Ikiru’s humans, Rich and Emma, fell in love with him from the moment they set their eyes on him.

They were confident that he was the right cat, and four weeks later, they brought him home.

As a lot of people do, they decided to document Ikiru’s daily life via Instagram, and before long, the silly kitty became a celebrity.

He became known as ‘the king of bleps’ with some facial expressions so silly, people would often check to make sure the cat is ok.

“Ikiru is really healthy, and our vet told us he has some of the best teeth she has ever seen,” they explained. “Exotic shorthairs have a slightly pudgy face, but he’s very energetic and in great shape.”

“Believe it or not, the cat doesn’t always have his tongue hanging out, but it seems to be a quirk of his, leading to some amusing facial expressions.”

Ikiru means ‘to live’ in Japanese, “He’s loving, affectionate, and grumpy in the best way. Ikiru is also playful and endlessly amusing.”

“One particular quirk is he loves tunneling and hiding underneath things like blankets or sheets of paper, or staring at you upside down from the corner of a room.”

“We get messages from all around the world, saying his silly faces, cuteness, and personality brightens their day.”

“He even inspires fan art; people have some fantastic illustrations which really capture his cheeky character.”