A Nashville cat rescue organization recently rescued this fantastic kitten.
Named Apricot, this black and orange chimera kitten has a two-tone face and is possibly an illusion. Without DNA testing, it is too early to say for sure. Heterochromia would be another indicator of this phenomenon, but, being just a cub, Apricot eyes have not yet fully formed. Hence, it has yet to be determined what color they will be.
Chimeras are rare and unique cats, so that the Apricot may be a once-in-a-lifetime find for cat lovers. The rescue organization is excited to see how this kitten grows and develops in the coming months.
It’s still very early, so she doesn’t have a personality yet. She is still sleeping, learning to walk, and using a litter tray. She loves eating kibble (a mixture of wet and formula food).
Most kittens-chimeras have blue eyes when they first open them. But this can change when the baby is about seven weeks old, depending on its genes and the amount of pigment they encode.
Chimeras occur when two embryos fuse together in the womb, creating one animal with two DNA sets. This can lead to an animal with patchy or mismatched coloring, heterochromia (different colored eyes), and sometimes even different sexes in one body. It’s a fascinating and rare occurrence, but it often goes unnoticed unless the animal undergoes DNA testing.
Subsequently, the kitten got its permanent home. The owners were lucky enough to discover that she was an illusion and named her Lucky. She has heterochromia, with one green eye and one blue eye, and her fur pattern stays true to the black and orange chimera look. Her owners say she’s a feisty little thing with loads of personality and spunk. They feel blessed and honored to have such a unique and special cat. Now known as Lucky, Apricot will always be a lucky charm for her loving family.
