Animal lovers are obsessed with a cat born as part of an “accidental litter” between two luxury cat breeds.
Neville the cat has gone viral on TikTok after his owner shared a video introducing him to his special TikTok account, @nevloongbottom, on February 19.
The much-loved pet has strikingly unusual markings and colors—a white-and-tabby cat, almost solid black in places, with brown stripes, ginger markings around his face, a white tuxedo, and large, bright gold eyes.
His owner explained over the video: “Neville is a very special kitten. He’s one of three from an accidental litter between a Maine Coon and a Bengal. We couldn’t be happier to welcome him into our little family.”
In comments, Neville’s owner explained that his father was a black Maine coon with white paws, while his mother was a ginger Bengal cat
Bengals and Maine Coons are two popular, but incredibly different, luxury cat breeds.
Maine Coons are known for their enormous size, with a healthy adult weighing up to 8.2kg, and extremely fluffy coat. They are highly affectionate, inquisitive and active, are known to be a great for families and first-time owners, and enjoy playing games, according to a report from Purina.
Maine Coons may be descendants of the Norwegian Forest cat, who were brought to Maine in the 1800s and mated with local domestic shorthairs.
Bengal cats, meanwhile, are known for their marbling and spotting pattern on their coats; they are large and muscular, weighing up to 7.7kg, and are best suited to a quiet and calm environment. Bengals are generally not recommended for first-time owners or young families, and require a high level of enrichment to prevent becoming bored, according to Purina.
The new domestic breed was developed in the 1990s by crossing the Asian Leopard Cat, a wild breed, with domestic tabbys and other short-haired breeds—and, depending how close to the original cross the Bengal is, some countries require a Dangerous Wild Animal License to own one.
Animal lovers were hugely interested in Neville, awarding the video close to 140,000 likes, as one commenter wrote: “As someone who has both a Bengal and a Maine coon, I can 1,000 percent appreciate him. So cute.”
“I thought I had the prettiest cat ever but you definitely win,” another awed commenter said, as one said that “Maine coon and Bengal sounds like the best combination ever.”
And another pointed out: “He is extra special because tricolor cats are almost only female cats, because it is linked to the X chromosome. Beautiful cat!”
At this, Neville’s owner replied agreeing: “He/we got super lucky!”
Newsweek has contacted @nevloongbottom via TikTok for comment on this story.
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