Kitten with rare genetic mutation born with two heads

A cat in Arkansas has given birth to a kitten which appears to be born with two heads due to a rare genetic condition.

Ariel Contreras, the cat's owner, recalled when her pet began to give birth and shared her surprised reaction at the unique kitten.

"I went to go do laundry, I’d seen my cat was meowing, and then all of the sudden babies started coming out, and I started yelling for my husband," she told local outlet KY3.

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"This is the second one, so whenever he came out, my husband said, 'honey, it has two heads,' and I went, 'no way!'" Contreras added.

The couple took inspiration from Batman when deciding the kitty's name, choosing to call it Harvey after the character Harvey Dent - an apt choice given he is also known as "Two Face."

The cause of Harvey's two faces is a result of the genetic condition known as Janus where there is excess protein production in the womb.

"It has one of everything except for the extra skull," Dr. Tim Addis, a veterinarian with Alley Cat Animal Rescue told KY3. “Its odds of making it are just as good as its siblings’ if you’re feeding it with a bottle."

Harvey the kitten surprised his cat owners when they discovered he had two face as a result of a genetic conditionABC7

While there is not much in terms of data due to the rarity of the condition, Janus cats have a low survival rate, with most dying soon after birth.

"There was one that made it 12 years, and one that made it 15 years, so I’m really praying this one makes it that long, and we will do whatever it takes," the can owner added, referring to a Janus cat that made the Guinness Book of World Records for surviving for 15 years.

Despite being a Janus cat, Harvey is doing well according to Contreras: "It’s actually bigger than the other ones, and it’s doing great. It’s absolutely doing great."

"Well, the little kitten has the chance," Dr. Addis added. "What the odds are, I don’t know. They’re hard to raise. But, it will make it if the Lord’s willing."

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