Something Was Happening
Taking a look at the scrappy fur, she pushed it aside to look at the skin that lay underneath. She could have sworn that the patch of fur was different before.
Then she thought of an idea, she would shine a UV light on the patch of fur. But when she did, she couldn’t believe what she saw.
An Animal Lover
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Nicole Bohm loved animals, she lived in Germany and couldn’t help herself when she saw two kittens in an old barn. She knew they needed help, and she only had one option.
She felt that it was fate. It came at the right time and she decided to take the poor kittens back home to safety. She didn’t notice what else she was invited into her house.
Elli And Rosie
Gumtree
The kittens were soon named Elli and Rosie. They looked a little scrappy, weird since they had been in a barn for weeks.
The kittens had an appetite and ear mites. Nicole half expected it so with a little bit of care she knew she could get them right as rain. At least that’s what she thought.
They’d Missed Something
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Nicole took the kittens straight to the vet and they gave them a diet that was high in calories. They were then de-wormed and vaccinated. Lastly, the kittens were treated for their ear mites.
The kittens were on their way back to health. They gained a good amount of weight and started to thrive. But Nicole was oblivious to what the vet hadn’t noticed.
Thriving
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The kittens soon doubled in size and became very naughty. They would get into all of Nicole’s stuff. She put away anything harmful for them and kept the bathroom door shut.
But as prepared as Nicole was, there was something happening to Ellie that she was completely unaware of. As ready to take on the responsibility as she was. Elli had a secret that she was
oblivious to.
Happy And Healthy
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After months of care from Nicole, the kittens were doing very well. They had completely transformed from how she had found them. They now had beautiful green eyes and soft fur.
Nicole had given all of her love and care to raising the little ones. But Elli was hiding something that she had failed to notice.
Different Personalities
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Nicole had fallen in love with the kittens and was proud of their progress. Their personalities were developing nicely and she couldn’t dream of a world without them.
Elli wasn’t as well-behaved as Rosie. She would run around the room, taking socks, and ripping up anything she could find. Rosie was happy to take naps all day. But Nicole didn’t know about the change that Elli was about to undertake.
She Noticed Something
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It was a day like any other in Nicole’s house. The kittens were doing their usual business with Rosie sleeping and Elli looking for things to destroy.
After roughhousing with Nicole’s things, Elli decided to take a nap on Nicole’s nap. With Nicole stroking her gently she was appreciating her beautiful markings. Then she noticed it.
An Odd Marking
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Elli had a tiny patch around one of her eyes. It was hard to notice but it was a bright white ring around her eye. Nicole hadn’t noticed it before. But maybe it was always there?
She tried to put it in the back of her mind, but there was still a lingering feeling of unease. She called for her husband to give a second opinion.
Closer Inspection
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Nicole’s husband inspected the patch of fur, and she moved the hair aside with her fingers so that he could get a closer look at the skin underneath.
Maybe it was just her imagination. “What am I looking for?” Hans asked. He saw nothing. “Hang on,” he said, “I’ll be right back.” When he came back with the UV light that he used to look for scorpions while hiking, Nicole was more than a little confused. But when he turned it on and shone it on Elli, she was dumbstruck.
Glowing
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The UV light picked up all kinds of strange, swirling patterns on Elli’s skin, including the half-moon around her left eye.
Hans shone the UV light on Rosie, but it didn’t have the same effect on her fur. But what would cause these kinds of markings? And why could they only be detected by a UV light? “I’m taking her to the vet… first thing tomorrow,” Nicole murmured.
A Sleepless Night
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All night she lay and worried about the swirling patterns on Elli’. It could be normal, she reassured herself. But there was something about it… she couldn’t let it go. It could just be her imagination, but what if it wasn’t?
She had read about a cat’s fur discoloring due to a health issue or a deficiency, and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to rest until she got it checked out. There was only one thing for it.
To The Vet
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She woke early and managed to round Elli up into her travel crate. Elli wasn’t pleased with this development; she knew that the cat carrier only meant one thing: a trip to the vet. Nicole had gone through all her photos of Elli to date and she was right, the white patch of fur hadn’t been there before.
The vet examined Elli but didn’t seem too concerned, at first.
Unrelated Diagnosis
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The vet ran some more tests just to be sure. He took a skin scraping and examined it under a microscope and muttered to himself.
He told Nicole that Elli was riddled with ringworm — a kind of common fungal infection, but not a major issue and not one that would normally cause fur discoloration… that’s what the UV light had detected.
