Some pets are born looking a little different, and some end up that way after an injury or illness. A crooked jaw, a missing leg, one dark eye and one blue, a coat that never stops growing: none of these stop an animal from being affectionate, playful and great company. The cats and dogs in this collection were adopted, rescued or simply adored by owners who saw the personality first and the unusual look second.
Many of them went on to build large followings online, and several of their owners use that attention to encourage people to adopt animals that are often passed over in shelters, such as older pets, pets with disabilities and pets that do not fit a breed standard. Below you will find 26 of them, grouped by what makes each one stand out, with a short note on what is behind the look where it is known. At the end we cover what to think about before adopting a pet with special needs, and a few myths worth dropping.
Eyes that make people look twice
Eyes are often the first thing people notice in a pet photo, and they are also where differences show most.
A one-eyed tabby keeping watch
This grey tabby lost one eye but lounges like a cat with nothing to prove. Vets sometimes remove an eye that is badly injured or painfully infected, and most cats adapt quickly, judging distance well within weeks.
Matilda and her glassy eyes
Matilda's owner said the photo was not edited, and her huge, dark, glass-like eyes made her famous online. Her appearance has been reported as the result of an eye condition rather than a camera trick; whatever the cause, she became a favourite among fans of unusual cats.
One wide pupil after an injury
This black-and-white cat hurt her eye, and one pupil stayed larger than the other. Unequal pupils are called anisocoria; they can follow an injury but can also signal a nerve or eye problem, so a sudden change is always worth a vet visit.
"David Meowie", the odd-eyed white cat
A fluffy white cat with one amber eye and one blue eye, a trait called complete heterochromia. It is most common in white or mostly white cats, because the blue eye forms where pigment cells are missing. The Bowie nickname is a popular joke, but Bowie himself did not have heterochromia: his eyes only looked mismatched because one pupil stayed permanently enlarged after a teenage injury.
Photo: u/SupremeCommunistCat / Reddit
A pirate cat with one eye
A tabby with one eye closed for good relaxes on a cushion by a window lit with fairy lights. One-eyed cats are among the easiest special-needs pets to care for, usually needing nothing more than an indoor life and a little extra patience while they learn the room.
Dora and her famous smile
Dora, a tabby who appears in this post's preview image too, was described by her owner as having been born without proper eyelids, giving her eyes a striking, open look. Cats with eyelid problems often need eye drops or surgery to protect the cornea, and Dora's upturned expression won her plenty of admirers.
Scuba, all eyes
Scuba, a cat with pointed markings and wide, round blue eyes, looks permanently astonished. Big, startled eyes are one of the most shared looks in pet photography, and it is easy to see why.
Crooked jaws, big teeth and unforgettable faces
Underbites, overbites and lopsided jaws are common, especially in short-nosed breeds, and they give many pets their signature grin.
Herman, the "scaredy cat"
Herman is an Exotic Shorthair, a breed with the same flat face as the Persian but a short coat. His permanently worried expression became his trademark on Instagram. Flat-faced breeds are prone to breathing, eye and dental problems, so owners need to watch for overheating and runny eyes.
Tuna's famous overbite
This little dog with a dramatic overbite, seen here in a bow tie, appears to be Tuna, a Chihuahua-dachshund mix who reportedly became one of Instagram's best-known rescue dogs. His look comes from the shape of his jaw, and it has never seemed to slow him down.
Mingus and his fangs
Mingus is a black cat whose long upper canines stay visible when his mouth is closed, giving him a vampire look. Visible fangs are usually harmless, but if teeth rub on the lip or gum a vet may suggest smoothing or removing them.
Photo: u/astro-bandit / Reddit
The dog with a permanent grin
A scruffy terrier-type dog shows off a row of lower teeth in what looks like a big smile. The owner met him on a trip for car parts, and the underbite turned a chance meeting into one of the happiest photos in this set.
The cat who always looks sad
A silver tabby with big round eyes and down-turned features looks heartbroken even when perfectly content. Cats do not use facial expressions the way people do, so a "sad" face usually tells you about bone structure, not mood.
Maxwell, the fluffy newcomer
Maxwell, a pale kitten with long wispy fur, has a slightly lopsided face that his family affectionately calls derpy. Kittens' features often change as they grow, so faces like his can soften or become even more distinctive with age.
A grinning rescue in the car
This pit bull–type dog with a pronounced underbite rides home in the front seat after his owner drove three hours to collect him from a rescue. Bully breeds and their mixes are among the most common dogs in many shelters, so long drives like this one make a real difference.
Photo: u/Snipsthetips / Reddit
A rescue cat's crooked smile
Wearing a protective cone, a cream-coloured rescue cat flashes a lopsided grin caused by a misaligned jaw. Jaw problems can come from birth or from old fractures, and many cats eat and play normally once any pain is treated.
