According to the post, Bruce is a Minuet, which is a mix between a Persian and a Munchkin, known for their short legs. But Bruce looks unlike any other cat we’ve seen!
As you can see, Bruce has a tuxedo pattern on his face, but his eyes are very pale silvery blue, which is unusual. Most tuxedo cats have pale greenish or yellow eyes as adults. This suggests that Bruce might be the result of a breeder trying to create cats with the “Dominant Blue Eye” trait.
Honestly, it looks like Bruce’s head doesn’t quite match his body. His body is a bit confusing in color: it’s golden with tabby stripes like a tortoiseshell, but also has some white, so is he actually a calico? Or maybe an agouti? What’s going on? Lots of people have commented, trying to solve the puzzle of his wonderfully strange look.
A Tri-Color Chimera Cat?
It seems like Bruce might be a mix of two cats, which could make him a genetic chimera. Cats like this, such as the famous Venus, might have different eye colors and look like two cats merged into one!
In simple terms, a chimera has at least two different sets of DNA because of the fusion of fertilized eggs. Sometimes, they can be both male and female at the same time, which leads to people wondering about Bruce’s gender. It’s possible he’s both male and female or even nonbinary. Since he has the tortie or calico color, which is usually female, it’s even more unusual that his name suggests he’s fully male. That’s even rarer!
But no matter what, Bruce is cute and friendly, just like any other cat. So, his colors, no matter how pretty or rare, don’t really matter at all.
The Mysterious Origins of Bruce
If Bruce is indeed fully male genetically, he might not be able to have kittens, just like male calico cats. Being unable to have kittens makes him less valuable to breeders who only care about making money from selling kittens. Sadly, this means that sometimes ‘purebred’ cats like Bruce might end up abandoned.
We don’t know the full story of how Bruce ended up at the vet that day, but thankfully, he looks healthy, although maybe a bit annoyed by all the attention.
We always recommend adopting a cat from a shelter or rescue instead of buying from a breeder. There are plenty of beautiful ‘unicorns’ with unique coats and eye colors waiting for homes in shelters every day. Bruce might have ended up for adoption by chance, but his appearance and the vet’s determination suggest otherwise.
Regardless of Bruce’s backstory, he deserves a loving home. By sharing his story, we can raise awareness about adopting from shelters instead of buying from breeders. Even though unusual cats like Bruce are amazing, their backstory isn’t always magical. Thankfully, rescuers work hard to save them, no matter their coat color!
Images via Reddit/ No_Secretary8854