Achilles the “Psychic Cat” is being pitched as a feline Nostradamus, and he’s put his talents toward predicting the first match winner in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Remember Paul the Octopus? If not, read on.
What did Achilles the Cat predict for match one? The World Cup kicked off on June 14, 2018, and it turned out that the cat was right. The choices: Saudia Arabia or Russia. Russia ended up winning the match 5-0. The match was held in Moscow. You can also see videos and photos of the psychic cat later in this story.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Cat Was Given Plates of Food to Choose From
Veterinarians in St. Petersburg are warming up for the FIFA #WorldCup by training Achilles the cat to pick the big winner
Achilles, according to Time Magazine, is “a deaf Russian cat that lives at the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg.” The white, blue-eyed cat was asked to predict who will win the opening match by being presented with two identical plates of cat food, one containing the flag of Saudi Arabia and one containing the flag of Russia. It’s not the first time he’s participated in the prediction game.
Achilles the cat, one of the State Hermitage Museum mice hunters, approaches an Australian national flag during a prediction event of the results of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup group B football match between Cameroon and Australia, in Saint Petersburg on June 22, 2017.
The cat will also be asked to predict all of the games being played in St. Petersburg. “He will make his predictions the morning of the game. For breakfast, we’ll put two identical bowls in front of him with cat food and a little flag of the countries playing,” his veterinarian Anna Kondratyeva said to Euro News.
The Cat Picked a Winner and it’s…
Let’s cut to the chase. The cat picked the plate of cat food with the Russian flag, thus signalling that Russia will win the opening match of the World Cup. Russia, then, did win, proving the cat’s psychic abilities all the more. The wise looking cat was then dressed in a Russian uniform. Of course, the cat is Russian, so maybe it’s not surprising that it would pick Russia?
‘Psychic’ cat “Achilles” predicts win for Russia in opening World Cup game 😼
The deaf cat is one of the mousers at St. Peterburg’s Hermitage Museum, but has a special assignment during the tournament 🔮
However, Kondratyeva said the cat, which can’t hear, is “absolutely unbiased. He’s deaf to any comments from the fans so he probably feels with his heart and a special cat sense,” Fox News reports.
The Psychic Cat Has a Spotless Track Record of Predicting Winners
Meet Achilles, the deaf psychic cat, the friend who’ll help you ace those World Cup predictions. 🐱🔮
Achilles has a strong track record of predictions to boast about. In 2017, the psychic cat correctly predicted winners in confederation cup matches that were played in St. Petersburg. He got them all right, reports Euro News, even a match that concluded with a draw.
There Was Once a Psychic Octopus Who Predicted World Cup Winners
Is Achilles the psychic cat Russia’s answer to Paul the octopus, who correctly guessed the 2010 FIFA #WorldCup winner?
If you think a psychic Russian cat is weird, how about a psychic German octopus? In 2010, a German octopus named Paul was asked to predict seven matches that Germany played in and correctly did so, according to Fox News. The octopus also predicted the final match’s winner correctly, choosing Spain, Fox reports.
One fan misses Paul, writing on Twitter, “Bold prediction from Achilles the cat: #Russia will win its first match against Saudi Arabia. Paul the ‘psychic octopus’ still greatly missed.”