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Meet Mighty Ginge - one of the biggest cats prowling the UK.

Danny Bennett, 47, was given the awesome Siberian forest cat as a gift by a former girlfriend.

And he didn't have a clue just how huge Ginge was going to become as he grew and grew.

Now Ginge measures an impressive 40ins long, 18ins tall and weighs 22lbs.

Mr Bennett said Ginge, who weighs about the same as the average two-year-old kid, enjoys eating the occasional bit of beef burger meat as a special treat.

(Image: Archant)

Danny, of Hornchurch, Essex, said: "He was just a normal-sized cat back then. I had no idea he would get this big.

"Every time people came here or we took him to the vet's people were amazed by how big he was."

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Danny takes Ginge out of the house on a harness and lead like a dog for a walk.

"Trying to control a cat that's the size of a medium dog is a bit difficult to say the least," he said.

Normal domestic felines weighing in at about 8-9lbs are dwarfed by Ginge as Siberian forest cats are legendary worldwide for their massive strength, size and power.

"He's a big old cat," said Danny. "I looked on the internet and one cat in America was said to be one of the biggest in the world and he was lighter than Ginge."

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"He's a very nice gentle cat but he has a particular hatred of foxes," his owner continued.

"Ginge gets them out of the garden in a blink of an eye so we have no trouble with them."

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(Image: Archant)

Is he the biggest cat in the world?

"I don't know," said Danny. "Some might be longer, a bit lighter or a bit heavier.

"But Ginge must be one of the biggest around."

Either way he's certainly not the only unusual feline to garner some attention lately - click below to read about the 'two faced' cat Venus.