A pair of hairless Sphynx cats have found love and adoration on Instagram after being mocked for their unusual appearance.
Mother and daughter duo Rosie, two, and Poppy, one, were branded ‘strange’ due to their pink, hairless skin and heterochromia, which means their eyes are two different colours.
You can check out the adorable pair here:
Their owner Sarah Jenkins, from the US, began sharing pictures of her pets on social media after receiving hateful comments about them.
It wasn’t long before the felines’ Instagram account reached a staggering 30,000 followers, drawing in comments from cat lovers praising their unique look.
Sarah, who works as a teacher, said:
I started our cats’ social media after someone said that they looked ‘weird’ and ‘mean’.
People started reacting positively to their photos, and I thought that showed that despite their unique look, people can see how amazing these cats are.
She continued:
I’m a very private and sensitive person, so once the account started getting bigger, and sometimes got negative and hurtful comments, I really wanted to stop posting.
However, I realised that showing how kind and loving they are might help people overcome the negative stereotypes that accompany Sphynx cats and their different appearance.
Despite what some people might think, Sarah says Sphynx cats are the most affectionate and loving breed she’s ever had.
Sarah said:
Sphynx cats are often referred to as ‘Velcro cats’, they are extremely loving and want to be as close to you as possible.
I can’t speak for other Sphynx owners, but Rosie and Poppy are more loving than any cat I’ve ever had, they will attempt to sit on my shoulder like a parrot, just to be as close to me as they can be.
She continued:
Heterochromia can occur in cats, dogs and even humans, and it’s very rare.
Heterochromia usually happens in cats that are white furred, and Poppy and Rosie are considered ‘pink’ in colour, but if they had fur, it would be white.
Their eye colour makes them even more special.
The kitties are well on their way to achieving 40,000 followers. Now, they’re the kind of influencers I want on my timeline.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.