Senior Scrappy

Meet Scrappy, the cat that turned black and white. The 19-year-old turns heads thanks to the marble-like effect of monochrome patches of fur. Owner Dave Platt, a builder from Yorkshire, explains: “Scrappy was jet black as a kitten. But when he was seven my mum was looking after him and rang me to say a white patch had appeared on his head. We took him to the vet as we thought he might have had a stroke. At that time, the vet couldn’t explain what was causing it. In the next few years, Scrappy began to get more and more white patches, then it slowed down. But in the last three or four years it has started again. More recently, a vet identified that Scrappy could possible have vitiligo. We don’t know, but he may turn completely white.” Vitiligo is the same condition that caused Michael Jackson’s skin to lighten. More common in humans, the long-term condition sees pale white patches develop on the skin. It is caused by the lack of melanin, a pigment in the skin. Dave says: “People started noticing Scrappy’s unusual appearance when he went out and would come to see him; even the postman takes pictures. People seem to love cats so it is nice that people around the world might get to enjoy pictures of him. He is getting on a bit in age but is still active and playful. That said, he does have his grumpy moments, as I guess we all do in old age. He doesn’t mind having his picture taken, but it is definitely him who decides when he wants to be photographed. A little bit of chicken usually aids the process. Can he handle fame? Well, Scrappy is a bit of a diva sometimes. ” Where: Yorkshire, United Kingdom When: 15 Dec 2016 Credit: David Platt/Cover Images **All usages and enquiries, please contact Glen Marks at glen.marks@cover-images.com – +44 (0)20 3397 3000**