Kitten born with two noses and two mouths leaves cat rescue ‘speechless’
Warning: This story contains imagery that some readers may find disturbing.
A cat rescue team has been left “speechless” after a cat in their care gave birth to a kitten with two noses and two mouths.
PurrfectlyFeral in Llangedwyn, Powys, shared the discovery after the kitten was born with a rare congenital disorder called diprosopus, also known as craniofacial duplication.
Known as Janus cats, this condition takes its name from the mythological Roman god who is traditionally depicted with two faces and is extremely rare in cats.
Rescue founder Shelley Jones said most Janus kittens were either stillborn or only survived for a short time after birth, so the “little miracle” called Gemini was monitored “around the clock.”
The mother cat gave birth to a total of eight kittens after being taken into the care of the rescue team as a stray three weeks ago.
“We’ve seen so much throughout our rescue,” Jones said Friday. “Tiny kittens fighting against impossible odds, cats surviving things they should never have experienced, and moments that left us completely speechless. Today was one of those moments.”
Jones said she was “shocked” when she saw the kitten because she had never seen or heard of this incredibly rare condition before.
“My first thought was that it was a conjoined twin, so quickly I did some research to see if I was right,” Jones said.
Unfortunately the kitten was rejected by her mother after she was first born from the litter and needs to be bottle fed every hour.
Jones said the Gemini is “very willing to feed from both little mouths,” which is “pretty fun to watch” because it can only feed one at a time.
“It’s remarkable but very sad,” he added.
Shelley Jones said she had never seen or heard of this condition before [Shelley Jones]
Jones added: “Right now our little miracle is warm, loved and watched around the clock.
“Most people will never meet a Janus kitten in their lifetime. No matter how long, we feel incredibly privileged to care for this little soul and will make sure every moment is filled with love,” she added.
Jones said she was giving “every cat a chance” by relying on donations and this wouldn’t be possible without the public’s help.
