What/Who is Floppa anyway?

Floppa (Rus. Шлёпа) is an internet meme based on a caracal named Gosha (Rus. Гоша), also known as Gregory. Gregory is less preferred, and the meme community uses "Floppa" instead.

Where did the popularity of this caracal come from?

Floppa first appeared on the internet on December 23, 2019, on Instagram. The photo below was posted by the user prozhony. It is possible that this cat gained the sympathy of internet users because of its large ears, from which its name "Big Floppa" originates.

Gosha's family members:

Owners - Andrei Bondarev and Elena Bondareva

Friend and roommate cat - Justin (Russian: Жора, Zhora)

Floppa's history

He was born on December 21, 2017, in a caracal breeding facility in Kyiv, Ukraine.

He was transported from Kyiv to Moscow by minibus. The trip was very exhausting for the cat.

Floppa was not initially trusting and only interacted with the owners when it came to food. Fortunately, he acclimated over time.

In 2020, Gosha underwent surgery to remove a tumor behind his ear, but later recovered.

In December 2021, Gosha and his owners appeared on Russian state television channel 360.

After Russia's attack on Ukraine, social media in Russia was banned, but the owners most likely used a VPN and continued posting content.