Is he or isn’t he? Only his groomer knows for sure… which is a good thing, because his groomer happens to be his mom.
With all that hair, we can’t tell if this adorable furball is a cat or a dog. And we’re not the only ones scratching our heads.
Yes, this wild-haired Quebecois house-pet named Atchoum (sneezy in French) is generating a lot of buzz on social media due to his rather unwieldy tresses. While pet parent Nathalie says he has had a web presence since he was just a wee fur-ball, a recent tweet resurrected interest in the scruffy looking critter and raised the question of just what Atchoum is – a dog or a cat?
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Truth is, he’s a 2 year old Persian diagnosed with a rare condition known as hypertrichosis – or “werewolf syndrome”. The result is extreme hair growth, thicker than normal claws and one helluva photo op each time this amber-eyed feline decides to strike a pose.
Yep, I can certainly see that a full moon might bring out the beast in this gentle boy but Nathalie (did I mention his mom is a pet groomer) confirms the fierce looking feline is just a putty-tat when it comes time to brush out the heavy locks.
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While there are reported cases of hypertrichosis in humans – think Barnum & Bailey circus’ bearded lady – Atchoum is the only cat known to have the condition and as a result he’s regularly monitored by his vet to watch for any health issues that might crop up. I’m assuming over and above some pretty wicked hairballs.
Atchoum and Oreo – First Day of School
Beyond his literary achievements, this hairy handful has his own website, has received a nod in Wikipedia, has his own Facebook page with more than 63,000 fan “likes” as well as an Instagram account.
