It doesn’t take more than a glance to recognize this cat’s unique beauty, but what makes Quimera truly special is more than fur deep. Many people believe this house cat is an actual chimera—a single living organism with the genetic makeup of two separate organisms. Basically, they think she’s her own fraternal twin.
If Quimera truly is her own twin, she’s an extremely rare genetic anomaly. It happens when two fertilized eggs fuse together so completely they go from being separate to singular. The cells from the two eggs continue to develop with different phenotypes even after the merge happens. The physical result is an animal with two sets of DNA whose appearance is usually split down the middle.
For most chimeras, the distinction is barely noticeable. Their eyes might be slightly different color or their hair could be a different texture on either side of their head. Many go their entire lives with no one realizing what they are. In Quimera’s case, the signs are impossible to ignore.
On one side of her face, Quimera is an orange tabby with a gold eye. But on the other, she’s a black cat with a piercing blue eye. There’s a distinct line splitting her face in two, and it stretches partially down the middle of her body. Her chest and legs are the opposite colors of her face, but there’s still a clear divide.
Despite her obvious oddity, Quimera is just like any other cat. The nearly 36,000 followers on Instagram isn’t exactly average, but she spends her days doing what most cats do best. She naps in uncomfortable-looking places and lays on things her owner wants to read. She has no idea she’s special, but she’s sure to turn heads everywhere she goes.
Featured Image via Instagram/gataquimera