He might look like a bit of a sour puss – but this miserable-looking moggy only seems permanently sad because of a rare genetic condition – and is actually very happy.
Toby, who lives with his owners Chris Lardner and Georgina Price in Gloucestershire, has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome that affects his skin, making it saggy, giving him a permanently grumpy look.
Chris and Georgina didn’t let his condition put them off, and adopted Toby and his best friend Quinton, after they were both rescued from a hoarder’s house by the RSPCA.
Georgina, an accounts assistant, said of the condition, which also affects humans: ‘He basically has defective collagen’.
Cat Toby (pictured with owner Georgina Price) is a rescue cat from Gloucestershire with a rare skin condition, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Sour puss! Toby has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a collagen disorder that makes his skin saggy and gives him a permanently grumpy look
Whatever Toby’s doing, he looks like he’s having a miserable time. But his owners say he is a loving feline, who likes to play
‘Ehlers Danlos syndrome can affect the health in other cases but it doesn’t seem to have affected Toby that badly.
‘It’s just affected his skin more than anything else – it’s quite fragile, which is why he gets cuts and he is so droopy as well.
‘He is not sad anymore, but he can pull the face when he wants to.
‘Toby is in love with bouncy balls, shoelaces, anything he can drag around.
Toby was rescued from a hoarder’s house by her RSPCA and rehomed with Georgina and Chris
The feline is collagen deficient, which is why his skin lacks elasticity and looks so droopy
People call him sagpuss’ and owner Chris added that Toby can pull some impressively miserable faces when upset
‘People say he looks ‘old’ and call him “sagpuss”.’
Chris added: ‘He can pull a really grumpy face when he’s upset, he really doesn’t like being woken up from his nap.
‘He sleeps a lot during the day, and when we come back home they want to play.’
Toby with his bestie Quinton. The two cats were both adopted by Chris and Georgina from the same shelter
Owner Georgina (pictured) said special needs cats like Tobyshow appreciation and love in abundance
Toby was really scared after his experience living in the hoarder’s house and wouldn’t come out from under the bed
Chris, a builder, said: ‘When we first got Toby, it took him about four weeks to come out from under the bed, he was so nervous.
‘When he was in the shelter he was kind of ignored by the other cats. He wasn’t socialised because he was so scared of everyone.’
‘After a difficult start in life we are just glad we found them when we did. We can prevent Toby from further harm and ease any potential problems his EDS may bring.’
Georgina and Chris said they were happy that Toby was rescued when he was, as he could have been even more traumatised
Looking permanently miserable because of his skin condition, Toby (pictured) can’t help how he looks
So hard being a cat: Georgina said her cats meant the world to her and Chris and that they loved them both exceedingly
Toby might look like a sour puss but he’s actually very loving according his owners Chris and Georgina
Georgina added: ‘These special needs cats show appreciation and love in abundance with a little patience and time so if anything we hope our happy, sad cat will encourage others, capable and willing, to adopt and not shop.
‘There are so many Toby and Quintons out there that need a home.
‘We love the cats so, so much. They mean the world to us both and we are so incredibly proud of how brave they’ve become.
‘They’re so sweet and loving; it’s really the most rewarding thing in the world.’
Georgina said taking care of rescued cats was one of the most rewarding things and said they were both very loving
Because of his condition, Toby gets cuts. Georgina explained his skin is quite fragile and looks droopy
But now living in a happy home with his friend Quinton and loving owners, Toby, despite his looks, is a happier cat
