S. Fla. Cat With Unique Feature Becoming A Viral Internet Sensation
BROWARD COUNTY (CBS4) - The owners of Venus the cat never anticipated their adopted animal would become an Internet sensation.
They also never expected that skeptics would question if Venus' unique feature was real or fake.
Venus' face is half black and half calico. She has one green eye and one blue eye. It's a rare look that is capturing the attention of animal lovers everywhere.
"People are shocked by her looks," said Christina, Venus' owner, from their home in Broward County.
Indeed they are. On Christina's YouTube page, there have been more than 1.8 million hits on the page and tens of thousands of people like Venus' Facebook page.
"We never expected anything like this to happen," said her husband, Christiaan. "(We) just rolled with it and it's been an interesting journey so far."
There is no doubt Venus' look is real. There's no makeup, no photo shop, no special effects. She is all cat.
For the 3 years since Christina and her husband, Christiaan, adopted Venus from a friend in North Carolina, the cat was simply a beloved family pet.
All that changed when Christina says a stranger found a picture of Venus online, posted it on a popular website and Venus' popularity skyrocketed.
"We have three kids and they're just tickled by it," Christina said. "We think it's cool. We really weren't expecting it."
Venus might have mythological roots. She might be a chimera -- long known in mythology as a creature formed of multiple animals.
But Venus is no myth and Christina says she's heard Venus' look is supposed to bring good luck.
Christina says geneticists aren't sure why Venus was born with her unusual look. She speculates it might be that Venus was supposed to be two cats but in her mother's womb two fertilized eggs fused together.
Christina says Venus only has one personality and it's sweet and playful.
"She is so sweet and she's cool, calm and collected," Christina said. "She's three years old and acts like a little baby."
Christina says she is considering DNA testing to determine Venus' genetic makeup.
The family is hoping Venus' unique feature will lead to a career in commercials. Christina says if that happens the family will use her celebrity to promote animal awareness.
