On social media, many viewers were left shocked by a unique animal: a kitten born with two faces that defies the odds.
On Instagram, a viral story showcased this rare kitten, which survived against incredible odds after being abandoned by its mother in a village in Thailand.
A kitten born with two faces in Thailand
A rare kitten born with two faces has become a sensation in a Thai village. Locals flock to see the extraordinary newborn, believing it brings good luck. Abandoned by its mother, the kitten is now being bottle-fed by its owner.
Grandmother Durian Intawiset, 82, discovered the helpless kitten in Phetchabun Province. She found it still attached to its mother’s placenta early one Friday morning.
In a heartfelt social media post, Intawiset shared her discovery.
She wrote, “Wow! A cat at home gave birth to a kitten with 2 heads, 4 eyes, 2 noses, and a placenta. The kitten is still alive.”
A kitten born with two faces survived incredibly despite being abandoned
Intawiset revealed that the mother cat, named Nang Proh, had since vanished. However, she found the kitten to be healthy and meowing like a typical cat.
According to Intawiset, the rare cat defied the odds to survive and is being bottle fed by her. Intawiset then received help from her children and grandchildren, and she began feeding the kitten goat’s milk.
“When he’s full, he falls asleep,” she said.
She recalled a previous experience with another kitten that sadly did not survive after being abandoned.
“I think that this cat will also bring good luck,” she added, noting the positive impact of her earlier cat.
The science behind the phenomenon
This extraordinary kitten is known as a Janus cat, named after the two-faced Roman god Janus. Such cats are extremely rare, with most living less than a day.
They suffer from a condition called craniofacial duplication, or diprosopus. This condition results in the duplication of facial features due to a protein malfunction during development.
Since Intawiset shared her post three days ago, her home has been filled with curious locals drawn by the kitten’s unique charm.
However, this is not the first time that rare cases and their legacies have been reported
In 2022, another two faced kitten was born in Lampang, 240 miles away.
Unfortunately, it lived only four days.
However, a famous Janus cat named Frank and Louie, born in Massachusetts in 1999, defied the odds and lived for an incredible 15 years.
According to AP, the two faced cat Frank-Louie passed away at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA.
This information was confirmed by Marty Stevens, the cat’s owner. Marty met Frank-Louie in 1999 at her workplace when he was just one day old.
Frank-Louie was born on September 8, 1999, and suffered from the rare condition known as diprosopia, having two mouths, two noses, and three eyes.
Previously, Frank-Louie was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the longest-living two-faced cat in the world on his 12th birthday.
The remarkable story of this two-faced kitten showcases both the wonder of animal species. With love and care, this extraordinary kitten continues to thrive against all odds.
