All pets are beautiful in their own way. Even animals that may look a little unusual and different are special, and loved by people for their uniqueness.
Like one wide-eyed cat, who won her way into a family’s hearts with her one-of-a-kind looks and has now won fans all over the internet.
In October 2018, Mia Ibanez found a stray kitten near her home. “I came home early from a football game and heard meowing behind my house in a big field,” she recalled on Twitter.
“We went and looked and found a baby Jinx! We brought her in, fed her and warmed her up and have had her since!”
While black cats are superstitiously considered bad luck, it’s safe to say that this chance encounter was great luck for everyone: Jinx got a loving new home, and the family got an adorable new pet.
But they quickly noticed the cat had a few unique quirks — especially her larger-than-normal eyes.
“I wasn’t sure if it was just because she was a kitten (I hadn’t had a kitten in years), but I originally just thought her eyes were really big, but over time realized her feet were also really wonky and same with her nose and mouth,” Mia told The Dodo.
But as Jinx grew up, so did her eyes, and it became clear that this cat had a distinct big-eye look, resembling an alien.
“I was expecting her to grow into them and it just never happened!”
But Jinx’s new family loved their unique appearance: “I honestly was happy when she never [grew into them] because I love animals with quirks,” Mia told The Dodo. “I think they make her all the more adorable.”
Jinx’s unusual physical quirks are the result of birth defects, possibly caused from her being abandoned as a kitten.
Thankfully, they haven’t caused any serious physical conditions, and despite looking a little different Jinx is a happy, healthy, playful cat.
“She’s not in any pain and doesn’t have any conditions,” the owners wrote on Twitter. “She’s perfectly healthy! Just has birth defects!”
And Jinx’s “alien” looks has helped make her a star online. She has her own social media accounts, and has gone viral with over 50,000 followers on Instagram.
She even has her own online store where fans can purchase Jinx merchandise, and followers even send in fan art and memes.
“It’s surreal, I really can’t comprehend it,” Mia wrote on Twitter. “The memes are hilarious I love them so much! It’s crazy but I love it.”
Jinx is one cat who proves that sometimes it pays to be different, and a little bit weird.
We love this one-of-a-kind cat! You can follow Jinx on Instagram and Twitter for more great pics and updates.
Share this story!