Have you ever seen a bodybuilding cat? Okay, so nothing like that has ever existed, but recently the world got a look at what that would look like if it did exist. On a reddit a picture of a muscular Sphynx cat with more muscles than a bodybuilder went viral world wide.
Why Does the Ripped Sphynx Cat Have So Much Muscle?
On the surface it may look like the ripped Sphynx cat is in great shape. It has so much muscle that even it’s paws are muscular. It would be the equivalent of a human having muscular toes. However, this muscular Sphynx cat is suffering from a condition called “Myostatin-related Hypertrophy”.
According to Medlineplus.gov, people and animals who have this condition have a genetic mutation of the MSTN gene, which leads to much lower body fat and increased muscle size even without working out. The MSTN proteins are what stop muscles from overgrowing, but in people with this condition the production of theses proteins are drastically reduced.
Tom Cat from ‘Tom and Jerry’ would have benefited from having Myostatin-related Hypertrophy, because he was super weak in the gym.
What Health Issues Does ‘Myostatin-related Hypertrophy’ Cause?
Although a Myostatin deficiency leads to the condition this muscular Sphynx cat is suffering from, some people would consider this a genetic advantage.
Individuals with the MSTN mutation are usually much stronger than average, and have no known health issues. The MSTN mutation only affects skeletal muscles used for movement, but muscles like the heart are not affected.
Essentially an athlete with a MSTN mutation has a natural advantage over a normal human being in theory.
That ripped Sphynx cat is probably every cat lady’s dream.
Authors: JordanThrilla Staff