Ready for take-off, Tiddles?

August 28, 2008 4:31 PM

Catwings. Some Chinese cats seem to have sprouted wings. (No, it is not April 1.)

"The cute little devils began sprouting bumps on their backs, which later turned into wing-like growths, during a recent spell of hot weather in China's Sichuan province."

Is this charming yet unbelievable feline anomaly caused by a genetic defect, mating stress, or a grooming problem? Or is it a case of life imitating art?

posted by ottereroticist (32 comments total)

And while she says her lovable Tom is no devil, his wings, which contain bones, make him look more like a 'cat angel'.

[...]

They say the wings can form through poor grooming, a genetic defect or a hereditary skin condition.

Well, that settles it: two showers a day from now on.
posted by DaDaDaDave at 4:40 PM on August 28, 2008

Dude.

What. Is. In. The. Water????
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:43 PM on August 28, 2008

Cats with wings, you say?

When pigs fly!
posted by Parasite Unseen at 4:48 PM on August 28, 2008

Winged Cats - What are they?
posted by kisch mokusch at 4:49 PM on August 28, 2008 [5 favorites]

So, will they go well with blue cheese dressing?
posted by konolia at 5:10 PM on August 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

Fake. These are just cat dreadlocks and the owners made them that way. There is no way - if they just "sprouted" - that they have bones in them.
posted by tkchrist at 5:27 PM on August 28, 2008

I guess it's comforting to see that people in other countries can be just as ignorant of the basic tenets of science as folks in the US.

If by "comforting" I mean "appalling".
posted by Sidhedevil at 5:28 PM on August 28, 2008

These are just cat dreadlocks and the owners made them that way.

Nope, it's the cat version of Ehlers-Danos Syndrome in humans. If cats had sideshows, these cats could make a fortune touring as "Rubber Cat" and what-not. (Although I wonder what cat sideshow geeks would bite the heads off of?)
posted by Sidhedevil at 5:31 PM on August 28, 2008

I have no idea how these people got their cats wedged into their transmogrifiers, or why.
posted by The Bellman at 5:33 PM on August 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

personally, i really like these Catwings
posted by jammy at 5:44 PM on August 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

What. Is. In. The. Water????

Hey, the only weird thing the U.S. got from polluted water was a burning river. I feel ripped off.
posted by theclaw at 5:46 PM on August 28, 2008

I would sit on them and rev the little wings like the handles of a motorbike.

Then apply lots of Betadine and patch myself up.
posted by turgid dahlia at 5:49 PM on August 28, 2008

Turgid Dahlia, as any motorcyclist can tell you, you wear all the gear all the time (ATGATT). And wouldn't you want to be wearing a full set of leathers riding your wingcat?
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 6:03 PM on August 28, 2008

jammy, that book always made me cry when I was wee. Still does.
posted by sperose at 6:06 PM on August 28, 2008

The cat was supposed to perform during the olympic ceremonies. Turned out the cat wasn't cute enough, so they had to use a dog. But the dog was just pretending to have wings.
posted by Dumsnill at 6:15 PM on August 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

Somewhere in my mother's house, there is a letter Ursula LeGuin wrote to me many years ago in response to a fan letter I sent her about the Catwings books.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:30 PM on August 28, 2008

cats seem to have sprouted wings.

we're gonna need a lot of bleu cheese.
posted by jonmc at 6:34 PM on August 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Take an eye for an eye
Take a tooth for a tooth
Just like they say in the LOLcats;
Never leave a trace or forget a face
Of any cat at the table.
When the Web is a cold chiseled dagger,
Sharp enough to draw lulz from a stone,
He's in ur dreams ridin ur coach and horses.
And the bukkits in the midnight
Look like bones.

Well they've stopped trying to hold him
With invisible bicycle--
He broke out of every ceiling;
Paws mount the staircase.
Nom nom nom.
It's not there for he eated it.
It's not there for he eated it.

Well, he once killed a cat with lazers;
He's been seen at the table with RAM;
Well, he once saved a LOLrus from drowning;
There are those who say beneath his fur there are wings.
Some say he has a flavr
Others do not want
Because he steals his monorail.
One look in his eye,
Everyone denies
Ever having cheezburger.
Ever having cheezburger.

He can turn himself into a macro,
Well, they broke a lot of memes on his hide.
He was born away in a 4chan.
O RLY? beats in his head, just like a drum inside.
Some say they fear him
Others admire him
Because he steals his monorail.
One look in his eye
Everyone denies
Ever having cheezburger.
Ever having cheezburger.
posted by nasreddin at 6:44 PM on August 28, 2008 [21 favorites]

nasreddin, if I could favorite that times infinity, I would.
posted by katillathehun at 6:51 PM on August 28, 2008

That's great and all, but they'll still get stuck in trees.

Sorry.
posted by dsword at 6:54 PM on August 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think we all know what's really going on here, but no one wants to say it. This is just the first step. Soon the cats will develop the ability to shoot beams of white hot death from their eyes, read thoughts, and traverse space and time. Sounds crazy? That's what they said about airplanes a hundred years ago. Case closed!
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 7:08 PM on August 28, 2008

I've been trying to avoid using this meme, but this FPP really calls for it.

"I, for one, welcome our new winged feline overlords."
posted by Joey Michaels at 7:39 PM on August 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

I used to have a long haired cat (notice that none of these are short haired) that when she went out in the dewy summer grass would end up with matted fur on her sides that seemed somewhat hard. As the summer went along, she would shed her fur and they would slowly come off, and looked a lot like these cats. We would end up shaving the cat and giving her a Mohawk. No bone, no skin, no blood when we cut it off. The poster who said dreadlocks was right.

wife of 445supermag
posted by 445supermag at 7:46 PM on August 28, 2008

Chinese cat dreads are irie. I bet they purr a mean dub.
posted by chimaera at 8:34 PM on August 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

Well, I guess birds are pretty fucked, then.
posted by infinitywaltz at 10:04 PM on August 28, 2008 [3 favorites]

Catwings are batshit.
posted by autodidact at 10:39 PM on August 28, 2008

Dude, if you had to live in a house with 699 other cats, you'd sprout wings too.
posted by rokusan at 12:04 AM on August 29, 2008

Will they have to chase themselves around before pouncing on themselves and ripping themselves apart?
posted by davemee at 12:44 AM on August 29, 2008

Came here to post a welcoming to our new winged cat overlords...saw I was beaten to it.
posted by samsara at 5:42 AM on August 29, 2008

MEANWHILE...

Catman: Quickly, to the Catcave, Robin!

Here we catch our daring duo sitting in rocking chairs and petting kitties.

Robin: How is this going to help us catch the nefarious Clayface, Catman?!

Catman: What's a clayface?
posted by aftermarketradio at 8:14 AM on August 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

Some Chinese cats seem to have sprouted wings.

Holy shit! Is it April 1 or something?!

(No, it is not April 1.)

oh. ok.
posted by shmegegge at 9:34 AM on August 29, 2008

Can you get them into a scanner?
posted by theora55 at 10:26 AM on August 29, 2008