A uniquely patterned piebald cat has captured the imagination of pet lovers on social media, where the feisty feline has been dubbed "the masked bandit."
Footage of the cat in action, which can be seen here, was uploaded to Reddit by Gerazioio alongside the caption: "There's a new hero in town...whiskers!!!"
The cat's distinctive look, which includes a patch of black fur that runs over its eyes, has seen the feline likened to everything from "Zorro" to "The Lone Ranger."
In the clip, which has been upvoted over 21,000 times, the feline can be seen on top of a stone pillar attached to a front garden fence, surveying the surrounding area like Batman watching over Gotham City.
In fact, it didn't take long for Reddit users to make the most obvious pun related to the Dark Knight's moniker, with the cat earning the nickname of "Catman" for their troubles.
But that was only the tip of the iceberg.
ITSecDuder weighed in with the quip: "I bet he's quite the cat burglar," while OnyxPhoenix branded him "Clark Cat" in reference to Superman's alter-ego.
AdamRocks1 declared the feline "The hero we need," with iPatErgoSum replying: "The hero we deserve..." in reference to Christopher Nolan's Batman sequel The Dark Knight.
Absurdity_Everywhere weighed in with his own quote, writing: "No one cared who he was until he put on the mask."
Away from all the comic book inspired shenanigans, some pet fans were simply enamored with what was a very adorable looking feline. "What a cutie!" BunnyPrincess75 wrote. Aliceinus agreed: "Oh my god! He's adorable!"
There were even those who wondered if the cat might be the result of some unusual crossbreeding. "Looks like someone left their ferret and cat together unsupervised, and things took an unexpected turn," Aerodrache joked.
Newsweek has contacted Gerazioio for comment.
According to Joan Miller, an expert from the Cat Fanciers' Association, cats are usually black unless they inherit an orange masking gene which gives them the appearance of being ginger.
"The hundreds of colors and patterns displayed in domestic cat coats come about because of modifying factors that include both genes and polygenes, which change these basic two colors," she told Catster.
Polygenes are a type of gene whose effect on the body, individually, is minimal but, when combined with others, can lead to notable variations. Miller says bicolor cats like the one in the video are a result of "the incomplete dominant piebald white-spotting gene."
"Polygenes help determine the amount of white in the cat's coat," she explained. The mix of this particular cat's coat in the clip is called the "Van" pattern in reference to the fact it was first discovered around Lake Van in Turkey centuries ago.
The viral clip comes hot on the heels of a video showing a cat who earned comparisons with a mob boss thanks to its terrifying stare.
Another feline proved terrifying for altogether different reasons after attempting to pee on another cat in a heinous act of animal bullying.
