They come in all shapes and sizes. Some walk, some slither, some fly and some swim. Humans are blessed to share the planet with just over 2.1 million recognized species of animals. And scientists say there are millions more that are yet to be discovered.
Many animals like to play it safe, sticking to the normal blueprint of what they “should” look like. Then there are those that are born different, displaying unique characteristics that set them apart from the rest.
Bored Panda has tracked down a bunch of photos of animals who aren’t letting genetic mutations stand in their way. From four-eared cats to two-headed tortoises, these cute creatures are rocking their rare traits loud and proud for all the world to see. Keep scrolling for an adorable list of animals breaking stereotypes by sporting something very different to their families, and don't forget to upvote your favorites.
#1 Chimeric Cat
Image credits: HerbziKal
#2 This Cat I Met Today Has Sauron’s Eyes
Image credits: reddit.com
#3 A Cute Dog With Vitiligo
Image credits: fannyasfresh
Animal rescue workers were going about their day in July 2024, when a box of kittens was brought in. At first glance, while the situation was very sad, it didn’t seem like anything too out of the ordinary. The staff at True Rescue in Tennessee are trained to deal with abandoned and neglected animals, after all.
In this case, the four kittens had been discovered inside a duct-taped cardboard box with no air holes. Someone had fortunately spotted them dumped outside a fence before a garbage truck arrived.
According to the shelter, the kittens were around 8 weeks old when they arrived. They were underweight and had upper respiratory symptoms. Upon closer inspection, staff discovered something else that had them intrigued. One of the kittens had four ears.
“We were both very taken aback. That’s not something any of us affiliated with True Rescue have ever seen, probably the rarest of genetic abnormalities that we’ve heard of,” said Kristin Condit, director of operations for the shelter.
#4 My Kittens Eyes Are Currently 2 Distinct Colors
I doubt they'll be like this forever, but watching the process of her baby blues transform sure is magical!!
Image credits: shirokira1313
#5 My Boys Paws Look So Funny From A Upward Angle. I Love Him
Image credits: Queeenkenz
#6 This Cat's Feet Are Units
Image credits: reddit.com
True Rescue staff introduced the “ear-resistible” kitten to the world via a Facebook post. They uploaded a reel the following day, revealing that the kitten has an extremely rare genetic mutation that’s completely harmless. “We decided to name this kitten Audio because he has built-in surround-sound speakers!” reads the post.
Audio immediately became an internet sensation because of his cute and unique features, with several media outlets picking up the story. The shelter received hundreds of adoption applications, but in the end, they decided that Audio was too special to be let go.
“We have been really stressed about how we would find the right applicant, and ultimately for his own safety and our own sanity, I've decided to adopt him,” True Rescue executive director Amy Simcik told Forbes. Audio has since become an ambassador animal for the shelter.
#7 My Family Makes Fun Of Him Because Of His Ears So Please Tell Him He’s The Cutest Patootie In The Whole World. Meet My Cat, Sheriff
Image credits: dfrancesca
#8 Deetz
Image credits: LittleG69420
#9 Jedo Has A Reduced Adoption Fee At The Shelter Where I Foster. He’s A Senior Gentlemen Doing His Best To Be Handsome
Image credits: DonutPlains
Audio isn’t the first cat to go viral for having four ears. Midas made headlines in 2021 when he was adopted by a woman in Turkey. The Russian Blue mix also sports quadruple ears, and has been described as a perfectly healthy cat that has no problem hearing.
Midas’ genetic mutation shot him to fame almost immediately. His Instagram account has garnered 339k followers since it was created. His "first day at home" post got over 7,000 likes, while a pretty portrait has received more than 1.8 million.
#10 This Is Emi, She Was Tragically Born With Only One Brain Cell
Image credits: dbenc
#11 This Two-Headed Tortoise
#12 Judging My Life Choices. She Has De Novo Mutation! She Was Born This Way
Image credits: ellemenohpea2
While Audio and Midas’ unique features have worked in their favor, and made them “ear-resistible” and loved, some bigger cats aren’t as lucky. Africa’s white lions have a recessive gene that gives them their unusual pale color. They’re extremely rare and sought-after by trophy hunters.
