Cats with wings: Fly, my pretties, fly!

What’s causing these wing-like appendages is still a mystery, but theories have been aplenty since the first incidence of winged cats appeared in Sichuan. Cat owners there reasoned that the province's hot summer spell and a stressful love life for their felines were causing wings to appear. Scientists were not convinced.

This time around, they've offered their own input, citing chemical contamination and unborn embryos as a potential explanation. According to Discover Magazine"

Some speculate the strange growths are the result of a mutation caused by chemicals the cat's mother was exposed to before giving birth. It's certainly possible, since the heavily industrialized city of Chongqing is packed with chemical, metal, and automobile factories pumping out acid rain and air pollution. In fact, as of 2004 the city was the second most polluted worldwide.

Unfortunately; this winged feline isn't able to fly - due its bone structure and muscle size, taking to the skies is impossible.

Check out more pictures at the London Paper.

Image from the MSNBC.com.