Shea Daspin and Joshua Tucker fell in love with Pepé the 1-year-old shelter cat because of his “strange” look. Pepé has wispy fur on various regions of his body, including his face, back, and tail, and is partially hairless like a sphynx cat.

Daspin told The Dodo, “He was described as half sphynx and looked like a genuine freak, exactly like us.” “It was love at first sight,” says the narrator.

Pepé and his two sisters, Tulip and Iris, were discovered wandering the streets of Denton, Texas, in February and sent to the City of Denton Animal Shelter.

“They were found coated in fleas and mud, and they had been surviving on rubbish,” Nicole Lopez, a Denton animal control officer, told The Dodo. “All three of them spent a month here after being vetted and placed for adoption.”

According to Lopez, Pepé was already cautious in comparison to Tulip and Iris. Pepé grew even more quiet after his sisters were adopted in late March, leaving him alone. “[He] was always the shyest of the three, which is why no one ever came to see him or showed any attention,” Lopez explained.

Pepé may not have piqued local curiosity, but he did capture the attention of Daspin and Tucker in New York City, some 1,500 miles away.

Daspin and Tucker also have two additional cats, a 5-year-old sphynx named Iggy and an orange tabby named Spud. They’d recently lost their last cat, Elsa, and were ready to expand their feline family.

Tucker told The Dodo, “The hunt began out quite casually.” “Every few days after work, we’d just peruse PetFinder or local rescue sites on the sofa.” We weren’t in a hurry at all. We were looking for the ideal match.”

Then their gaze was drawn to Pepé’s photograph. Tucker described him as “a mishmash of various cat parts.” “It wasn’t really a question once we went at his images and saw that he was nice with other cats.”

They didn’t squander any time. Daspin and Tucker were on their way to Texas the next day.

“We fell in love the moment we met him,” Tucker added. “After only a few minutes, he pressed his head into our palms and began purring.” We knew he was coming home with us from that point on.”

Pepé performed admirably on the journey to New York, and he rapidly adjusted to his new surroundings. “It’s been incredible to watch him grow from a shy, terrified shelter cat to the gregarious man he is now,” Tucker said. “I also admire how close he is to us. I’ve never seen a cat as trustworthy and kind as this one.”

Pepé gets along nicely with his new siblings, especially Iggy.

“Iggy has adopted Pepé as a little brother and enjoys chasing him around the house and grooming him as he sleeps,” Daspin added. “Pepé is always following him around, watching what he’s doing. Spud is known as their wise elder since he is a more calm cat who like to watch the other two play. Pepé respects his personal space, although he enjoys sunbathing with him.”

Tucker explained, “He [Pepé] really loves everyone and everything.” “I’ve never seen a rescue cat accept new siblings with such enthusiasm.”

Daspin and Tucker, on the other hand, aren’t sure what type of cat Pepé is. While the shelter identified him as a sphynx mix, some believe he is a Donskoy or Peterbald mix.