#13 Meet My Unusual Cat, Owsley! He Was Born With Out Testicles, Stopped Growing At 6 Months And Remains Kitten Sized Today, He Turns 2 Tomorrow!
Image credits: reddit.com
#14 My Boy Buster (4yo) Has Completely Changed From Black To White Over The Course Of The Last 2.5 Years
My dog Buster has the skin condition vitiligo. It causes depigmentation of the skin (and fur). These photos beautifully capture how vitiligo has made Buster even more unique: November 2021, November 2022, August 2023, and April 2024.
Image credits: TallyMatty
#15 Here's My Cat. He Has Thumbs
Image credits: I_Am_Jacques
White lions went "technically extinct" for 12 years before they slowly started reemerging. Today, there are estimated to be only 13 in the wild. And a few hundred in captivity.
Experts say white lions aren't appropriately classified and remain at risk of being wiped out completely. Some are calling for the rare big cats to be considered a "subspecies" so they can be better protected.
#16 My Cat Looks Like A Lemur
Image credits: HushBringer_
#17 My Cat With Iris Melanosis
Image credits: allthecatsforevr
#18 A Melanistic Asian Water Monitor (Varanus Salvator)
Image credits: TypicalCricket
"Currently, there is no law nationally or internationally that protects the White Lions from being wiped off the face of the earth," warned The Global White Lion Protection Trust.
"Furthermore, the disastrous down-listing by CITES of South Africa’s lions to Appendix II 'least concern' has increased the demand for lion parts/bones of both captive lions and wild lions, putting lions under greater threat of extinction."
#19 My Cat Peanut, Who Has No Control Over The Right Side Of His Face. Constantly Smirking
Image credits: squekthecat
#20 This Is Enzo. He Was Born With A Unique Genetic Mutation, Causing A Lil Black Freckle To Appear On His Face. Quite Possibly The Rarest Golden In The Universe.
Image credits: mister.enzoviola
#21 I Work At An Animal Shelter, Miss Minnie Decided To Show Off Her Extra Fluffy Extra Toes
Image credits: MegaNymphia
While genetic mutations occur naturally in the wild, some breeders have come under fire for purposely creating “mutant” animals. In 2015, some South African breeders and ranchers made headlines for engineering wildlife for the sole purpose of trophy hunting.
As Bloomberg reported back then, some of the rare animals created included "white lions with pale blue eyes, black impalas, white kudus, and coffee-colored springboks."
“We breed them because they’re different,” ranch-owner Barry York told Bloomberg. “There’ll always be a premium paid for highly-adapted, unique, rare animals.”
#22 Does My Cat Have An Abnormally Long Tail? I Don’t Know That I’ve Seen Another Like It
She was a rescue and we weren’t sure she was going to make it with the all of the issues she had. She is the best cat I’ve ever had, super tolerant, cuddly, a little wild, good with kids, maybe a little noisy. She also has the longest frickin tail I’ve ever seen on a cat to the point I feel like it’s abnormal. Anyone else have a cat with a tail like this?
Image credits: criderslider
#23 This Is Nora Everyone. Born With One Eye And Was At Risk Of Being ‘Disposed Of’ Due To Appearance
Nora and her brother are now living their best life with me, like they deserve. Nora is the sweetest little girl and is definitely a crowd favourite 😍
Image credits: ComprehensiveEagle44
#24 This Is Rexy, He Was Born With A Split Nose. We Run A Cattery With Lots Of Cats. We Didn't Think We Could Keep Another Cat, But We Fell In Love With Him! Merry Christmas!
Image credits: 4PetSake_MaineCoons
In 2024, an 80-year-old American rancher was caught engineering giant sheep to sell to hunting lodges. According to court documents, Arthur “Jack” Schubarth used the biological tissue of a large-breed Kyrgyzstan sheep to create a giant sheep hybrid.
He had received the tissue from a hunter and carried out his illegal "breeding" in a lab before impregnating an ewe who would later birth a mutant giant sheep known as Montana Mountain King. That sheep then fathered others, who each carried a price tag of up to $10,000.
