Rare Chimera Kitten Has a Two-Toned Face Split Purrfectly Down the Middle
This is perhaps the best two-for-one deal we’ve ever heard of. 
Leah Lopez Cardenas, Senior SEO Editor for Daily Paws By Leah Lopez Cardenas Updated April 06, 2021 Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print
A rare black-and-orange chimera kitten, appropriately named Apricot, was recently rescued by Nashville Cat Rescue.
Apricot and her brother Pretzel (Apricot and Pretzel? Perfect names if you ask us) were rescued after a family moved into a house and found the kittens in a wall, foster mom Kayli Craig, who goes by Kiki, tells Daily Paws. "After waiting for momma, she didn't come back for them. They think she was spooked by some loud dogs next door. They knew with them being so small that they needed to get with a foster quick and luckily I had nursing moms," Craig said.
A chimera cat is a cat "whose cells contain two types of DNA, caused when two embryos fuse together," according to National Geographic. As Craig puts it in an Instagram post, "a chimera cat is exactly as it looks—two cats that blended into one. They have two sets of DNA due to the embryos fusing together."
Apricot's unique look is drawing fans from across the country, her face perfectly split down the middle half black and half orange. As Craig mentions, chimera cats can also have eyes of two different colors, which is called heterochromia, but Apricot is too young to tell right now if she'll have these special peepers, too. "Her eyes won't settle into her adult color until she is 7 weeks of age," she explains.
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According to Craig, the kittens are both doing well, though Pretzel seems to be the more rambunctious one of the siblings. "He is playful! He likes to be right in the thick of all his siblings and is trying to master running, although he's still quite wobbly," she tells us.
Apricot on the other hand, is a bit more like a typical baby kitten. "She doesn't have a personality as of yet. Just a sleepy baby cat! She's learning how to walk more confidently, use the litter box, and is finally eating some slurry (mixture of formula + wet food)," Craig says.
rare Chimera kittens, one with two-toned faced Credit: Courtesy of Kiki Craig
If you're reading this in hopes of becoming Apricot's forever home, she's not available for adoption right now. Nashville Cat Rescue writes in a Facebook post that applications for the sweet two-faced kitten will start being accepted about six weeks after she and Pretzel are fixed.
One thing's for sure, this extraordinary kitten won't have any trouble quickly finding a loving family when the time comes.
Though Apricot is a true shining star, Nashville Cat Rescue is always looking for homes for cats all throughout the year. If you're interested in adopting a cat or kitten in the near future, take a look at Nashville Cat Rescue's other adoptables, or check in with your local animal shelters or on Petfinder for a fur baby to call your own. Not ready to adopt but still want to help out? Donations are always a great way to help make a difference for other sweet kitties looking for their forever homes.
