World's oldest cat with two faces dies at 15 years old

Frank and Louie, the world's oldest cat with two faces, has died at the age of 15 years on Thursday. -- PHOTO: TELEGRAM VIDEO/YOUTUBE
Frank and Louie, the world's oldest cat with two faces, has died at the age of 15 years on Thursday. -- PHOTO: TELEGRAM VIDEO/YOUTUBE

WORCESTER - The world's oldest cat with two faces has died at the age of 15 years.

The male feline, named Frank and Louie, was born with the rare disorder of diprosopus, or craniofacial duplication, which usually leaves the animal with little chance of surviving beyond birth.

But Frank and Louie - which had three eyes, two noses, two mouths, one brain and no bottom jaw - went on to live for the next 15 years, which is equivalent to around 77 years of age for humans.

It even made it into the Guinness World Records in 2012 for being the world's oldest Janus cat, a name for the Roman god with two faces.

According to its owner Marty Stevens, Frank and Louie had been "a little down" around Thanksgiving and got sicker on Thursday morning, the telegram.com reported.

Ms Stevens rushed her pet to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, Massachusetts, and was told by veterinarians it was probably suffering from a "really bad cancer". The cat was later euthanised.

Janus cats are a challenge to care for. They often have cleft palates or other deformities that make feeding difficult.

But when asked if she would take another Janus cat under her wing again, Ms Stevens was quoted as saying by telegram.com: "I would love to do it again."

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