What is a Chimera cat?
Have you ever heard about the Chimera cat? The thought itself sounds like a myth, but here they dwell with us in this world in their own subtle way.
They are an interesting feline breed with a perfectly symmetrical bi-colored face. The simplest explanation is that a Chimera cat has two faces having one color shade on half of its face and/or body and a different shade on the other half.
The line that separates both colors is sometimes uncannily straight, which is nature's way of trying to forge two completely different individuals together!
How this cat breed came to be
So, how did nature perform this miracle? It's amazing how a chimera cat came to be by merging two non-identical twins in the form of two embryos together during the gestation phase.
Wait… What is Chimerism?
Chimeras are bred from two different original embryos and have become a single organism. It’s easy to say that animals with Chimerism come from two different individuals but they have been formed from the same source that just genetically diverged.
Origins of the Chimera
We get a sense of understanding of the concept of Chimera cats from Greek Mythology. A chimera, according to Greek myth, is a creature that appears monstrous.
A fire-breathing entity with at least three heads. It’s a hybrid creature that combines the lion, goat, and snake altogether. An immortal creature unlike that of our docile two-faced cats.
What does the Chimera cat look like?
Thank the heavens that Chimerism in the cat dimension looks nothing like its mythical origins! Instead of meeting face-to-face with a monster, we see a cat with two different faces of contrasting colors.
This half-face cat’s appearance is the direct result of two or more embryos merging in the womb at the early stages.
To put it simply, felines with Chimerism are split-faced cats. This consists of a single color shade on one side of its face or body and an entirely contrasting shade on the remaining half.
The separating line between the two colors can be uncannily straight, giving the face the kind of appearance that would make you think nature is making miracles happen!
How common are Chimera cats?
While it’s believed that Chimerism is quite rare among animals, it's not at all entirely rare in cats as shared by experts.
One of the professors, Leslie Lyons, explains that most male Tortoiseshell and Calico cats can be Chimeras.
What is the personality of a Chimera cat?
Chimera cats are generally seen as sweet and gentle, yet this type of cat is perceived as strong-willed and a little bit feisty.
They seem to exude an air of independence and confidence which incredibly matches their interesting genetic mutation. Frisky and stubborn, these half and half cats strongly communicate those traits through how vocal they are about their basic needs and wants.
Their temperament can get a bit aggressive, having tendencies of hissing or in some cases, loud purring.
A fun fact about modern-day Chimera cats
These cats remain a big mystery.
In a more natural sense, breeding this cat is extremely tricky as nature decides when another one would come around.
We all know that it’s not easy to spot two-faced cats in the world. But as we live in the tech era, you’ll find some of them on the interweb as cat celebrities!
The most famous ones are named Venus and Quimera. Both cats have ruled the internet space on their social media accounts on Instagram, with at least 1.5M following for Venus, and 81,000 followers for Quimera.
That amount of following is enough to call these cats ‘online animal celebrities’. Coming across a split-faced cat in real life is the same as seeing both Venus and Quimera on social media!
You still get to see how remarkably good-looking and gorgeous all these cats are with their unforgettable and unique genetic mutation.
Chimera Cat Internet Celebrities
1. Venus
Coming off as the most popular feline Chimera, Venus comes with a strikingly symmetrical, two-colored face. This adorable kitty wears a black color on the right side of the face, paired with an orange on the left. Her overall look comes complete with heterochromia, having one green eye and one blue eye.
You can see this celebrity cat trending on Facebook as well as on Instagram with a remarkable following, garnering over 1.5 million followers. Her celebrity status has earned her merchandise for her supportive and loving fans and even made an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America!
2. Quimera
Both Quimera and Venus mirror each other like twins. Quimera cat’s side of the face with the black color mirrors Venus’ side, vice versa for the orange portion of their faces. Not to mention her heterochromia feature, having an auspicious odd pair of one blue eye and a green one! Quimera is an adorable feline from Argentina. Check out her profile.
3. Narnia
You may come across Narnia upon learning everything you need to know about Chimera cats.
Stéphanie Jimenez is Narnia’s adopter and cat parent. She’s been chosen from the Grace Cattery in France. It’s always a good ethic to adopt pets from reputable breeders.
The cat is an astonishing British shorthair cat, sporting an overall black-coated body with one half of her face coming in faded blue like the Blue Point Siamese and the other half in black.
Unlike some cats with heterochromia, both of Narnia’s eyes are blue. You can find this cat’s growing online presence on both platforms: Facebook and Instagram.
4. Yana
Yana is especially unique from the prior three as a tortoiseshell feline with a split face. Though this beauty doesn’t have the case of heterochromia, unlike the others.
Her owner had acquired her through a classified ad. Find her at Instagram for more images.
Grooming and caring for a Chimera cat
You could groom your chimera cat with the specifications of the breed. It’s vital to regularly bathe them with just mild shampoo. If your cat is puffy or thick-coated, you will need to brush the fur as often as you can.
You may also brush their teeth once a day or thrice a week. Finally, both ears and eyes need to be checked and free from moisture or any discharge.
Caring for this breed is practically the same as all breeds. Instead, an emphasis should be on tidying up the litter box daily. You will need to keep this cat indoors safe from being attacked, meeting accidents and as well as theft.
Is the Chimera cat for you?
You can tell if this type of cat is for you the moment you find yourself locking eyes with it the first time, developing an urge to bring it home with you!
These cats are beautiful, and if you see one right next to you in your neighbor’s house, it’s no surprise that you’d be tempted to take it.
Nonetheless, you have the option to adopt one from someone you know or from a reputable breeder.
When you plan on adopting, it is essential to consider whether you and your future friend are a perfect match!
Each Chimera cat’s personality may slightly differ from the other. Most cats share a similar average lifespan of approximately 16 years, so that makes caring for them a long-term commitment. However, they are rather low-maintenance compared to dogs.
Here’s what you can expect and benefit when adopting this cat!
- Cats are smaller than most dogs, so the cost of food and medication is a lot less.
- They also don’t occupy much space and can keep themselves clean.
- You can keep your family members busy playing with your feline family.
- We are acquainted with these beautiful creatures to warm our laps with a soft touch.
- Cats also don’t need regular walks, unlike dogs.
- These pets are quite in tune with your emotions and will extend their attention to you when feeling sad.
Does this sound like anything you’d wish for in a pet? If yes, then it looks like you can now plan on adopting your very own cat real soon!
