Meet Monty: Internet-Famous Cat with Down's Syndrome

This is the story of Monty, a cat who was born with a chromosome anomaly that gives him unique facial features, which have made him famous on social media. This pussycat lives happily in Denmark with his owners Michael Bjorn and Mikala Klein, and two other felines. Here, we’ll fill you in on some details of his life.

How did Monty end up with Michael and Mikala?

Michael and Mikala obviously love cats. Even though they already had two cats at home, they decided to adopt one more. They began to visit various shelters’ websites, looking for a new pussycat to give him a new home.

Then, they came across a picture of a three-year-old kitten that they thought was adorable, and yet had a sad look in his eyes. They decided to go for it. 

The connection with the animal was immediate. It was as if they had chosen each other. Then they decided to call him Monty, because the cat reminded them of the song, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from the movie Life of Brian by the British group Monty Python.

Meet Monty, a cat born with a chromosomal anomaly. His peculiar image captivates internet users and everyone who knows him personally. In fact, he’s basically a certified Internet-famous cat. He has more than 183,000 followers on Facebook and 65,000 on Instagram.

Monty, a cat with a chromosomal abnormality

Monty lacks a bone in his nose because of the chromosomal anomaly with which he was born, and that is what gives him the unique facial features that have made internet users fall in love. This abnormality also causes him to suffer from respiratory problems, such as more sneezing than usual.

In addition, sometimes the pussycat  leaks urine when he sleeps very deeply. At first, his owners thought that this was due to a territorial attitude. Much to their regret, they decided to give him up for adoption to a family that did not have other cats.

However, they just couldn’t let go of him. Then they discovered that his leaking problem was related to the chromosomal anomaly, which some compared to Down’s syndrome in humans.

Otherwise, Monty is a cat with a huge personality who leads a normal and happy life. He is very sociable, cuddly, and playful. What’s more, he’s famous! His small defect probably doesn’t bother him at all.

Becoming an Internet-famous cat

The couple decided to spread Monty’s peculiar image to raise awareness that physical appearance doesn’t matter, and that at the end of the day, we all have certain abnormalities, some more marked than others. 

The point is that the cat caused a furor on the internet. At the time this article was written, he had more than 183,000 followers on Facebook and 65,000 on Instagram.

In addition, he has his own brand of clothing, jewelry, handbags, and other accessories. The sale of these products benefits the refuge in which Monty lived. Monty has made both internet users and everyone who know him personally fall in love with him.

Looking on the bright side of life

Although Down’s syndrome is a disease exclusive to humans, animals also have different types of syndromes, abnormalities, and chromosomal diseases.

Since animales have ordered genetic sequences like humans, they can undergo trisomies (an extra chromosome) that can cause cognitive and physiological difficulties, or anatomical alterations that denote a characteristic state. 

In any case, regardless of how different a human being, a cat, or dog may look, the important thing is to look on the bright side of life. Do you agree? Monty is a good example of that.