Couple Rescues Lost Kitchen and Is Shocked as Its Fur Changes Color

Kathryn van Beek was out one day when she saw a tiny kitten that desperately wanted its mother. She never could have guessed what might happen and the bizarre turn of events that took place.

After this poor kitty was rescued, the weeks went by, almost normally. However, the orphaned cat’s fur started turning dark and patchy. This adopted fur-baby mom watched him grow carefully to ensure that he was healthy, but there was no mistaking it.

This kitten’s color was changing magically before her eyes. What in the world was going on here? Was something wrong with the cat? Read on to find out!

Bruce the Bedraggled Cat

Bruce is now a very popular cat, but that wasn’t always true. On November 3, 2015, someone found him clinging to life and bedraggled in Auckland, New Zealand. Thankfully, his fate turned around when Kathryn van Beek rescued him as a kitten.

Wet Miracle

Though Bruce was quite lucky, he almost missed out on the rescue. The day he was found was very wet, and it’s actually a miracle that van Beek saw him at all through the rainfall. When she glanced over, she thought the gray creature might be a rat or mouse!

No Meows

As the woman got closer, she realized that this wasn’t a rodent. In fact, it was a newborn kitten. Kathryn claims that he wasn’t even meowing when she found him. Instead, he was crawling along slowly on his stomach.

Looking for Mom

Overall, Kathryn believed this kitty was looking for his mother and claimed he was a poor little mite. To make things worse, this kitten was quite young. His eyes were closed, and his umbilical cord was still attached.

Heart of Gold

No one knew much about the baby cat or how he was orphaned. However, van Beek was big-hearted and couldn’t leave him there. She did what any animal lover might do in this situation and brought him home. Before long, she adopted him and called him Bruce after Bruce Wayne’s orphaned alter ego, Batman.

Being a Nurse

Now that Bruce was inside, warm, and dry, van Beek started nursing him back to health again. Becoming a parent of a newborn for any species is a challenge, but she and her husband rose to it and stuck by the little guy while he recovered.

Bottle Feedings

During Bruce’s first few months of life, he was quite vulnerable, so the couple chose to bottle-feed their fur-baby. They had to be on kitten watch 24/7. Luckily, Bruce found his voice pretty quickly. He wasn’t shy and told them when he was hungry!

Turbulent Times

Even though his new humans were very attentive, Bruce’s poor health made things harder. This fragile feline had survived many brushes with death. Because of those scares, the van Beeks’ work colleagues were also concerned for this little guy.

Social Media Updates

Kathryn van Beek was working for the Auckland Council at the time. Everyone seemed so interested and worried about the kitten, so she started a Facebook page. That way, everyone could be updated easily. Regardless, Bruce proved to be a survivor!

The Underdog (Cat)

While everyone loves an underdog, van Beek was surprised when Bruce’s popularity soared. She said it was a life-and-death situation, and afterward, she believed people’s interest might fade. However, Bruce was becoming an online star, though something strange happened to the cute kitty.

Patchy Fur

Bruce’s light-gray fur was now becoming patchy and getting darker. At first, the dark splotches were only on his face and paws, but they spread rapidly. Before long, his whole body was black, transforming him from Bruce Wayne to the Dark Knight.

Bigger Fan Base

This spectacular change shocked van Beek initially because she didn’t know why it had happened. However, Bruce’s magic act just swelled his fan base even more. In fact, he was more popular now!

Giving Them What They Want

Kathryn told NZ Herald that he started turning black, which interested people. From there, Bruce gave everyone what they wanted. He had various social media accounts on different platforms, such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. However, he wasn’t done yet!

Literary World Look Out

Bruce set his sights higher, and the van Beeks wrote a book about his life. They even illustrated it themselves. However, the question on everyone’s mind was: what caused his color to change? The explanation focuses on a condition called fever coat.

Pregnancy Upheaval

This unusual condition occurs when the mom cat experiences upheaval during her pregnancy. It could be caused by stress or an infection that the expectant mom catches. Sometimes, it happens when the mother is accidentally given medications without knowing she’s pregnant.

Fever Coat

The resulting effect for the baby is called fever coat. It means that the color pigment in the kitten’s fur is temporarily displaced. Overall, the fur doesn’t know its color yet and takes a light hue. It can take eight months for the pigments to come back.

Chronicled Exploits

Regardless, the van Beeks and Bruce moved to Dunedin, and they continued updating everyone on his exploits. There’s also a second book in the works, which is inspired by his adventures in his new town.

