That explains the catlike tattoos that cover his face and body, the surgery that split his lip and the implants he had placed in his forehead to shape his face more like that of an animal. It's why he has metal studs embedded in his upper lip, where he can put in his whiskers when he wants.

He had surgery on his ears so that they come to pointed tips, and his inch-long nails are painted tiger orange with black stripes. He wears contact lenses so that his pupils appear to be oval, catlike slits... He had his own teeth removed and replaced with the feline dentures... [H]e'd still like to have studs placed on each side of his head so he could put on tiger ears to complete his look.