Orphaned Kitten Is A Chimera And Looks Like Two Kitties Were Smooshed Into One
The Nashville Cat Rescue in Nashville, Tennessee, has a soft spot for tiny strays, and this time the story came with an extra surprise. A family doing construction on a new home found two orphaned kittens nearby, then brought them to the rescue, where volunteer Kiki stepped in right away.
Because she already had two nursing mama cats, Olive and Pickle, the kittens had a ready-made foster family waiting for them. The pair, later named Apricot and Pretzel, settled in fast, and one of them may be something even rarer than a lucky rescue.
That is where this little kitten story gets especially interesting.
Olive and Pickle became inseparable with the two kittens, named Apricot and Pretzel.
Apricot and Pretzel were only 2-3 weeks old when they were found, so it's a really good thing that they bonded with Olive and Pickle.
It was quickly noticeable, though, that Apricot was peculiar-looking... in a good way!
Upon discovery, it was quickly decided that she may be what’s known as a genetic chimera cat.
We've seen two-faced cats before, like Dr. Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist, who notes, "Chimerism in animals, including cats, is a fascinating phenomenon that showcases the complexity of genetics." However, it's actually quite rare!
One of the fosters for Nashville Cat Rescue told Bored Panda in an interview:
“Pickle and Olive are two adult kitties that were trapped in a cat colony in the Greater Nashville area. The family that was working to assist this colony determined that the girls were friendly and also both pregnant! When they contacted the rescue, they had one request—that the girls stay together, even when it was time for them to be adopted.
It was a little bit of an adjustment when Pickle and Olive came to me. They were still a little shy and often greeted me with a hiss or growl. It was clear, however, that the girls loved each other and felt safe together. I spent as much time as I could with them while still respecting their need for space. I even sat on the floor and worked on my laptop most days. I wanted to ensure that as the babies came, they were comfortable with me assisting as needed or just doing the simple necessities like weighing the kittens on a daily basis.”
She continued:
“Pickle was a bit more approachable than Olive, and if I was petting her, Olive would come in for some love. Within a few weeks of being here, Pickle gave birth to six babies, but unfortunately, one did not make it. While Pickle was doing the mommy things, Olive would try to brush up against her in the playpen but had no interest in meeting the babies. After about a week, I kept seeing Olive inside the playpen hanging out with the babies. She started to care for them as if they were her own and, interestingly, became a little protective over them as I tried to weigh them, etc. A week after Pickle’s babies were born, I came into the girls’ room to find a new little baby—Olive’s first!”
Adding:
“She had another baby 24 hours later. With such a small litter size and the unusual time lapse between kittens, I took her to the vet to ensure everything was okay. She had to go in for an emergency C-section, which ultimately saved her life as there was a deceased baby still inside of her.”
This chimera kitten story echoes Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton nursing a near-dead kitten back to health.
“In addition to the babies they had, Olive and Pickle also accepted two babies whose mother, unfortunately, didn’t return for them.”
“A new family had moved in just days before and had noticed some babies in a wall. After waiting for mom for quite a few hours, she didn’t return, and they knew time was of the essence to get the babies to a nursing mom.”
“Apricot and Pretzel (we have a charcuterie theme) feel like they have always been here! They were accepted so fast by Pickle and Olive and fit right in with the other babies.”
Kiki will take care of the kittens until they're spayed and old enough to go to their forever home.
She's a great foster mom who works hard for Nashville Cat Rescue, taking in cats and kittens and keeping them safe and healthy while they get to where they need to be for their forever homes.
Social media users were quick to gush over precious Apricot and her two-toned face.
Social media users were quick to gush over precious Apricot and her two-toned face.
Which, looking at her, is easy to understand!
Here's what people are saying:
The world needs places like Nashville Cat Rescue, that's for sure!
Before you decide Olive’s chimera kitten mystery is the strangest rescue, meet Mama Chorizo and her charcuterie-themed kittens.
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