Published on: 2026-09-29
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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At the Moscow Zoo, which is subordinate to the capital’s To the Department of Culture, with the arrival of autumn, the traditional fattening period began for one of the most famous inhabitants — the Pallas’s cat Timofey. By the end of September, he weighed five kilograms, whereas the minimum summer weight was 3.7 kilograms.
Zoologists hide quails and rodents throughout the aviary in secluded places — various burrows and bushes, as well as hang the feed in a paper bag. This method helps make the search for prey interesting for the animal. Currently, specialists control Timofey’s diet: he receives about 250–300 grams of feed daily. At the same time, the Pallas’s cat has a fasting day once a week.
“The autumn fattening is an important stage in the life of Pallas’s cats, determined by their natural characteristics. Our task is to create all the conditions for Timofey to comfortably gain weight, which will allow him to safely survive the cold. We are currently closely monitoring his condition: the gained kilograms are a necessary energy reserve. We are glad to see that Timofey is following his instincts and actively preparing for winter,” shared Svetlana Akulova, the general director of the Moscow Zoo.
The timing of the end of fattening depends on weather conditions — air temperature and the time of the first snowfall. Typically, the weight gain process is completed in December. With the onset of frosts, Timofey’s fur will become denser and fluffier.
The Pallas’s cat is a predatory mammal from the cat family, listed in the Red Book. It inhabits steppes and semi-deserts. Timofey is one of the favorites of visitors to the Moscow Zoo.
At the beginning of 2025 Moscow Zoo set a world record for the number of animal species presented: at that time it contained 1,253 species. By 2026, their number approached 1,280. This result was made possible thanks to many years of work by zoologists, veterinarians, keepers, and other specialists.
The Moscow Zoo event program contributes to achieving the goals and objectives of the national project “Environmental well-being”. More about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution can be found at special page.
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