MONTREAL — On January 25, the world was introduced to Atchoum, the latest internet cat sensation — and he’s going viral.
Atchoum, which is French for “Atchoo,” is a nine-month-old Persian cat who lives in the city of Repetigny, an off-island suburb of Montreal, Que.
It’s not even been a month, but thanks to the unbelievably cute photos shared by his owner Nathalie online, Atchoum has nearly 18,000 likes on his Facebook page and nearly 17,000 followers on Instagram.
What makes this cat so special?’
Atchoum has a condition called hypertrichosis, sometimes called the “werewolf syndrome” in humans, which means he has an abnormal amount of hair growth all over the body, in particular on his face and around his paws.
And you thought you had a bad hair day? But Atchoum’s resemblance to an adorable Shih Tzu or fuzzy Ewok, coupled with a very expressive personality, has resulted in a lot of internet love.
After being featured in Le Journal de Montreal, Mashable, Bored Panda and People magazine, Atchoum’s star is set to take off.
What’s it like being Atchoum?
Wondering what it was like to be the next internet sensation, Global News reached out to the furry feline to discover a little more about his life.
“I am lucky because my owner is a groomer who works in a veterinary hospital,” the cat said via Facebook message.
“So I am always well coiffed, as my abundant hair requires a lot of care.”
As for the freezing cold weather in Canada, the cat said he was unperturbed by winter snowstorms.
“I live in the comfort of my home,” he said. “My only experience with snow is what I see through the window.”
What does a cat do all day, locked up inside the house?
“In my spare time, I play CatPlayground on the iPad and run after my little giraffe, with whom I have a love/hate relationship,” said Atchoum.
Judging by the hilarious and sweet photos posted by his owner, Atchoum keeps himself very busy indeed.