Frank and Louie - Two-Faced Cat
A freaky feline slinked its way into the record books by becoming the longest-living two-headed cat in the world.
"Frank and Louie," a member of an exotic breed of two-faced cats known as Janus cats, was officially crowned the longest-surviving member of its breed by Guinness World Records after turning 12 on Sept. 8.
The creepy kitty has two mouths, two noses and three eyes, but only one brain, caused by a rare birth defect known as diprosopia. The condition occurs in many animals, including humans.
He eats and purrs out of the right side of his face, or the "Frank side," owner Marty Stevens said.
Stevens, who lives in Worchester, Mass., said Frank and Louie nearly lost all nine lives as a newborn when his original owner visited the Tufts University vet clinic where she worked a dozen years ago.
"He was brought in at a day old to be euthanized and I said, 'I'll take him,' and they let me," Marty told the Worchester Telegram.
Janus cats – named for the two-faced god Janus from Roman mythology – typically don't live very long, experts say.
"I have seen many two-headed animals die within a week," Todd Ray, of the Venice Beach Freakshow in California, told The Huffington Post. "To see one alive for weeks is incredible, but to have one alive for years is truly amazing."
Stevens says Frank and Louie is just like any other pet. He's playful and loves going for walks on a leash, though neighbors who come in for a scratch usually do a double-take.
"He's just so affectionate and sweet he usually wins people over," Stevens said.
-- with love... Dora Saunier
