A British shorthair cat with a perfectly split orange and black face has gone viral for her unique coloring.
Meet 3-year-old Domiino, who resides in the Netherlands with her owner, Philippine native Joy Antonio van de Pol, 56, and two other cats: Hanny, 5, and Frosty, 10.
Ms. Antonio first found photos of the rare kitten with striking orange and blue eyes on a Belgium-based cattery’s Facebook page.
“I think she was about 3 months old in that photo, and I fell in love with her unique appearance,” Ms. Antonio said. “I messaged the cattery owner and asked if Domiino was for sale.”
Sadly, the answer was “no.”
Disappointed, Ms. Antonio messaged the cattery owner again, saying that if Domiino needed to be rehomed in the future, she'd be interested in having him.
Two years later, her wish came true, and she received a message from the cattery informing her that Domiino was now available.
In December 2023, an excited Ms. Antonio and her husband drove two hours from the Netherlands to Belgium to pick up Domiino.
When she first saw her in person, she was left “speechless.”
“The only thing I remember, I kept saying ‘Oh my, she is so cute,’” Ms. Antonio said.
It wasn’t long before the “playful” and “curious” cat began to get along with the other cats at home, but she’s formed a closer relationship with Hanny than Frosty.
“I got lots of private messages asking me if they [could] buy Domiino,” Ms. Antonio said.
Unable to believe Domiino’s fur pattern, a lot of people refused to believe it was real, and some even accused Ms. Antonio of creating the images with artificial intelligence. Others thought Domiino’s fur had been painted.
Apart from some negative comments, most have found the cat really special.
“One in a million no doubt,” one netizen wrote. “How amazing!”
“What a piece of natural art. A true harlequin,“ wrote another. ”She is truly beautiful.”
Despite all the attention the cat has received, Domiino is uncomfortable with strangers and new environments. However, she’s gradually getting her feet wet with publicity as she’s set to be featured on the cover of a book titled “Feline” by Tim Flach, which is slated for release next fall.
