Kitten Born With Two Faces Is Making Everyone Fall In Love With Her

“She’s amazing — I still look at her and can’t believe she’s real.”

When a mother cat from Eastern Cape, South Africa, gave birth to three healthy kittens last week, her owner was surprised to find four — not three — tiny newborn noses sniffing around her home.

After getting a closer look, she noticed that one of the kittens, later named Bettie Bee, was actually born with two noses, two mouths and three eyes: an extremely rare congenital condition called craniofacial duplication, which doubles certain facial features in the womb.
 

cat with two faces born south africa
Bettie Bee

While Bettie Bee was healthy otherwise, her two mouths made nursing difficult — so her owner knew she needed to find someone who could help raise her. That’s when she found a local rescuer with experience raising special needs cats who was willing to take her in right away.

“She was born on December 12 and I went to fetch her the very next morning,” Bettie Bee’s rescuer, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Dodo. “I took her to the vet that day and his first opinion was to put her down. But she was, at 1 day old then, very feisty. We wanted to give her a chance. And she’s been thriving.”

cat with two faces born south africa
Bettie Bee

Now 1 week old, it didn’t take long for Bettie Bee to steal her rescuer’s heart — and she’s doing the same for everyone who sees her on social media. Her rescuer was so overwhelmed with messages and friend requests about Bettie Bee that she decided to create a fan page for her, where updates will continue to come in as the special cat grows up.

Although Bettie Bee had trouble nursing naturally, she’s doing well being tube-fed and surprisingly can eat through both of her mouths. Both lead down to her stomach, so she hasn’t had any problems getting her tummy full.

cat born with two faces south africa
Bettie Bee

While Bettie Bee’s condition is quite rare, it’s also been seen in pigs, cows and even humans. Some animals affected by this trait die before or just after birth — while others go on to live happy, healthy lives. A two-faced cat named Frankenlouie, who passed away in 2014, lived to 15 years old.

kitten with two faces born south africa
Bettie Bee

Despite the odds, Bettie Bee’s rescuer is confident that the tiny cat will grow up strong and healthy.

“She's amazing — I still look at her and can't believe she's real,” she said. “I'm taking it day by day and hope she will continue to thrive and be with myself and my husband for many years. It's wonderful to see how many people are rooting for her.”

To stay updated on Bettie Bee’s progress, you can follow her on Facebook.