VINCENT THE LYKOI: My Inspurrational Rescue Story

Think werewolf cats are all the result of purrfessional breeders? Think again.

KATNISS: Vincent, I was surpurrised to learn that you and your siblings were once feral street cats. Tell me your hisstory.

VINCENT: We were trapped and rescued by a cat organization when we were about 4 months old. Our mother was caught later. She was very sick and, sadly, could not be saved.

KATNISS: I’m sorry to hear that. But I’m glad you have a Meowmy and a Cat Daddy now. What did they think when they first set eyes on mew?

VINCENT: Well, I didn’t look “wolfy” when I was a kitten, but I did look… mewnique. I was much darker with white accents on my back. I already had the Lykoi feet and tail, so a lot of people thought I looked odd and almost rodent-like.

KATNISS: No kitten. Tell me meowr.

VINCENT: At my first vet visit, the vet pulled meowt of the carrier and jokingly said, “What the heck is this?” I was told I resembled an opossum.

KATNISS: Possums are cool! I follow Starfish the Opossum on IG! Were you losing your fur?

VINCENT: Yes – I got bald patches around my ears, shoulders and belly. After my first molting, my fur came in much lighter and longer. That’s when I started really “wolfing out.” I don’t molt regularly like some of my other Lykoi friends, but my belly and legs have stayed pretty bald.

KATNISS: But your brother and sister aren’t wolfy at all.

VINCENT: They’re not. I contacted James the Lykoi, who is famous on IG, to help explain my background to me(ow).

KATNISS: Better than ordering one of those trendy DNA kits!

VINCENT: Fur sure! James explained that the Lykoi genetic mutation is recessive. My brother and sister are what is called F1 Lykoi because they likely carry only one inherited mutation; I have the recessive gene from both parents.

VINCENT: My siblings are in the Lykoi family, but they don’t have both recessive genes and, therefore, don’t look wolfy. That also explains why, in naturally-occurring Lykoi families, you could have a whole litter of wolfy kittens or just one amidst a batch of fuzzy “normal” babies.

KATNISS: Wow, this is really infurrmative! I had no idea.

VINCENT: I have now met so many lykoi furiends online that I no longer feel diffurent.

KATNISS: And you’ve got a big family, too.

VINCENT: Yes! In addition to my siblings, Scottie and Steve, there’s Dean, a former stray, and Gwen, who is the sister of internet celebricat Wolfie Smiles.