The other night I received an extremely excited phone call from Bonny, my cleaning lady. She could hardly wait to tell me about the research scientists who have been buzzing excitedly about an extremely unique breed of cat, the Ouranio Toxo recently discovered in Iyakne, a tiny village located in a remote part of the Congo. Upon maturity at 4 years of age, the Ouranio Toxo weighs in at about 40-50 pounds. Famous for being chatty cats, they make a sound that resembles the combination of a barking dog and a "singing" Siamese.
While at first glance this attractive feline, pictured above, resembles the common orange tabby domestic house cat, this rare species boasts an unusual sparkling coat color which occurs immediately after it feeds on its specialized diet, the extremely scarce and almost extinct varicolored fish, the Pisces Errectus.
Much like the flamingo's feathers are pink as the result of feeding on an exclusive diet of the deeply pigmented shrimp, the Ouranio Toxo, the Greek word for "rainbow", was chosen as the name for this exceptional feline species since the cat will display a rainbow-like patch on its chest shortly after eating and digesting its prey.
Unfortunately, this amazing feline is an endangered species due to the deforestation of the local area and the impact that logging has made on the native streams and rivers in which the Pisces Errectus makes its home. Since this eye-catching fish is the sole diet for the Ouranio Toxo, scientists fear that the species will soon become extinct.
However, due to its rarity and beauty, and its potential as a tourist attraction, the Iyakne residents have been successfully reaching out to several conservation agencies which are working diligently to the preservation of the habitat of both the endangered fish and the magnificent felines.
One of the most endearing features of the Ouranio Toxo is its high intelligence and affectionate nature. Similar in disposition to a dog, this breed of cat is keen on learning tricks far and above those that domestic cats enjoy. People who live with these felines report that not only can these cats excel in agility training; they appear to even read people's minds, responding appropriately to their human companions very thoughts. Is this cat really psychic? More research is needed to determine the veracity of these anecdotes.
Rumors are flying furiously that an exotic cat breeder from California has smuggled a breeding pair of these exceptional felines into the United States and is planning to sell the kittens for $25,000. This writer feels strongly that these cats belong in the Congo and that it is not only a travesty to remove them from their native environment but to profit off of them.
Gotcha!
April fools!
Photo credit: Flickr
While at first glance this attractive feline, pictured above, resembles the common orange tabby domestic house cat, this rare species boasts an unusual sparkling coat color which occurs immediately after it feeds on its specialized diet, the extremely scarce and almost extinct varicolored fish, the Pisces Errectus.
Much like the flamingo's feathers are pink as the result of feeding on an exclusive diet of the deeply pigmented shrimp, the Ouranio Toxo, the Greek word for "rainbow", was chosen as the name for this exceptional feline species since the cat will display a rainbow-like patch on its chest shortly after eating and digesting its prey.
Unfortunately, this amazing feline is an endangered species due to the deforestation of the local area and the impact that logging has made on the native streams and rivers in which the Pisces Errectus makes its home. Since this eye-catching fish is the sole diet for the Ouranio Toxo, scientists fear that the species will soon become extinct.
However, due to its rarity and beauty, and its potential as a tourist attraction, the Iyakne residents have been successfully reaching out to several conservation agencies which are working diligently to the preservation of the habitat of both the endangered fish and the magnificent felines.
One of the most endearing features of the Ouranio Toxo is its high intelligence and affectionate nature. Similar in disposition to a dog, this breed of cat is keen on learning tricks far and above those that domestic cats enjoy. People who live with these felines report that not only can these cats excel in agility training; they appear to even read people's minds, responding appropriately to their human companions very thoughts. Is this cat really psychic? More research is needed to determine the veracity of these anecdotes.
Rumors are flying furiously that an exotic cat breeder from California has smuggled a breeding pair of these exceptional felines into the United States and is planning to sell the kittens for $25,000. This writer feels strongly that these cats belong in the Congo and that it is not only a travesty to remove them from their native environment but to profit off of them.
Gotcha!
April fools!
Photo credit: Flickr
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