw kangaroo for dinner.

“He doesn’t jump the fence, and he likes to hide in small places like the kitchen cupboard,” she said.

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She said Omar was placid, and ran away at the sign of trouble.

But she has to lock him out of their bedroom at night.

“He sleeps on the couch ... because he takes up too much room on the bed and he demands we cuddle and pet him all through the night,” she said.

“But he is really good at opening doors, sliding doors, kitchen cupboards, shower doors, wardrobes, he’ll get past all of them.

“He just likes to be able to go wherever he pleases so he will do whatever to find a way.”

Some readers from around the country have shared photos of their big cats, but none appear to rival Omar.

Cat personalities identified by Cat Protection Society of Victoria

Gabby Kerr sent us this photo from Queesland of Kitty, her $5 "massive ranga".

Vanessa from Lower Mitcham, in South Australia, sent up this photos of her 9.3kg Norwegian Forest cat.