The well-known kitty, named Frank & Louie was born with two faces in 1999, Massachusetts.
The kitten was born with a very rare congenital disorder called diprosopus – also known as “janus” or “two-faced”. He was brought by his breeder to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University for checking his condition. The kitten was initially not expected to live more than a few days, since animals with this disorder usually die within days after their birth.
Veterinary nurse Martha Stevens took the kitten home to care for him in his last days. Then, something incredible happened. The two-faced feline started eating with a tube and after 3 months he eventually learned to eat on his own.
Frank & Louie was born with one brain, 2 faces, 2 mouths, 2 noses and 3 blue eyes. But, he had only one functional mouth. His middle eye was non-functional and did not blink, which made him appear to be staring even when his other eyes were closed.
His caring mom described him as a very sweet and friendly cat, who wasn’t afraid of people. He sometimes even behaved more as a dog than a cat. He loved walking on a leash, and riding in a car.
In 2012, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized Frank & Louie as the world’s oldest living janus cat.
The cat’s health declined in November of 2014. Unfortunately, he got an aggressive form of cancer and passed away at the age of 15.
Normally, janus animals die within days, but Frank & Louie lived a long and happy life!