Ringworm
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Ringworm affects many cats — especially rescued cats — that have been exposed to the fungus. It causes inflamed rings on the skin, but some cats never develop any obvious symptoms.
Ringworm is usually detected with UV light — its swirling patterns glow under this light source. But, even though Elli had been diagnosed with a fungal infection, this didn’t explain why her fur was changing color.
More Tests
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The vet prescribed anti-fungal medication, and then he ordered a skin biopsy to determine why Elli’s fur was turning white in patches. He was beginning to suspect that there was more to Elli than met the eye.
Nicole suspected that perhaps the loss of her cat’s coloration was due to stress, but she was so very wrong. It was by pure chance that they all went on to discover that Elli had a rare condition.
Diagnosis
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When the test results came back, the vet called Nicole immediately with the news. Elli had a rare condition, and this was just the beginning. In the week that she had waited for the test results to come back, Elli was beginning to sprout white tufts of fur all over her body.
Soon, she would be unrecognizable. Nicole had never heard of vitiligo, until now.
A Rare Condition
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Vitiligo is an extremely rare condition that causes loss of pigmentation in the skin. It manifests itself as patches or tufts of white hair that soon spread to other areas of the body.
It can occur in both humans and animals and can come with other complications, such as an autoimmune disease. So naturally, Nicole was concerned.
Changing Before Her Eyes
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Thankfully, Elli appeared to be in excellent health despite having a pigmentation disorder. Her strange transformation progressed throughout the next two years until she became completely unrecognizable, but Elli is blissfully unaware that she is any different from her sister, Rosie.
Her black fur slowly turned white, and Nicole was amazed at the beautiful markings that began to appear.
A Celebrity
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Snowflake-shaped white patches started to emerge as the white fur started to spread. The stark black and white tuxedo coat that Elli was born with soon became flecks of white and grey, and netizens can’t get enough of the cat’s breathtakingly beautiful metamorphosis.
“I was surprised,” Nicole said. “I’m still surprised.” Elli has become a celebration of the unique and the different.
Famous
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“Her personality is the same as ever,” Nicole added. “She is as cute and lovely and as playful as the first day.” And Elli quickly became a cat celebrity, with her own Instagram and Facebook pages with thousands of followers.
She’s become a silent spokesperson and a celebration for humans struggling with vitiligo, too. She shows us that unique is beautiful.
Support
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One follower wrote: “You are adorable! My mom has vitiligo, we didn’t know that cats can have it. Big hug from Sientje and her mom!” and another: “She makes me feel so good about my vitiligo, I’m so glad someone introduced Elli to me, every day [sic] struggle with my spots.”
But a few years down the line, and Elli’s transformation is still not complete.
Still Changing
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“Her changing still goes on every day,” Nicole explained, “and I love her more and more.” She keeps a detailed record of her transformation in photographs and shares them with the world on Elli’s Instagram page. And people can’t help but marvel at Elli’s beauty.
Who could ever have guessed that an ordinary tuxedo cat would touch so many hearts?
A Little Snow Owl
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Some may say that these unique features look like snowflakes, but Nicole confirms that it makes her look like a little cute owl. “She looks like a little snow owl,” Nicole said. “She is so cute and her fur continues to change every day.”
“She’s a pretty cat, no matter what color her fur is,” one reader wrote. “I hope she stays healthy and lives a long life!”
Different Is Beautiful
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That fateful day that Nicole opened her heart and home to two kittens in need, she never expected that Elli had such a unique condition. And through Elli, she’s teaching the world that it’s okay to be different and that being unique is beautiful!
Millions of people are insecure about their differences, but Elli’s story shows us that these differences should be celebrated!
Waffles
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Pet cats are usually spoiled rotten, and there was no exception for “Waffles,” the typical pampered cat.
Cats are usually spoiled rotten, and there was no exception for “Waffles,” the typical pampered cat. He lived a cozy life, and he set foot outside of the house as he pleased. But one day, Waffles brought home a friend. Was this Waffle’s love interest?
Mysterious Meows
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Felines, in general, are incredibly diverse, varying from the typical domesticated cats to the huge Savannah cats that roam the wild.
Still, these two have a lot in common; the domesticated cat still wanders free wherever and whenever they like. But Waffles’ journeys outside one day will give his owner a frightening scare.
