‘New Grumpy Cat’ has permanently sad face due to rare medical condition

This cat is in a happy place despite having a permanently sad face owing to a rare medical condition.

Five-year-old Sushi, who has stretchy skin because of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, was found as a kitten wandering the streets.

He was later given a home by system analyst Larissa Yamaguchi.

She found out only last year that he had EDS after reading about a similar cat.

Larissa, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, said: “Some people get shocked or scared, some love his face at first sight and others laugh.”

His case has echoes of internet sensation Grumpy Cat, of Arizona, but he looked sad owing to an underbite and dwarfism.

Larissa added: “It took four years for us to know Sushi had EDS. I spent $1,082 and he used a lot of different medications but nothing helped.

“After finding a similar cat online, we found a cat dermatologist and it was quite a shock even for her.

“She said that the last time she saw a cat like Sushi was more than 10 years ago!

“I was scared but then we found out that we could handle it and it wasn’t fatal.”

The condition means Sushi has an extremely dry and itchy skin and he requires regular moisturizing, a different diet, clothes and soft collars.

Larissa said: “EDS affects each animal in a unique way. Sushi’s face skin is very flexible, especially his cheeks, and his arms too.

“It can affect organs and articulations but in Sushi’s case, it affects only his external skin.

“The main issue is the compulsive scratching because syndrome makes his skin dry and itchy, so he often tries to scratch the fragile parts.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced here with permission.