If Batman had a cat, it would probably look something like this. The household
pet, named Yoda, was
born with an extra set of ears. Valerie and Ted Rock took him in two years ago
after visiting a bar near
their home in Chicago, where he was being passed round by curious drinkers. He
was one of a large litter
and the owners were looking for a home for him.
A good listener: Two-year-old house cat Yoda was born with four ears
The couple immediately fell for the freaky feline and asked the owner if they
could adopt him. He agreed
and the couple named the cat Yoda, after the pointy-eared Jedi knight in Star
Wars.
Valerie, 65, said: 'We were at a pub on the south side of Chicago with a group
of friends when we noticed
a small cage sitting on the bar and people passing around a kitten.
'He had been part of a large litter and the owners were looking to find a home
for him.'Ted and I had just
lost a cat that was our pet for over 20 years, and we were sure we were done
with cats.'When he was passed
around he reached for Ted, crawled up into the crook of his neck and fell
asleep - Ted was a goner.
'It was a done deal when the kitten made himself at home on Ted's shoulder. We
decided to name him Yoda. I
understand the Star Wars character was based on George Lucas' cat.'
After adopting the eight-week-old kitten into their Illinois home, Valerie
decided to have Yoda checked out with
the local vet.
Owner: Valerie Rock found Yoda being passed around a Chicago bar and took him
home with her. But the vet was
mystified by his unique appearance. 'The vet had never seen anything like it
before,' explains Valerie. 'He immediately
went to the internet and found the four-eared cat in Germany.
'We have spoken with other vets in our acquaintance, and they likewise had
never encountered anything like this.'We
began to realise that we had something very special. 'As a result, he has been
an indoor cat and has a chip installed in
case he gets lost. Yoda is so different that we were concerned that he might be
catnapped.' Yoda's extra 'flaps' are
separate to the base of his skull, with one placed slightly behind the
other.Yet despite his unusual looks, Valerie is sure
Yoda's behaviour - and hearing - are quite normal. 'Yoda's hearing is normal
as far as we know,' says Valerie. 'People
do a double take when they see him or his picture. It is great fun showing him
off.
Yoda: The wise Star Wars character the cat was named after
'We have actually had people ask if we had his ears cut to look this way. 'But
he is a
perfectly normal affectionate, curious cat and is a joy to have around.
'He is not afraid of anything and is very sociable unlike some of the other
cats I have
owned.
'But he does have an interesting obsession with bread - I can't leave bread on
the counter
for a moment.
'And when he purrs, it is not audible. The only way I know that he is purring
is to put my
finger on his throat to feel the vibration.
'He also is not very vocal. He meows, but only softly, and not very often which
is a good
thing.'
