What is a Chimera? In greek myth, it's an fire breathing monster with the head of a Lion, another goat head coming out of it's back and a tail with a snake's head at the end of it! I wouldn't want to meet one of those, but I would like to meet a Chimera cat!
Chimera cats are cats have have 2 sets of DNA because 2 fertilized eggs fused into 1 cat within the womb, instead of developing into 2 separate kittens. So, instead of twins, the 2 eggs merge. That's where the name Chimera comes from - like our creature of myth, the result is a being with 2 different individuals melding into one! This can happen with any breed of cat, so chimera cats can come in any breed. This means that chimera cats can have long hair or short hair, and don't have a specific personality, their personality is more influenced by their breed, sex and upbringing than by them being a chimera!
When it happens with a cat, you can see some pretty striking features! Chimeric cats often have 2 different colors of fur, which can result in a cat with a two color face! There is often a clear line going down the center of the cat's face, with each side having distinctive characteristics. A split face cat like that might also have 2 different colored eyes, which is also known as heterochromia.
Cat chimeras 2 sets of DNA go beyond just half face cats! According to Catster.com, chimera cats can even have 2 different blood types, and some of their internal organs have different genetic makeup than the others! In order to tell whether a cat is really a chimera or if it just happens to have a rare color pattern, DNA testing can be done to test for those differences in genetic makeup with the cat.
Chimera cats are rare, although it's hard to tell how rare they are because the only way to know for sure is through DNA testing. There really isn't such a thing as chimera cat breeders, because chimerism isn't a breed, it's a result of a random chance occurrence in the womb that causes the 2 sets of DNA to become one. Chimeric cats are usually fertile, but according to Cat-world.com, they are unlikely to have chimera kittens. So, if you are looking for a cat with 2 colored face, don't go to a breeder, check out your local shelters! You might be very lucky and find a chimera cat, or maybe a cat with different color patterns like a tortoiseshell cat, but even if you don't see a 2 faced cat at the shelter, you're likely to find a cute bundle of joy who would be happy to share your home!
Check out this video for more on Chimera cats, along with pictures of some of these rare, beautiful felines!
Are you lucky enough to know any half face cats like the ones in the video?
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