When David, a feline lover, adopted this little kitty, little did he know that he was in fact taking home an enigmatic creature whose physicality would begin to change after a few years. This senior kitty was born as an adorable black kitten but within a few years, his coat began to develop white patches, making him look all the more beautiful and stunning. His extremely rare condition has made this feline into an overnight internet sensation, with admirers all over the world.When he was seven years old, his fur began to change colour.
Describing his first encounter with Scrappy, David said, “Scrappy was sitting on his own, and though he was cute, we didn’t think others would regard him to be as cute as his siblings. I made the decision to take Scrappy as I knew he would be the last one to be taken, if at all.
Seven years after he was adopted, something peculiar began to happen to Scrappy. He suddenly began to develop what his owner calls “white patches” on its fur, spreading from his shoulder to his head.
“My initial reaction when the white patches appeared to become more frequent was to take him to the vets as I thought he had a stroke,” David recalls. The vet assured David that the kitty’s color transformation was nothing to be concerned about and that he was actually affected with a rare skin condition called vitiligo.
Vitiligo is a loss of pigmentation in the skin, due to destruction of pigment-forming cells known as melanocytes. There is no cure for this condition.
“Some cats with vitiligo may be more susceptible to sun’s harmful rays, as are any cats with white ears or noses. But the owner believes that the condition has not affected the kitty in any way, and the 19 year old senior cat is ‘happy, healthy and totally kicks butt!’” said vet Sarah Elliot.
His unique condition and distinct physical features have made the 19-year-old a social media superstar. With more than 24,000 Facebook followers and a dominant Instagram presence, Scrappy is winning hearts of millions all over the world.
“Despite his age, he (picks scraps) with other neighbourhood cats…. I guess you could say that he rules the street,” he added.
Nevertheless, David loves Scrappy and says the feline is also very affectionate with him. In fact, David is the only person who can rub Scrappy’s belly.
Scrappy’s owners and fans are left to wonder if his fur will continue to change to the point where he completely loses his black colour and gradually turn into a white cat. While David agrees that this scenario is not completely implausible, there is an incredibly low chance that he will turn into a white cat, considering his old age.
And whatever may be the case, we’ll continue to love him exactly the way he is.
