The condition known as janus cat hasn’t stopped Frank and Louie from living long and healthy lives
One cat with two heads, two almost separate faces, each with its own nose and mouth, but only one brain. The condition is rare and animals with this mutation rarely survive more than a day, however, Frank and Louie lived a long life.
The condition is called Janus cat. The two-headed cat, Frank and Louie, born September 8, 1999, December 4, 2014, aged 15 years and 87 days. His longevity earned him the title of longest-lived Janus cat.
the term Janus cat was designed by dr. Karl Shuker, a British zoologist who works as a life science consultant for the Guinness World Record. “Cats like Frank and Louie, born with two faces, suffer from a developmental anomaly known as diprosopia, in which the face enlarges and partially duplicates during embryogenesis due to overproduction of a specific protein called SHH” Shuker explained.
“The technical term for such a cat is diprosopus, but since this is not the easiest term to pronounce when I first wrote about these cats over a decade ago, I coined the term ‘Janus cat‘, named after the Roman god of doors, Janus, who had one body and one head but two faces, just like these cats.”
Frank and Louie have been cared for by Martha Stevens, an American veterinary department. He was working at a veterinary hospital when the two-headed cat’s breeder brought him in to be put down. He took pity on the day-old kitten and decided to save him, although experts warned he was unlikely to survive for long.
At first he could not feed himself. Martha used a tube and a special formula to feed him. After three months you learned to eat by yourself. A big step as starvation is a leading cause of death for Janus cats, who can have difficulty eating due to their birth defects.
In the first three months, Martha also brought Frank and Louie work with her, as the kitten required constant care and attention. Over time he got stronger and started interacting and playing with other cats. He has also formed a special bond with the family dog.
In 2012, the cat joined the Guinness World Record. At the time, Martha spoke about the feline’s personality. He’s “very laid back, not afraid of people, very friendly and actually more of a dog than a cat. He walks on a leash; goes straight to the car—he loves road trips,” she said. . After appearing in Guinness, Frank and Louie became an internet celebrity, appearing in countless articles and videos.
Two years later an aggressive form of cancer led Martha to make a big decision, to put the cat down. She “she was 15 years old; an incredible age for a Janus catfar surpassing all previous specimens and will likely never be surpassed by anyone in the future,” Shuker said at the time. “A wonderful testament to the love and devotion Marty always gave him throughout his long and happy life with her. Rest in peace Frank and Louie.”
* With information from the Guinness World of Records
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
