Kyla King of Portland, Oregon knew that her cat was due to give birth. So she wasn’t the least bit surprised when she went to check on her on Wednesday morning (May 20) and discovered she had her kittens.
But she was surprised by the sight of one of the babies, who looks unlike any kitten most people have seen before.
Originally, Kyla thought her cat had only given birth to a litter of four. After a while, she noticed two more kittens hidden behind their mom, so she picked up one of the kittens to place it with the rest of its littermates.
That’s when Kyla learned that the kitten she was holding actually had two mouths, four eyes, and two noses, creating two separate faces!
A kitten in Oregon was born with two faces. It's name? Biscuits and Gravy.https://t.co/CQELUgzCbw
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) May 22, 2020
Kyla took a picture of the kitten and sent it to her husband, BJ, saying, “We have 6-1/3 kitty cats now!“
After the initial shock over discovering the kitten had worn off, Kyla reached out to her veterinarian to ask about the cat’s unusual condition. Cats with two faces, also known as “Janus” cats, have a rare congenital defect called disprosopus or cranial duplication.
Sadly, cats with this condition typically don’t live for long. Kyla’s vet informed her there was nothing they could do medically to help their two-faced kitten. All they can do is try to keep the kitten comfortable and help it eat.
Since the kitten has two mouths, it’s difficult to feed. “It doesn’t really know how to nurse properly because it has two mouths so I’ve been trying to feed it,” Kyla told KOIN.
But the kitten can do something that its siblings can’t. Because it has two faces, the Kings say their kitten can eat and meow at the same time!
The family has received lots of requests from people looking to take the kitten into their homes, but they’ve chosen to keep it. They named the little cat Biscuits and Gravy, and have been calling it “Biscuits” for short.
However, the Kings are trying to be realistic and know it’s not likely the kitten will survive for long. In the meantime, it seems to have a vibrant personality and enjoys eating:
“We’re not super optimistic but it does seem pretty lively and has an appetite and seems to be doing pretty well,” BJ said.
There is always a chance that Biscuits and Gravy could live a long and happy life.
Another cat with the same condition, named Frank and Louie, lived for 15 years before he passed away in 2014. He holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-surviving Janus cat.
Farewell Frank and Louie – world's longest surviving Janus cat passes away http://t.co/FvHWp2HWuz pic.twitter.com/oGi40yOA38
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) December 8, 2014
Maybe Biscuits and Gravy will go on to break that record one day. Its family seems to have hope that it will.
Learn more about this unusual kitten and the family that’s caring for him by tuning in to their interview with KOIN below.