They say cats have nine lives, but this one has four ears.
A genetic abnormality gave Yoda, of Downers Grove, Ill., four ear flaps instead of two.
Ted and Valerie Rock first spied the little guy in 2006 at neighborhood bar on the South Side of Chicago before a Bears game. He was the last of a litter of eight put up for adoption by the bar's owner.
"The people in the bar, because it was coming up on Halloween, were thinking it was a devil cat or had evil powers or something," Ted Rock told FOXNews.com.
But the Rocks, who had lost their cat of 20 years just 6 months prior, saw something special in the gray kitten and decided to take him home.
Their "Star Wars"-loving son thought to name the cat after the tiny Jedi master.
"I had named him Barfly," Rock said. "But we kind of liked Yoda better, and Barfly lasted only about a day."
The abnormality can cause hearing impairments, though Rock said several veterinarians have given Yoda a clean bill of health.
"He is perfectly normal, hears well, energetic, cute little cat," Rock said. "Very friendly, very social."
The only thing these retirees worry about is a possible catnapping of their curious pet.
"We always let the cats go outdoors, but this one was so unusual we decided we didn’t want to do that," Rock said. "So we had him chipped, and we keep him inside."
There his four-eared force is used to entertain the grandkids.
"They come over and he comes running to play with them," Rock said.
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