A Sphynx cat in Haifa, Israel, has earned the nickname as ‘bat cat’ for looking like a bat due to a rare condition. Despite her unique appearance, she enjoys a good life with her human mom who had fallen in love with her at first sight.
Zilla Bergamini shared that she first saw a video of the Sphynx cat when it was uploaded by her friend, a cat breeder. It was ‘love at first sight’ for Zilla who immediately offered to buy the Sphynx cat she already named Lucy after learning it is a female.
But the cat breeder told Zilla that the cat is not for sale because it is sick. It turned out that the unique-looking Sphynx cat appears different because it suffers from hydrocephalus, a condition characterized by a build-up of fluid in the brain.
The cat breeder did not think it was fair to sell the cat to someone who might have a difficult time attending to its needs. But Zilla didn’t mind. She offered to adopt Lucy and also promised to love the poor cat, no matter what.
She brought the cat to a vet who told her the operation would be very expensive and might not be worth it. Undeterred, Zilla set up a fund drive to cover Lucy’s medication and surgery.
Lucy was 2 months old when Zilla was able to bring her home. But the cat was too scared of the new environment that she felt nervous for several days.
Zilla also noticed that the kitty hadn’t pooped even once even after being at the house for 1 week. So, she brought it back to the vet who told her it might be too scared. Lucy was given some medications, but this caused her to have LBM that Zilla had to put diapers at all times.
But it was during this difficult time that Zilla and Lucy finally bonded. She was leaking poop at all times, but the cat finally realized that Zilla meant her no harm. Zilla spent most of the time cuddling Lucy until she felt better.
After 2 weeks, Lucy’s pooping was finally under control. By then, she and Zilla are the best of friends. Though she remains more delicate than other cats, with Zilla needing to regularly put special drops on her eyes, she’s otherwise living a pretty ‘normal’ life.
Her life span might be shorter than other cats, but Zilla is willing to take the risk and keep her safe for as she could.
Photo credits: Zilla Bergamini / Instagram – @lucythebatcat