Meet 'Jimothy', the viral, short-spined raccoon who roams Seattle

A raccoon with a rare birth defect has amassed a legion of online fans after a video of it darting across a footpath and running up a set of stairs racked up more than 6.8 million views in just three days. Nicknamed "Jimothy", the short-spined raccoon is growing more popular by the day as Seattle locals share their own footage of the unusual-looking celebrity. What's next? The animal's condition can cause a range of complications, but Jimothy seems to be coping well, according to wildlife experts. A raccoon with an unusual appearance has gained a cult following online after it was caught on film roaming the streets of Seattle. The raccoon, nicknamed "Jimothy", has amassed a legion of fans after a video of it darting across a footpath and running up a set of stairs racked up more than 6.8 million views in just three days. Seattle woman Kiana Hall, who filmed the video, was taking a walk with her partner on Monday evening when she spotted the raccoon, at first thinking it was a cat with an arched back due to its unusual physique. While Jimothy has not been formally diagnosed with any condition, the consensus is he likely has short spine syndrome, an ultra-rare congenital deformity that mostly affects dogs and cats. Sometimes caused by inbreeding, the condition causes an animal's vertebrae to fuse together early in fetal development, severely shortening the spine and leaving it unable to turn its head left or right. Short spine syndrome can cause a range of complications, but Jimothy seems to be coping well, according to wildlife experts. Marcie Logsdon, an associate professor at Washington State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, told The Seattle Times the fact the raccoon seemed "very spry" and energetic was an excellent sign for his survival in the wild. "I was surprised and honestly a little bit inspired that he's that resilient,"