Yeah, not an actual photo. (New Vision Technologies Inc /Photo Disc/Getty Images)

A quick scan of the news is often enough to confirm that we’re living in the end times: melting ice caps, failing economies, nuclear weapons tests and celebrity gossip covering all four top spots on the Yahoo front page. But hey, if you’re like me, you distract yourself with something else and get on with your life. Today, however, the news out of China is that they have a cat with wings.

No seriously, it’s a cat with wings. I only have legal access to this cripplingly adorable illustration, but do check out the full-size photos over at the Mail Online. The cat was reportedly born normal, but developed the bony, earlike protrusions out of its spine a year later.

We’ve yet to see any video of this bizarre feline, and there are still a lot of questions, but the predominant theories seem to be either: A) The “wings” are due to an absorbed twin, or B) We’re looking at a chemical-induced mutation. Discover Magazine points out the possible link to pollution.

I should stress however that nobody is suggesting that this is the prototype for a new breed of genetically engineered Chinese super pet. As far as I know, I’m the only who thinks wing kitty might be a harbinger of the apocalypse.

As a cat lover, my main hope is that the condition isn’t painful — and allegedly it isn’t. The cat’s receiving global attention, though, and we can only hope that means the RESPONSIBLE attention of spay/neutering and proper care.

In the mean time, all we can do is wait for more details and the inevitable torrent of LOL cats. Thanks to fellow writer Cristen Conger for throwing this adorable little abomination into my inbox.

Get to the bottom of this at HowStuffWorks.com:
How Twins Work
How to Care for a Cat
Would you pay $6,000 for a hypoallergenic cat?