Marik (temporarily?) is not on display
This photo was taken yesterday, Monday, September 7, 2026, at 17:42 local time. I confess, I didn’t react right away. A kitty with a wet beard — funny (not).
There is nothing funny about a cat’s unusual behavior. Any cat owner knows that. But, mea culpa, not even a flicker of concern.
These two photos were taken yesterday, September 7, at 19:14 local time. That’s when I sounded the alarm. The cat had been lying face-first in a bowl of water for an hour and a half. That is not normal.
What followed were (unsuccessful) attempts to find the zookeeper on duty, direct messages (unanswered) in the zoo’s Telegram channel.
Today, on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, I came to the zoo at opening time. I went inside when it opened at 8:00. Twelve minutes later I was on the spot and saw this.
Photo taken on September 8, 2026, at 08:14 local time.
At around 08:20 I managed to find the keeper and draw her attention to the cat’s condition. The keeper immediately took several photos and sent them somewhere. She promised me that the veterinarians would examine the cat.
I made the rounds of the zoo’s manuls, said hello to the leopards and lynxes. At around 09:10 I returned to Marik’s enclosure. There were two veterinarians with him. One was holding the towel-wrapped cat on the roof of the house, and the other had a syringe in her hand. I was politely but firmly told:
— Please move along.
The neighboring enclosure was empty; Zhora was hiding. In the next one, Adel and Zhora’s kitten was lounging in a hammock. I chatted with him, glancing through three mesh walls at Marik’s enclosure.
A few minutes later, by 09:20, the veterinarians left for the woods behind the enclosures. In Marik’s enclosure, neither the cat nor the bowl of water was visible. One large pine branch from those hung for Marik on his climbing logs was lying on the sand.
Time was running out, so I had to leave. Fortunately, I managed to make arrangements and carve out some time for a second visit to the zoo. The plan was to wait for feeding time and see whether Marik would be given food.
I took up my observation post a little after 14:50. At around 15:30, a self-propelled cart drove up to the enclosure, carrying a plywood crate with rope handles and thick protective gloves in its bed. At 15:34 Marik was taken out of the house and placed in the crate. At 15:35 the cart drove off, taking the cat away from the exhibit.
That is all I know.
If you are going to visit the Novosibirsk Zoo, please pay attention to the freestanding half-dome enclosure farthest to the left (when facing the manuls). One day our beloved cat may return there.
Comments 26
Bandit, hang in there! 🙏🙏🙏
Dear little house spirit. Get well soon!
Thank you for letting the keeper know when you noticed that something was wrong with Marik! Let’s hope everything will be all right with the kitty...
Now it’s clear, with the context. A photo alone didn’t say that Marik had been sitting in that pose by the bowl for 1.5 hours. In principle, even healthy manuls get messy with food and milk.
Thank you for letting the keepers know. It’s sad that they didn’t notice this condition themselves, because even in Marik’s May–June photos it was already visible that the fur on his nose was peeling off...
Дарья, By the time we were discussing under the photo, the cat had sat with its face in the bowl for approximately 32:14 - 17:42 = 32:14 - 18:00 + 00:18 = 14:14 + 00:18 = 14:32, fourteen and a half (sic!) hours.
I apologize for replying rather sharply under the photo. I could use some pills for my nerves. For nerves! (censored)!! For NERVES!!!
Pavel Burov, Thank you for all your efforts and doing the right thing!!! I really really hope that the poor guy will get better.
At first I thought I don't know him well, but from Анна's comment, I learned he is many manul lover's favorite, Bandit.
No matter if I know him well or not, I hope he'll get well soon🙏
Pavel Burov, It’s nothing. If only they could help Domovyonok 😞
Thank you for noticing that I’m not feeling well! Please get better and come back.
How could this happen... Poor thing, I hope he gets better😭😭😭
The photos of the cat, frozen in place with frightened eyes and an all-too-wet little face, look very eerie...
Thank you for your vigilance and for managing, with great difficulty, to get through to the staff. If I were in your place, I’d be shaking and convulsing in hysterics from helplessness...
Oh God, please let them make it in time🙏🙏🙏
Pavel, thank you!
Marik, little one, come back, we love you and are waiting for you. Merciful cat gods, help the little sunshine!
Poor little one...
I really want to hope for the best🙏
Oh please please please be well, Marik! 💔 I'm so glad you were able to alert the keepers to his change in behavior. Hopefully, that means they can treat him. 🙏🙏
Pavel, thank you for your kindness and your persistence in seeking help for Marik. Well done. I hope he will pull through ok.
Thank you for your concern! It’s surprising that the keepers themselves didn’t notice this
dixi, The keepers finish work before Marik came out after eating. They had no chance until morning.
In the grand scheme of things, all my involvement came down to fussing and persistently speeding up by a few (maybe dozens of) minutes the moment when "they noticed the problem and called the vets".
Dear little Marik, please get well soon!!! 🙏🙏🙏 We love you and are waiting for you so much! ❤️❤️❤️ How fragile Miina’s children are!
Marik, get well soon and enter the mating season with renewed strength and charm
Thank you for helping Marik! Please feel better soon manul 🙏🙏🙏
Any ideas why the cat was behaving like that?
He has a smoking area and a toilet right there nearby.
Could there be a connection here?
Nebelbergen, There are lots of possibilities here... Some kind of irritation, something was itching, it was itchy. So Marik took refuge in water. Or maybe it was a bite from some insect.
I hope it’s nothing serious...
Pavel, thank you so much for your kindness, attentiveness, and selflessness! You do so much for the manuls! And you do so much, introducing us to them
What a harrowing story. Hope Marik feels better soon. Thank you so much, Pavel, for your kindness and attention.
Thank you for paying attention to his condition! You might have saved him! I hope he's getting better soon! ❤️🩹💗
Nebelbergen, I was thinking maybe something like kidney issues or diabetes that could be making him want to drink a lot of water. (Though I don't even know if manuls can get diabetes!) Whatever it is I hope it's treatable and Marik is back with us soon. 💚💚
Thank you so much, Pavel!
Bandit, get well soon!
Always thought of Bandit and Bayun as the cinnamon brothers from the color they turned in their first winter. Love you Marik (Bandit), good luck and recover quickly.