Animal rescued from the cold looks like a hairless cat — you’ll never guess what it really is

For many animals, fur is essential because it offers much-needed insulation from the cold. Additionally, it gives them their unique appearances; there are some creatures that you might not even identify when they are fully bald.

A more rarer critter that resembles a hairless cat was just taken up by rescuers. Continue reading to find out more about this unusual species and her improbable survival.

The strangest animal was adopted by Hope for Wildlife, a charitable conservation organization in Nova Scotia, last month. A couple in West Arichat found the animal, suffering in the cold, in their backyard, according to the Canadian Press.

The creature appears to be a Sphynx cat at first glance, but it’s actually a fully hairless raccoon!

Without their distinctive fur pattern that resembles a mask, raccoons are definitely difficult to identify. This small animal, a northern raccoon, suffers from severe alopecia, which has left it entirely bald.

There have been examples of balding raccoons in the past, but nothing like this, according to the rescue: “It’s just tufts of fur around the snout, ankles and feet.” The Canadian Press was informed by Hope Swinimer, director of Hope for Wildlife, that the situation was serious.

Despite being female, the raccoon has been named Rufus in honor of the character from the Kim Possible cartoon who is a naked mole rat.

The rescue said on Facebook that they are still in the process of diagnosing the reason for her hair loss and that it might be an autoimmune condition causing harm to her hair follicles. Not only did they rule out fungal infections, mange, and parasites, but they also noted that her skin looked healthy.

Since raccoons rely on their fur to remain warm and shield their skin from the weather, Rufus’s survival for this extended period of time astounded the rescuers.

“We are astonished that this small lady survived the winter without fur and without getting frostbite or worse!” the Facebook post stated.

They went on to say that she was “her own doing” and that she had a “feisty” personality. Nevertheless, given that she was apparently “down and out upon arrival,” it appears that she was saved just in time.

For a few brief hours, we were in a panic, but then she became hungry and came out. We’ve noticed a significant change since she first came, and she’s becoming really feisty now, Swinimer told The Canadian Press.

Given the situation, Rufus may end up staying at the shelter permanently. In addition to having a dedicated habitat, an outside area with a place to crawl into for warmth, and other facilities like hammocks and nesting boxes, Rufus will have all of these.

We’ve never before seen a raccoon without hair! Rufus’s prolonged survival in the wild is amazing, and we’re happy that she was discovered and is receiving quality care.

For the first time, baby hears his mother’s voice

Back in 2017, a mom named Christy Keane shared what is believed to be one of the most heartwarming and most emotional videos we’ve ever seen, that of her baby girl hearing her voice for the first time ever.

As explained in the caption of the video which has been seen over 111 million times, baby Charly was born profoundly deaf and she had never heard a single sound. So, when she got her hearing aid and was able to learn what her mom’s voice sounds like, Charly started crying tears of joy. Her expression was enough for her parents to understand that she could now feel the world around her as a whole.

We are so glad that this precious moment was caught on tape.

It is so awesome that the advance of technology allows different aids to be produced and used by people with certain impairments and disabilities and to facilitate their lives to the extent they are able to function independently and be valuable members of the society.