The coronavirus lockdown has improved the celebrity status of Ikiru, an Exotic Shorthair pointed cat with a sticky-out tongue and a very flat face. He has a good following on Instagram. Sadly, nearly all the Exotic Shorthair celebrity cats have something wrong with their anatomy due to breeding which makes them look interesting or strange.
His celebrity comes from his tongue! Of course, he has the usual extreme features of a shorthaired flat-faced version of the overbred Persian. He is 3-years-of-age. He loves fish and was named after a Kurosawa film.
He lives in Saltaire, Bradford, UK and lives with Emma and Rich. He entertains people during the coronavirus lockdown. Well done.
Followers ask why his tongue sticks out a lot. Emma says that it happens after he has groomed himself and he forgets to stick it back in. Cats do this sometimes so it is not that unusual but to do for so long is unusual.
I’d like to politely suggest that it may have something to do with his breeding. These flat-faced breeds are known to have breathing difficulties. Their noses are abnormally truncated. He may be opening his mouth slightly to assist breathing which allows his tongue to flop out. I have seen this before in Exotic SHs.
RELATED: Picture of badly bred Exotic Shorthair cat
Sometimes extreme breeding of Persians and Exotic Shorthairs can result in an overshot jaw (misaligned upper and lower jaw). This may be an issue too but it is not apparent in Ikiru. It might prevent the tongue from staying in the mouth all the time.
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