Like a resident straight out of the Emerald City, a bright green stray cat has been spotted around the streets of Varna, a tourist hotspot along the Black Sea Coast in Bulgaria.
The green kitty seems none-the-wiser at its sudden popularity and doesn't seem concerned about his unnaturally green hue. Even its other feline friends don't seem to be taken aback by the green fur, as he is seen playing and socializing with a more naturally ginger cat in some photos.
According to reports, at first residents were outraged at the sight of the cat, thinking it must have been the poor victim of a cruel prank. A Facebook page was even set up, calling for "Punishment to the perpetrator of this criminal act!"
Members of the groups were calling out to investigate the persons responsible for dying the cat green, as an act of animal cruelty, and demanded that the vandals be taken to court and made to pay for their crime.
Those who are concerned about the wellbeing of the hulk-cat can rest easy. Apparently, the stray acquired its unusual coloration because it has taken to the habit of sleeping in an abandoned garage with a heap of synthetic green paint.
Observers of the cat seem to corroborate that theory since the green cat seems to get greener every day. No aliens, pranksters, or nuclear power plant accidents here!
Before you think this could turn into some new weird trend like #dyedpits, which has women bleaching and dying their underarm hair into various psychedelic or pastel shades of the rainbow and posting their pit photos on instagram, animal experts warn that dying animal fur for cosmetic purposes, even with products deemed safe for humans, is dangerous and can have fatal consequences.
Meanwhile, the peculiar green cat continues to catch the attention of residents and tourists in Varna, completely oblivious to its new found popularity.
