Over a decade this cat's fur has gone from pitch black to a gorgeous snowflake pattern

In 1997, a tiny black kitten was born into a litter that was put up for adoption at a local shelter. A young man walked in one day, saw the kitten, and instantly fell in love. The cat, named Scrappy, grew up happy and spoiled, as all cats should. Then, when Scrappy was seven years old, a fantastic pattern began to emerge in his coat, and the cat became an internet sensation.

As Scrappy's coal black coat was slowly peppered with white, a snowflake pattern began to emerge as he aged. This pattern in all likelihood was caused by vitiligo, an extremely rare autoimmune skin disorder where the immune system attacks the skin's melanin and causes pigmentation loss in patches.

Vitiligo impacts 1-2% of the human population, and while it can be found in cats, dogs, and horses, it's appearance in animals is quite a rarity.

Scrappy's health wasn't at all impacted by vitiligo. His coat just turned colors in such a fashion that his stunning fur patterns caught the attention of people all around the world. Scrappy has both an Instagram and Facebook page, and thousands of followers and fans.

At home, Scrappy became the older statesman in his house. The nineteen-year-old cat handled his celebrity with typical cat aplomb and mentored the two younger cats in his family, Lily and Rose.

Scrappy loved being with his family, including his mom and dad, grandma, and very early this spring, a new baby boy. When he wasn't busy spending time with his beloved family, Scrappy could be found napping, posing, and at times, playing just like a kitten again.

Sadly, age caught up with Scrappy, and he passed away peacefully in his sleep this past April. His owner posted the following message on Instagram:

"At 3:45pm (UK time) sadly Scrappy passed away peacefully with dad and grandma by his side. He spent his last hours with Dad and Grandma.
We are both heartbroken and will never forget him. He leaves a huge legacy behind him.
Rest in peace Scrappy.
Love Dad and Grandma"

Scrappy's social media accounts are still active with beautiful pictures of him being frequently posted.

Watch the video about Scrappy below, and share this incredible cat with the amazing coat with your friends and family on Facebook.