The shelter pup nobody could identify
A small, shaggy black dog with an underbite and bright eyes, adopted from a shelter by owners who joked they were only assuming he was a dog. Mixed-breed shelter dogs often have unpredictable looks, which is part of their charm.
Photo: u/fancy_terrible / Reddit
A yellow Labrador with a tilted face
This yellow Lab's muzzle sits slightly off-centre, a quirk he was born with. His owner says one look at him lifts a bad day, a reminder that symmetry has nothing to do with how good a dog is at cheering people up.
The puppy with the tongue
Breeders labelled this German Shepherd puppy "imperfect" because her tongue tends to hang out. Her new family adopted her anyway, and the photo of her tongue proudly on show became their reply. A tongue that sticks out is usually cosmetic, though it can dry out and should be checked if it cracks.
Photo: u/thespicyasparagus / Reddit
A ginger cat with a puzzled stare
A friend's ginger cat lies on the floor with eyes set slightly apart and a gaze that seems to look in two directions at once. Faces like this are often called "full derp" online, and they are usually entirely harmless.
Smush, the parking-lot rescue
Smush, whose face looks as if it has been gently pressed flat, was adopted after her owners met her in a pet-store parking lot. She growled and hid in her carrier on her first day, but her two moms were sure she belonged with them, and she has since become a social media favourite.
A Monday face
(The Instagram post originally embedded here is no longer available.)
This spot once held an Instagram post of a pet named Kevin pulling a tired, grumpy "Monday face". The post is no longer available, but the idea needs no picture: everyone knows that look.
Missing limbs, unusual coats and one-of-a-kind bodies
A dog born without front legs
This shepherd-mix dog was born without front legs and gets around by standing and walking on his hind legs, here leaning on a sofa to look out the window. Dogs with limb differences often build remarkable strength and balance, and some use carts or harnesses for longer walks.
Venus, the two-faced cat
Venus, born in July 2009 and living in North Carolina, has a face split neatly down the middle into black and orange, with one green eye and one blue. She has often been called a chimera, an animal made from two fused embryos, but that has not been confirmed; her pattern may instead be an unusual, lucky case of mosaic colouring. As her post explains, even her whiskers follow the split.
Vincent, the one-eared cat
Named after the painter Vincent van Gogh, this tabby has just one ear. Cats can lose an ear to injury, frostbite or surgery to remove skin cancer, which is more common in pale-eared cats that spend a lot of time in the sun.
Photo: u/I_speak_Australian / Reddit
Atchoum, the "werewolf" cat
Atchoum is a Persian from Repentigny, Quebec, with feline congenital hypertrichosis, a rare condition that makes his fur grow constantly and very thick. His owner, a groomer, adopted him from a veterinarian, and his intense stare and long facial hair made him an internet star.
Roo, the kangaroo cat
Roo has very short front legs, so he often sits upright on his back legs like a kangaroo, which gave him his name. Cats with shortened front legs usually adapt well indoors but may need help with high places, and their joints are worth monitoring as they age.
Adopting a pet with special needs: what to know
Many animals in this collection came from shelters or rescues. If one of them has inspired you, here is what is worth thinking about first.
- Ask what the difference means day to day. A missing eye or ear usually changes very little. Breathing problems in flat-faced breeds, jaw problems or a missing limb may need ongoing care.
- Budget for vet visits. Some conditions need regular check-ups, eye drops, dental work or joint support later in life. Pet insurance taken out early can help, but check what it excludes.
- Adapt your home. Ramps, non-slip rugs, low litter trays and an indoor-only life can make a big difference for pets with limited mobility or vision.
- Talk to the shelter staff. They usually know the animal's temperament and needs better than anyone and can tell you what has worked for previous adopters.
- Choose with care when buying. Extreme features that are bred on purpose, such as very flat faces, can cause lifelong health problems. Many vets encourage buyers to avoid the most extreme looks.
Myths about "imperfect" pets
Myth: an unusual-looking pet must be unhealthy. Many differences, such as odd-coloured eyes or a crooked face, are purely cosmetic. Others need care, but a vet can tell you which is which.
Myth: a disabled pet has a poor quality of life. Animals do not compare themselves with others. Three-legged dogs run, one-eyed cats hunt toys, and blind pets map a home by smell and sound.
Myth: a sad or angry-looking face means a sad or angry pet. Face shape is fixed by bones and fur. Body language, appetite and play tell you far more about how a pet feels.
Myth: nobody wants these animals. As the many followers of Venus, Atchoum and Smush show, a distinctive look can be exactly what draws people in.
Preview photo credit: unknown / Reddit, smushofficial / Instagram.
Sources: Photos and posts credited under each item. Background: Wikipedia: Heterochromia iridum; Wikipedia: Anisocoria; Wikipedia: Venus (cat); Wikipedia: Brachycephaly; Cole & Marmalade: Meet Atchoum.
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