#trending: Kitten in Indonesia goes viral for looking like masked vigilante Zorro

BANJARMASIN, INDONESIA — A nine-month-old kitten in Indonesia has caught the attention of online users for its unique black markings that make it look like the masked vigilante Zorro, reported Caters News Agency on Tuesday (June 14).

Originally created by Johnston McCulley in 1919, the fictional character Zorro is known for his signature all-black costume, including a cape, a hat and a mask covering the upper part of his face.

Likewise, this adorable mixed Persian kitten has natural black markings, which form the shape of a mask around its eyes and a hat on the top of its head.

Its owner Indraini Wahyudi Noor said: "The cat's name is Boy, but many people call him Zorro."

Mr Indraini, 50, owns many cats, but it is young Boy that has captured the hearts of many. And much like its followers, the pet owner has a clear bias: "I have many cats but this is the only one who has a mask on his face. He's my favourite cat!"

Since its first appearance on TikTok in November last year, Boy and its owner have racked up more than 276,700 followers and 7.9 million likes.

Boy remains the star of most of Mr Indraini's TikTok videos. One 12-second video of it yawning, posted a week ago, gained 3.3 million views and more than 5,600 comments.

Apart from piling on the Zorro references, TikTok users were quick to jump in with their own suggestions for names.

"How does this cat have a name other than Bandit?" one asked.

"How with all these comments has nobody but me commented 'cat burglar'?" another said.

Mr Indraini confirmed in a statement to Caters that he enjoys the Zorro comments and now regularly plays the theme song from the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro for Boy.

"I also think he looks just like Zorro, and I think he likes regularly listening to the Zorro music," he added.

Beneath the special markings, Boy is just like any other cat.

Mr Indraini speaks of it with much affection: "He is a very spoiled cat, he always wants to be petted, cuddled and held. He likes to play a lot but he hates being bathed each week."

Just last week, Mr Indraini revealed that Boy now has children. One in particular, lovingly dubbed Zorro Jr by its fans, appears to be "just like his father, except his hair is parted in the middle", the happy owner said.

"Alhamdulillah, there is a successor to Zorro," one TikTok user joked. "The world will soon be saved."

Some online users have reacted with scepticism, saying that both Boy and its son's fur were painted or dyed to resemble Zorro's mask.

Mr Indraini responded to one such comment with a video, posted on Sunday (June 12), of the new kitten when it was just born. The video shows that the kitten's black markings were already present when it was still in its birthing sac.

Other TikTok users have expressed genuine interest in the cats: "How much does it cost to adopt Zorro Junior?"

In reply, Mr Indraini stated that neither father nor son are up for adoption as both are now bound by contracts with several agencies in the United States and the United Kingdom.

This stirred up more excitement among Zorro fans, with one wondering if the masked kitten was to be a member of the Kingsman spy-action and comedy film franchise, which previously featured a pug in its first film.

For now, Boy appears to be taking its time to get used to its three newborn kittens.