Jimothy the raccoon has become an online sensation for more than one reason: he’s tiny, instantly recognizable, and impossible not to love.
What sets him apart is a rare condition called short spine syndrome. The condition is most commonly documented in dogs, and reports suggest only around 150 dogs have been recorded with it.
Jimothy’s sudden rise has turned him into far more than a local curiosity. Since a viral video of him began circulating in Seattle in mid-July, he has inspired fan art, a mural, stickers, a fan-made video game, a Mariners appearance, and even a Google Easter egg that lets users trigger a tiny animated raccoon on their search results page.
Until recently, Jimothy was largely unknown. That changed after footage of the small raccoon wandering through Seattle spread online on July 14.
While raccoons are common across the US, Jimothy’s unusual appearance has made him stand out. Because of his condition, his body appears compact and it gives the impression that he has almost no neck.
The video that introduced many people to Jimothy was filmed by Kiana Hall.
Recalling the day she first saw him, Kiana told ABC7: “I would say that I was seeing some kind of grey, fluffy creature that was shaped sort of like an orb with really long legs.”
“[It] almost looked to me like a monkey or a lemur,” she added.
Kiana also came up with the raccoon’s now-famous name. She told ABC7: “We just saw him and thought, ‘He looks like a Jimothy’.”
Jimothy is not the only animal to capture attention while living with short spine syndrome. A dog named Cooper has also built a devoted following because of the same condition.
Cooper, an American Foxhound, has a Facebook page of his own with 87,000 followers.
He was rescued as a puppy and was later adopted by the people who had originally been fostering him.
Following Jimothy’s rise in popularity, Cooper appears to have picked up some new fans as well. On Facebook yesterday, he shared a post introducing himself to the new audience.
“Thanks to our newly discovered friend, Jimothy we’ve gained some new friends. Let me re-introduce myself,” the post read.
“My name is Cooper, I have short spine syndrome, just like Jimothy. I am a 9.5 year old American Foxhound and was rescued in Virginia as a baby.”
Cooper added that he is ‘healthy and happy and other than some limited mobility and odd anatomy, I live a normal dog life’.
The post concluded: “Short Spine syndrome is adorable and I am adorable, but my goal isn’t more short spine animals.
“My goal is awareness, to know that we live normal lives – if we are born we don’t need to be euthanized. I am a normal family pup.
“Just like Jimothy is living a good raccoon life, he doesn’t need rescuing – we can admire, but he’s happy in his natural environment.
“We short spiners are very entertaining, so stick around to see all of my antics!”