#25 After 7 Years Chained Up Outside.. We've Given Her A Forever Home. She Has A Cleft Palate And Dwarfism, But She’s The Loveliest Girl
Image credits: MeetFormal
#26 My Dog Laika Has Two Different Eyes And Two Different Ears
Image credits: superfudge73
#27 Saw A Cat With Four Ears
Image credits: Bayankod_exe
As the Guardian reported, Schubarth and at least five other people were in cahoots from 2013. "Their goal was to garner high prices from hunting preserves where people shoot captive trophy game animals for a fee."
Schubarth pleaded guilty to wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to traffic wildlife. And was sentenced to 6 months in jail. He was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine to the Lacey Act Reward Fund, a $4,000 payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and a $200 special assessment.
“Mr. Schubarth's actions not only violated multiple laws designed to protect wildlife, but also risked introducing diseases and compromising the genetic integrity of our wild sheep populations," said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement.
#28 Saw This Cat Today
Image credits: webi11
#29 Pippin Found Some Sun
Image credits: NicLa113
#30 My Blind Cat Has Abnormally Long Whiskers To Compensate For Her Blindness
Image credits: NightChemical4836
#31 My Mom's Adoptrd Disabled Cat. The Vet Suspects He Was Born Without Eyes
Image credits: enchantedsouls8
#32 I Was 2 Minutes Late With Her Dinner Tonight And Olive Told Me That It Was Unacceptable
Image credits: throwawayfeelings7
#33 Here’s My Albino Doggo Incase You Haven’t Seen One
Image credits: DaisyMillimeter
#34 Five Years Ago Today, Finnegan Had Been At The Shelter For 9 Months. Then He Hissed At Me And I Brought Him Home
And I have to add here that I did not realize he was polydactyl until we got home - two extra toes on each front foot and one extra toe one his back left foot.
Image credits: krankykitty
#35 Heterochromatic Dog's Pupils Reflect Different Colors!
Image credits: Fit_Location580
#36 Met This Really Unique Cat At A Cat Cafe Today
Image credits: minionlicker
#37 My Dog Was Born With A Visual Impairment And Has The Smallest Yet Sweetest Eyes
Image credits: Talvonlenska
#38 My Kitten With Anisocoria Has A Diamond Shaped Pupil
Image credits: FreedomNFireflies
#39 Why Do My Cat Have Long Hairs Behind His Ears ?
it was short when he was 2months, now it's growing up, it's cute, but is it a kind of cats or just a mix of other cats?
Image credits: StrategyCapable00
#40 Does Cricket Have An Extra-Long Tail, Or Do Kittens Tails Seem Extra-Long Until They Grow Into Them?
Image credits: NatureGlum9774
#41 Draw My Cat? He Has No Eyelids
I'll frame every submission and hang it on the wall by his food dish.
Image credits: Far_Sky8
#42 My Mom’s New Pup Has Some Of The Most Beautiful Eyes I’ve Ever Seen
Image credits: Beaniebaby999
#43 My Dog’s Extra Long Whisker
Image credits: berglesauce
#44 This Horse Has A Mustache
Image credits: pimack
#45 Baby Bunny With No Ears
Image credits: AnnaNicole2015
#46 My Dogs Eye Is Star Shaped
Image credits: IFORGOTMYLOGINTWICE
#47 This Is Miso. Miso Is A Rescue. Miso Is Special. Miso Only Wants Love. We Love Miso
Miso is currently diagnosed with dwarfism. He’s only 7 months old at 5.5lbs and will only grow wider. Thicc boy. He has shakes and tremors without any seizures, so we know there’s an underlying neurological issue. The vets have perform as many tests as they could and have now referred us to the local university for neurology treatment. He’s so sweet and we love him very much.
Image credits: 13FoxDan
#48 Polydactyl. Say Hello To Reznor. The (Almost) 17 Yo Polydactyl With Dwarfism And Funnel Chest
Image credits: Mrs_Gallant
#49 The Kitten I Am Adopting Has Dwarfism, At Almost 2 Months Old He Weighs Only A Little Bit More Than A Can Of Coke. He Will Be Illegal Forever
Image credits: dazzleduck
#50 One Tiny Baby, So Many Beans
Image credits: Kitty_casserole
