NEW JERSEY – A ‘different-looking’ cat with a prominent underbite has garnered literally tens of thousands of Instagram followers thanks to her unusual features.
Miss Raspberry Kittay’s remarkable under-bite and penetrating green eyes truly give the four-year-old Persian the appearance of sharp fangs and a fixing stare.
However, the cat’s owner, Jessica Saldan, who is a 45-year-old school nurse from New Jersey, explains that the cat is completely misunderstood – and her 53,000 followers are also quick to leap to her defence.
Jessica stated: ‘She looks like a really grumpy cat, and people are even afraid of her because of her underbite.
‘People have made some truly horrible comments about her. They call her ugly and scary, to the point someone said she was the scariest cat on the internet.
‘But she’s not a scary cat, she’s really sweet. She is the classic example to my kids of not judging a book by its cover.’
Miss Raspberry Kittay was discovered on a roadside by Jessica’s cousin as a one-year-old stray”.
She was absolutely covered in dirt, she was matted, and weighed a mere four pounds. After her cousin posted about the cat on a Facebook page, Jessica and her husband Sean, who is 46, fell in love with her instantly.
And so, they had the cat delivered to them by the cousin, but only after a vet center had given her a brand new remarkable name.
Jessica stated: ‘She got her name because wherever she goes she has her tongue sticking out, so it looks like she is blowing raspberries.
‘We normally shorten it to Ras. She responds to that and comes running when she wants.’
According to Jessica, the vets have said that the likely cause of Miss Raspberry Kittay’s trademark underbite is inbreeding.
Although it does not cause the cat any health problems, it does sometimes make eating a little more difficult for her.
Jessica went on to say: ‘She does make a bit more mess than other cats when she’s eating. But we really don’t mind that. We just think she’s really cute.
‘If bad breeding has caused this, then she might face health problems in the future, but for now, she’s perfectly fine.’
That will come as great news to Miss Raspberry Kittay’s tens of thousands of fans who follow her at @miss-raspberry-kittay.
She has literally become so famous since her first appearance on Cats of Instagram, she caused a stir in the local vets.
Jessica stated: ‘I didn’t realise there was a whole world of cats out there on Instagram. One day I just submitted a photo of her to Cats of Instagram and within 10 minutes I was bombarded with friend requests. It was crazy.
‘We had to take her to the emergency vets six months ago because she swallowed one of her toys.
‘After we had waited a while, one of the nurses stuck her head around the door and asked me if she was on Instagram.
‘I said yes, and the nurse yelled down the hall “it’s her”. Then more of the staff came running and took pictures. It was really funny, and quite amazing.’
Of the cat’s critics, Jessica maintains that she doesn’t worry about it much.
She stated: ‘We get far more nice comments than mean ones. I sometimes try and reply, but mostly I don’t have the time and I don’t care.
‘It does hurt sometimes thought. I have three sons, so she’s like my only daughter, in a weird way.’
What a gorgeous kitty!
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