Long live “Jimothy” the deformed, alien-like, adorable raccoon currently running around the Seattle, Washington area.
If you haven’t heard of Jimothy just yet, why don’t you take a seat and lean in. There’s a raccoon with short spine syndrome that’s been spotted on various occasions near Seattle, and residents there have fallen in love with him. His backbone may be short, but the love for him stretches beyond his imagination.
Obviously, the raccoon named Jimothy has no idea he’s become a bit of a beloved animal celebrity. He’s just been living his life, trotting around, digging through garbage and climbing up on people’s porches. The little guy has no idea that Seattleites are keeping an eye out for him, and videoing him any chance they get.
One of the videos that was taken of the deformed raccoon has racked up over 5.6 million views and over 300,000 likes. It shows little “Jimothy” running about as fast as he can through a yard somewhere in Washington. You can’t help but feel bad for the thing, but at the same time, good for him for making it this long.
Prepare yourself… it’s one of the cutest and slightly scary things you’ll probably ever see:
“For our 13th anniversary, (we were) graced with the presence of Jimothy the raccoon with short spine syndrome. Praise Jimothy!”
Yeah, I think I can get behind “Praise Jimothy.” Did I just become “Jimothy’s” biggest fan? I think so.
To be clear, the raccoon hasn’t been officially diagnosed with short spine syndrome. It’s just a conclusion that many people have come to as videos of “Jimothy” continue to surface. The rare congenital condition does exactly what the name would lead you to believe it does: shortens the spine. That certainly looks to be what’s going on with the famous Seattle critter.
“Jimothy’s” fame really took off when videos and images of him started being shared on Seattle subreddits. There’s even a video on there showing the short-spined animal climb and even squeeze through railing on a porch. It might have gotten a tough draw, but it’s clearly making do. I think that has played a role in “Jimothy” becoming popular.
Everyone loves an underdog story.
And most everyone that can get past the raccoon’s strange appearance is in love with the little creature that’s just doing its best out there. Some have cracked some jokes about the animal, while others have wished the best for “Jimothy” and pointed out just how perfect of a name it is for one of Seattle’s biggest stars:
“A cutie patootie.”
“Me getting out the shower when I forget my towel.”
“This is evidence that chupacabras are real.”
“He just has short spine syndrome he’s alright.”
“Jimothy is the perfect name for him.”
“I love him more than I can put into words.”
“This is the type of creature a goblin would ride around.”
“God bless this beautiful angel.”
“We’ve never seen a raccoon quite like this in! Long live Jimothy.”
Long live Jimothy indeed… protect that raccoon at all costs.
