The kitten with its siblings and mother. (Purrfectly Feral via SWNS)
By Isobel Williams
A miracle kitten has been born with two noses and two mouths.
PurrfectlyFeral cat rescue in Powys, Wales, was left in shock after a stray cat gave birth to an extremely rare Janus kitten.
Named after the Roman god Janus, who is often depicted with two faces, these kittens develop this way due to an extremely rare congenital condition during early development.
Rescuer Shelley Jones, 45, says the kitten was born as the first of eight on Thursday (July 16) after the mom was found heavily pregnant on the street.
The kitten born with two noses and two mouths. (Purrfectly Feral via SWNS)
She says that she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the two noses and two fully functioning mouths.
Shelley said: "I have never in my life seen anything like it. I was quite shocked.
"As soon as I went to get the kitten I could see there was something not quite right but when I had her in my hand and saw her face I instantly thought she was a conjoined twin.
"I had never heard of a Janus cat before, so it wasn't until I looked it up that I found out it was very rare.
"People are very shocked that this happens. It is not something you hear about. I haven't spoken to anybody who has ever heard of it before."
The condition underlying Janus cats is called diprosopus, a developmental anomaly caused by the excessive production of the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) protein.
This protein plays a critical role in craniofacial development and its overproduction leads to the widening and partial duplication of the face.
Rescuer Shelley Jones, 45, says the kitten was born as the first of eight on Thursday (July 16) after the mother was found heavily pregnant on the street. (Purrfectly Feral via SWNS)
The kitten has been named Gemini, due to the symbolism of twins associated with the zodiac sign.
Sadly, it is extremely rare for Janus kittens to survive past the first few weeks, but in some rare cases cats have had long full lives with the condition.
Shelley is currently working to keep Gemini warm and comfortable, while feeding both her hungry mouths every hour.
There is a risk of internal complications with the condition, but Gemini hasn't been taken to the vet as it would only cause her more stress, and there is nothing they could do.
Shelley added: "Unfortunately there is a very slim chance of the kitten surviving. I am not holding out much hope but at the moment it is just a case of keeping her comfortable.
"It is a bit of a waiting game at the moment. She seems to be doing okay, she is very keen to feed.
"She has two mouths so it can be very difficult to know which one to feed. They are both fully functioning mouths.
"It has definitely caused a bit of a stir. People are fascinated by it."
One can donate to Gemini's rescue here.
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