Two-faced cat sets longevity record in Guinness Book of Records

Frank ‘n Louie is a cat that has just set the world record for being the longest living cat with two faces. The feline, which has two noses, three eyes and two mouths, one brain and one stomach, has just celebrated turning 12 years old.

The feline is known as a Janus cat. Frank ‘n Louie's condition is a unique situation because generally Janus cats do not live beyond a few days, and this birthday milestone creates the record for being the longest living Janus cat. Born on Sept. 8, 1999, Frank and Louie originally was brought in to Tuft's Veterinary School when he was a day old to be euthanized since life expectancy for Janus cats are so short, but a veterinary technician adopted the unique kitten and immediately took him home. And he has thrived under her care. According to CBS Boston, Marty, the technician said “Nobody had claimed him and I said ‘I’ll take him I’ll take him’ and everybody just told me don’t get your hopes up, they don’t live and I said, ‘let me just try.” Reportedly Frank does the eating while Louis wrinkles his nose in unison. Because the two faces share one brain, dual facial reactions are done in harmony. The cat's middle eye, however, doesn't not function. Reuters describes the condition Frank ‘n Louie possess, "Frank ‘n Louie has craniofacial duplication, an extremely rare congenital condition. The disorder, also known as diprosopia, can cause part or all of an individual's face to be duplicated on its head." Janus cats are named after the two-faced Roman God, a God representing new beginnings, and one that looks to the future and the past. In Frank ‘n Louie's case, the cat's past has certainly garnered attention and captured the hearts of many, and now this special cat will be forever commemorated in record books. Cats are not the only animals that can be born with dual body parts, there is also a documented case of a two-headed snake named 'Golden Girls'. Look for Frank and Louie to be celebrated in the Guinness World Records' 2012 edition.