Differences
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Unlike the dog, domesticated cats have never been dependent on their owners.
They do not depend wholly on humans for food and survival, whereas domesticated dogs do. Cats remain very independent, and that is why we have come to enjoy them so much!
Naturals
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Waffles, being the adventurer that he was, had an impressive predator instinct.
He would eat the food his owner set out for him, but then always enjoyed a snack he hunted himself. Still, what does this cat do in particular with his powers that have his owner so enamored?
Loving Cat
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Cats remain wild, but still, they have a softer side that keeps us loving them!
Dogs are known to show more emotion to their owners and will be content to play with them for hours on end, so when a cat does something remarkable, we all can’t believe our eyes.
Window Watching
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Waffles’ owner was enjoying her downtime when she heard some unusual noises.
Waffles was usually a quiet cat, but that day, he was making an incredible racket, and he was meowing incessantly. Waffles’ owner was in a state of shock and feared the worst. But as she looked out the window, she saw that Waffles had a friend by his side.
Kitty Cat
Catster
Waffles had never been one to make friends as she had fostered some shelter kittens in the past and Waffles did not even want to look at them. But there he was, lying on the ground with his friend beside him, chatting and purring, having the time of his life! Emma knew what she needed to do next.
Fuzzy Friend
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As Emma thought about going outside and introducing herself to Waffles’ best friend, she felt that it might not be such a good idea.
Cats can get very touchy-feely about their own space, but still, she needed to document the moment. She went in for a closer look, but as soon as she did, she realized something unbelievable. The cat beside Waffles was in no way a normal cat.
Love In The Air
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Waffles was at ease with his new friend, but Emma was incredibly nervous.
It was a considerably big bobcat, and Waffles seemed like he had no clue what his friend really was. They both began to follow each other through the glass, while Waffles jumped from windowsill to windowsill in the house. And this continued for weeks, until one fateful day.
Snowy Day
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On a stormy cold day, waffles sat waiting for his friend like many other days.
But this time, his female companion did not appear. Waffles was heartbroken. He spent the rest of the day jumping from one window to the next, and Emma could only hope the wild bobcat was okay.
Heartbroken
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Time passed by and still, the bobcat had not appeared. It was spring now and all through the winter, they hadn’t seen her.
Waffles was miserable, and Emma started to worry about his health. Obviously heartbroken, he had begun to lose a considerable amount of weight and had to be taken to the vet.
Kitty Depression
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The vet told Emma that her poor kitty had the blues, so he gave Waffles mood enhancers to combat his depression.
Still, that was not enough. Waffles was still deteriorating and every day he would sit on the windowsill where he first met his friend.
Happiness Again
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On one spring day, Emma was again enjoying her downtime when she heard Waffles meow ecstatically. She had only heard him do that once before, so the first thing that Emma thought was, “the bobcat is back.”
She ran down the stairs and found Waffles rubbing against the window. Emma could not believe it; she was back! But this time, she had company.
Playful Felines
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The human and cat could not believe their eyes. Waffles and Emma watched in amazement as one, two, three little kittens came running out of the bushes.
It was as though their mother had told them that this place was safe and that Waffles was indeed a friend. Was this enough for Waffles to be cured of his depression?
Home
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Bobcats usually have two to three different shelters for maximum protection, but it seemed like this bobcat only needed one. And this was Waffles backyard!
This bobcat had decided that instead of a “natal” den, which is usually a protected cave, she felt safe enough to raise her kittens in Emma’s own backyard.
Safe Haven
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These wild cats spare no safety when it comes to their youngsters. They have auxiliary dens spread through their territories in case there is a predator nearby.
As Emma now shared her safe place with this wild family, she decided to read up about them… and Emma could not have been more proud to have been chosen by the bobcat!
Kittens
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Each day, Waffles was doing better and better. He felt like his old self again and his health quickly improved.
The momma bobcat would play and nurse her beautiful three kittens right in the backyard while Emma and Waffles watched, amazed.
Wild Nature
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One thing did concern Emma: she did not want Waffles to get the urge to go outside and play with the wild family.
No one really knows what could happen, but Waffles seemed content to just watch them from his window every day.
Home Sweet Home
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Waffles sat by the window every single day watching this incredible family thrive. It is not every day that wildlife chooses you, and Emma felt it was such an honor to be selected by the momma bobcat.
Waffles, in high spirits, is amused daily by the wild family, and Emma can’t help but sit back and smile.