ver the years there have been many reports of winged cats. These have been treated as cryptozoological phenomena. Many people would like to believe in flying cats, but the real explanation is medical, not mystical. The answers lie in poor grooming, a developmental defect or an uncommon hereditary skin condition.

Note: This is not, as some blogs suggest, a fake site akin to Bonsai Kittens. The condition is called "Cutaneous Asthenia" and is related to the human Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (described at the end of this page). These conditions are documented in medical and veterinary journals. The impression of "wings" can also occur due to matted fur in Persians and other longhaired breeds. Viewers of the UK's "Animal Hospital" will have seen several cases of this (e.g. "Shaun" the badly matted silver Persian).

HISTORICAL REPORTS OF WINGED CATS

There are around 138 reported sightings of winged cats. There are 28 documented cases i.e. with physical evidence and at least 20 photographs and, in recent times, one video. Several bodies and living winged cats have been examined. There is at least one stuffed specimen, but this may be a nineteenth century fake.