Hey, let me introduce you to Scrappy, the coolest cat with vitiligo. He’s 19 years old and his story is absolutely fascinating. Scrappy started off his life as a black cat, but as time went by, his coat pattern started changing.
Now, he’s a black cat with these amazing white speckles all over him. Some people even call him a black and white marbled cat. But no matter how you describe it, Scrappy became famous as the cat with vitiligo.
Let’s go back to 1997 when a guy named David chose Scrappy to be part of his family. He recalls, “Scrappy was sitting all alone, and although he was cute, we didn’t think others would find him as adorable as his siblings. I decided to take Scrappy because I knew he would be the last one to be chosen, if at all.”
If you take a look at the photo above, you can see his incredible transformation. On the left, he’s five years old and still mostly black. But on the right, at the age of seventeen, he has these stunning white patches all over his coat.
It was believed that Scrappy had vitiligo, which is an extremely rare skin condition in cats. Vitiligo causes a lack of melanin, resulting in white patches appearing on the skin. But Scrappy’s case was particularly striking and beautiful.
The best part is that Scrappy’s health was never affected by his unique coat. He lived a healthy and happy life until the ripe old age of 19. David proudly says, “Despite his age, he loved getting into scraps with the neighborhood cats (hence the name Scrappy!). You could say he ruled the street.”
With his ever-changing black and white fur, Scrappy became a sensation on Instagram. His loyal fans just couldn’t get enough of him. But David admits that Scrappy can be a bit of a diva. Taking photos of him was always a challenge because he would either look away or walk off. And, well, sometimes he could be a bit grumpy too.
But there was one special thing about Scrappy. He had a strong bond with David. David was the only person allowed to rub Scrappy’s belly, and that made their relationship truly unique.
In addition to his vitiligo, Scrappy also had a wart on the side of his nose. But like his condition, it didn’t affect his health at all. Scrappy loved soaking up the sun, just like most black cats do. So, under certain lights, the fur on his belly would appear brown in color.
Scrappy was an awesome senior cat, and he lived a long and fulfilling life. Unfortunately, he has now crossed over the rainbow bridge and is no longer with us. He passed away in April 2017.
But at the time of his passing, Scrappy had over 250,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram. He had been featured in newspapers and magazines all around the world. His unique and striking appearance captured the hearts of many.
David shared the news of Scrappy’s passing on his Facebook page, and he mentioned how heartbroken their family was. He said, “Everybody was drawn to his uniqueness. People said he was one in a billion.” And indeed, Scrappy will always be remembered as the cat with vitiligo.
Vitiligo is an extremely rare skin condition in cats. It occurs when the melanocyte cells, which produce melanin, the pigment that gives color to the skin, are damaged and begin to die. While the loss of melanocytes doesn’t impact a cat’s health, in some cases, vitiligo can be triggered by an autoimmune disease or other factors that require treatment.
Scrappy may be the most famous cat with vitiligo, but he’s not the only one out there. There are many other cats with vitiligo, and some of them are just as beautiful as Scrappy.
Take Ellie, for example. She’s a cat living in Germany, and her vitiligo condition started when she was only three years old. Her coat has almost completely turned white, making her a stunning sight to behold.
It’s incredible to see how these cats with vitiligo capture our attention and show us the beauty in uniqueness. They remind us that diversity is something to be celebrated, whether it’s in humans or animals.
If you want to see more of Scrappy or keep up with other amazing cats like him, you can follow him on Instagram and Facebook. Although he may no longer be with us, his legacy lives on through the memories and photos that captured his remarkable journey.
So, let’s raise a paw and remember Scrappy, the cat who taught us to appreciate the beauty in our differences. And let’s continue to celebrate the amazing cats and their stories, like Ellie and many others, who bring joy and inspiration into our lives.
