What is special about chimera cats?
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| What is special about chimera cats? |
The term chimera is used to describe organisms that consist of genetically different cells. In Greek mythology, the chimera was a hybrid of lion, goat, and snake. Based on this, the term chimera cat was chosen to describe cats whose appearance appears to be split in two. That is as if two individuals were fused. For example, the face of the cat could look split - by a clear demarcation of two colors. Another possibility would be that the whole cat looks like it is split in the middle by an unusual play of colors.
How is the special play of colors created?
If during the pregnancy of the cat two embryos merge into a single living being, then a chimera is created from it in the sense of genetics. This in turn means that one part of the body does not match the other part, which can be detected in a DNA test. This is important to recognize the difference between the widely known calico cat (also called tortoiseshell). With these only the different color instruction in the X-chromosomes of the females leads to the unusual coloring.
Famous example: Venus, the cat with two faces
What is so special about Venus
Basically, Venus is a normal cat: she purrs, cleans herself, sleeps and she hunts like all her fellow cats. But whoever bears the name Venus must be something special, and this cat definitely is. The reason: not only does she have different colored eyes (called iris heterochromia), but her fur is also unusually colored. In principle, the face of the kitten is divided in two - on one side it is reddish, on the other black. By a dividing line, the colors are split whisker straight.
Venus became famous through Facebook
Her unique face has made her an Internet star. On her Facebook page "Venus's Page - Amazing Chimera Cat," which her mistress set up for her, the cat with the two faces already has well over 1 million fans. On Instagram, there are even more. Along with the well-known Grumpy Cat, she is probably one of the most famous cats in the world.
Is Venus really a chimera?
Calico cat
There has been a lot of speculation about whether Venus is really a true chimera. This would be the case if during the pregnancy of the mother animal two embryos would have fused together and thus Venus would have been created. In this case, the two halves of the face would have different DNA, which would be quite easy to investigate with a test. However, the owners of Venus say that they do not want to destroy the myth about their cat and therefore this question will always remain unsolved.
Venus could also be a calico cat
Another explanation for Venus' special appearance would be that she is a calico cat. Every female cat has two different genes for coat coloration in each cell, one from the father and one from the mother. It is possible that in Venus, purely by chance, the gene for black prevailed in one half of the face, and the one for orange in the other.
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