The latest rare unicorn cat, a cat that almost doesn’t look real, is capturing lots of hearts online. Is this cat for real? Or is it an AI image? Who can tell anymore? It’s rapidly getting harder to say what’s artificial intelligence versus authentic these days. We see people believing in fakes so much, so it’s (unfortunately) a legitimate question in 2024.
However, this unicorn’s human promises he’s very much real, supplying more images.
Bruce the Ultra-Rare Unicorn/Chimera/ or What?
Meet Bruce, a kitty so unusual that his mama has had to tell folks on Reddit, “He is real.”
“A lot of people are saying this was an AI image or a photoshop, but I can tell you that he is absolutely real and thriving. The vet classified him as a Minuet; his name is Bruce,” shared Redditor No_Secretary8854.
Images via Reddit/ No_Secretary8854
According to the post, Bruce is a Minuet, a cross between a Persian and a Munchkin with shorter legs. But if so, he’s unlike any cat we’ve seen.
As you can see, Bruce appears to be Tuxie on his face but with the palest silvery blue eyes. That alone is unusual as most tuxedo adults will have a pale greenish or yellow eye color. Unfortunately, it suggests Bruce might be the result of the breeder’s efforts to produce cats with the “Dominant Blue Eye” trait.
Honestly, it appears Bruce’s head is stuck on another cat’s body. That body color is a little bewildering: golden torbie, a tortoiseshell with tabby stripes, but with some white, so actually calico? Or an agouti? What the heck? Many folks have commented, trying to figure out the mystery behind his delightfully odd appearance.
A Tri-Color Chimera Cat?
Considering that it looks like Bruce is a combination of two cats, this unicorn kitty may be a genetic chimera. These cats, like the famous Venus, the two-faced cat, may have different eye colors and appear as two felines split right down the middle to make one animal!
Put very simply, a chimera has at least two different sets of DNA after the fusion of fertilized eggs or zygotes. They can sometimes be both male and female at once, leading people to speculate about Bruce’s gender, which could factually be ambiguous and nonbinary. Since the kitty seems to show the tortie or calico color (almost always female), it’s an added level of oddity that the name suggests he’s fully male too. It’s even rarer!
Whatever the case, Bruce is adorable and lovable and behaves like any cat being handled at the vet. Thus, we must acknowledge that the colors, however pretty or rare, don’t really matter at all.
The Mysterious Origins of Bruce
If Bruce is fully a genetic male, then he’s likely to be sterile and unable to make kittens. (same with calico males). As a sterile kitty, he would be much less desirable to a breeder trying to make cash from kittens. When that happens, a ‘purebred’ cat could easily find themselves dumped, as we see often. But we don’t know the full story of Bruce and how he found himself at the vet that day. Fortunately, Bruce looks healthy, although a bit annoyed by all the attention.
As always, we suggest never buying a cat from any breeder. Often, there are beautiful ‘unicorns’ with unusual coats and eye colors at shelters and rescues every day. Perhaps Bruce simply turned up for adoption by chance, but his appearance and the vet’s determination that he’s a ‘Minuet’ suggests otherwise.
Whatever Bruce’s origin, he or they are a special unicorn that deserves a loving home. And by sharing his story we can also help raise awareness to “adopt, don’t shop!” As wonderful as these unusual cats are, the backstory is generally not so magical. Thankfully, rescuers do wonderful things to save them regardless of their coat color!
Images via Reddit/ No_Secretary8854
