Gorgeous One-Of-A-Kind Chimera Cat Is a Total Must-See
Have you ever heard of a chimera cat? I'd never heard of a chimera before, but when I saw Domiino, I knew just how unique she really was! Domiino's mom shared a video on Monday, March 4th, and Domiino wasn't really doing anything at all...except looking beautiful!
The video is only 13 seconds long and shows the cat sitting down looking around. She's gorgeous; she's half orange and half black, but the colors are diagonal. And she has two different colored eyes...where can I get a cat like Domiino?!
What do you think? Is this a cat that you'd want? Domiino is even more unique because she has two different eye colors, too. I would take her everywhere to show her off! Commenters had lots to say about Domiino, especially about how beautiful she is, or like @kickbackkool74 said, "Wow I've never seen that!"
Related: Pretty Tabby Cat Insists on 'High Fiving' Everyone He Meets
Facts About Chimera Cats
Before this TikTok, I'd never heard of or seen a chimera cat. So I did some research to learn more about them. According to Catster, "A chimera cat results from two embryos merging in their mother’s womb in the early stages of development. This results in a single cat carrying two sets of DNA instead of one. Physically, the different genes manifest through coat color and eye color." They go on to add, that just because a cat has two distinct colors doesn't make them chimera. Interestingly, this unique feature also occurs in dogs and donkeys.
Even the name 'Chimera' was intriguing to me and I learned that a chimera is a "creature of Greek mythology, a fire-breathing monster with body parts from different animals. It usually consists of a lion’s body, a goat’s upper body protruding from its back, and a serpent’s head for a tail."
I also learned that most tortoiseshell male cats are also chimeras. And that a chimera can have two different blood types and two DNA types, since it's technically two cats in one.
The one thing I really wanted to know, and you are probably wondering too, is how much a cat like this would cost. The chance of a cat being born chimera is about 1%, so they are rare! I couldn't even imagine what one might cost! Turns out here in the U.S. the average cost is between $1,000 and $3,000...if you can find one.
These cats can't be bred because it happens during pregnancy. You could reach out to breeders and request one if they ever get one (remember, you've got a 1% chance of ever getting one), so your best bet would be to scour shelters and rescues or wait for someone to sell their cat. I'm guessing for those people who have a one-of-a-kind pet cat, they're not going to want to give it up!
Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.
