Meet Achilles: The Feline Predictor of the World Cup
On June 4, 2018, just a ton of football fans were scrambling to guess who would come out on top in the upcoming World Cup, but one observer had a secret advantage—cat instincts.
The Hermitage’s Own Whiskered Oracle
A sleek, all‑white cat named Achilles has found himself in the spotlight, living right in the historic Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The feline is rumored to have the uncanny ability to sniff out the winners and losers of the big football showdown that’s bound to kick off in Russia.
Think of him as the new world‑class “octopus”—just with a slightly different tail attachment. In 2010, a German‑named octopus named Paul had the world looking at a bowl of oysters to decide which teams would advance. Now Achilles is taking the role, but with a touch of feline flair.
Past Predictions While Basking in History
- Achilles had his first taste of the game’s drama during the 2017 Confederations Cup, where he supposedly forecasted match outcomes.
- There’s even a better-than‑average chance that he’ll keep the ratings high at the Russian tournament, opening up for a whole new generation of cat‑fans.
Why Cat? Because Cats Rule the Internet
Remember the 2010 World Cup, when Paul selected Spain as the ultimate champion? In that same vein, the furry champion for today sifts through the historic scoreboards of the beyond and knows the winning concentration.
So, as countries arrive from Russia with jerseys and hopes, the question is: will Achilles help predict the celebrity cat‑style winners and leave fans and their taunting rivals alike gagging for more moments of pet‑powered fortune?
Meet Achilles: The Future Soccer Cat of the World Cup
In a surprising twist, Achilles has traded paw‑shakes for a bright red jersey that would make any soccer fan envious.
Training Day at the Pet Shop
During a recent session in a pet shop near the museum, veterinarian Anna Kondratieva described how Achilles is gearing up for the World Cup and adjusting to his new role.
- First, he scans a large chart showing the teams and match schedules.
- Then, with a hint of reluctance, he hops onto an exercise wheel.
His journey hasn’t been without bumps. When he first arrived, he looked more like a furry football than a calm cat, and people were feeding him way more than he needed.
Diet Tightening
“People overfeed him,” Kondratieva said. “We had to put him on a strict diet because his appetite made him look more like a mascot than a pet.”
Off‑Duty Star Power
When Achilles isn’t on the treadmill, he struts in the museum courtyard, striking poses for photos and building a celebrity persona that’s poised to boom during one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