Mom’s Interesting Hobby

Kathryn claims that this is an interesting hobby for her. It brings his fans some light relief. Now, Bruce is fever-coat-free and is a beautiful black cat with green eyes. Though his color-changing trick wasn’t magic, he uses it that way.

Bruce’s Website

Bruce’s website talks to others like Bruce might do himself. It claims that he wants to help other kittens and those who look after them. With the public’s help, he’s raised money for the SPCA and is working with the Animal Rescue Network now.

Others Aren’t So Lucky

While the color-changing ability of Bruce made him a celebrity, other kittens don’t have the luck. For example, Romeo was born with facial deformities, making it hard for him to get adopted. When someone took a chance, he adorably repaid them.

Too Ugly to Adopt

One kitten was actually very deformed, and people believed that he was too ugly to adopt. Therefore, this little cat was unwanted in the street. However, his fortune turned around, and he got the last laugh, too.

Rough Start

Romeo had a rough start to his life. This ginger cat was abandoned and left for dead in Spain. Most cruelly, he was ignored for the other litter-mates when the others were adopted.

Fending for Himself

It appeared as though no one wanted this cat. Therefore, the plucky feline had to fend for himself and struggle to live in the street. The likely reason no one wanted him is actually quite heartbreaking.

Severe Facial Deformity

Romeo was born with a facial deformity, which people believe is why he was abandoned initially. Because of that deformity, the cat’s nose is a bit flattened, and the eyes are spaced further apart than usual. However, he’s no less adorable because of that!

Unknown Issue

No one knows what caused Romeo’s unusual looks. There are many feline facial deformities, which occur for different reasons, just like for humans. However, the question was: could someone see past this kitten’s face and give him some love?

Non-rescue Facility

Santuario Compasion Animal is located in Valencia, Spain. This facility rarely rescues cats and focuses more on saving them from the meat industry. However, the employees at the sanctuary were smitten with Romeo from the first moment.

Lovely Little Kitten

Laura Llacer is the co-founder of the animal-rescue facility and said through Facebook that people told her Romeo was ugly and no one wanted him. For the staff, he wasn’t disfigured. He was a beautiful kitten that played well with the other cats.

Committed Team

Llacer and her team committed themselves to protecting and watching over Romeo. They had been headed to a rescue site when they saw him. Though everyone else rejected him, they loved him for what he was.

Sanctuary and Home

Llacer chose to give Romeo a new home in the sanctuary. Luckily, the entire staff welcomed him. Finally, this poor kitten had a place to belong with people who loved him. He took no time to settle in!

Soaking Up Cuddles

While at the facility, Romeo soaked up the cuddles and petting given to him. Before long, the entire staff was head-over-heels in love. They overlooked his strange appearance and got an adorable companion because of it.

Someone Special

As Llacer got to know Romeo’s personality, she was so shocked that this kitten was unwanted and for so long. Everyone was surprised that people couldn’t see something special from him.

Never Alone

Romeo had spent so long on the street, but now he was never alone or lonely. He made friends with some of the other animals, such as turkeys, ducks, and cows. However, he always reserved some attention for Llacer, who became his best friend.

Abnormality Reflections

Llacer claims that Romeo is affectionate and doesn’t behave like other cats. He’s a cat, but his behaviors reflect the abnormality in his appearance. He’s different and unique because of it!

The World Meets Romeo

The staff there at Santuario Compasion Animal wanted to share the cuteness with the world. They posted a video on the company’s Facebook page. He’s shown playing with toys and cuddling with them just like other cats.

He’s a Hit

The clip was quite a hit for the followers of the shelter. Over 213,000 people saw it, with 13,000 people reacting to it and 10,000 sharing it. Comments filled up quickly with gushingly lovely comments.

Beautiful Little Animal

One Facebook user wrote that the kitty is beautiful and she could love him forever. She was happy he had found a loving home. Another fan claimed that there was nothing wrong with the cat, and he was a beautiful little animal.

Donations

More people made comments, but one stood out from the crowd. This person said that they couldn’t understand why someone could reject a kitten because of appearances and promised to send a donation to the shelter through PayPal.

Help for Other Unique Animals

The shelter hopes that this cat’s popularity might help other animals get a chance. He spends his day playing and demanding the volunteers listen to him. Though no one wanted him initially, he has a forever home!

Everyone Wants Him

People from around the world have called or written the shelter owners and asked to adopt and keep him with them. Hopefully, Romeo’s story helps end prejudice. He teaches people what’s important.

Beauty Is Skin Deep

Overall, Romeo’s story is a reminder that beauty is skin deep. To find an individual’s worth, you must go beyond physical appearances and look into their hearts. Llacer and her team did, and they were rewarded with a friend.