Kitten born with two noses and two mouths leaves cat rescue 'speechless' - BBC

What the report says

BBC News reported that PurrfectlyFeral, a cat rescue in Llangedwyn, Powys, is caring for a newborn kitten with two noses and two mouths. The kitten, named Gemini, was born after its mother, a stray brought into the rescue three weeks earlier, delivered a litter of eight kittens. The rescue said the case left staff “speechless,” and warned that images of the kitten may be upsetting to some readers.

According to the BBC, Gemini has a rare congenital condition called diprosopus, or craniofacial duplication. Cats with the condition are sometimes called Janus cats, after the Roman god often shown with two faces. Rescue founder Shelley Jones told the BBC that she initially wondered whether the kitten was a conjoined twin, then looked into the condition after seeing the newborn.

Jones said Janus kittens are often stillborn or live only briefly, so Gemini is being watched continuously. The kitten was reportedly rejected by its mother after being born first in the litter and now needs bottle-feeding every hour. The rescue said Gemini has been eager to feed from both mouths, though carers can feed only one at a time.

The case matters because diprosopus is exceptionally uncommon in cats and can bring serious survival challenges soon after birth. The BBC reported that Jones described caring for Gemini as both remarkable and sad, and said the rescue depends on public donations to give cats in its care a chance.