Frank and Louie, the world’s oldest two-faced cat, dies at 15

The cat born with two faces was not expected to live beyond a few days.

But Frank and Louie proved the world wrong. Along the way, the unusual-looking cat earned a Guinness World Record title.

In September 1999, owner Martha Stevens of Worcester, Massachusetts brought the kitten to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, according to Telegram.com.  Frank and Louie was born with a rare congenital disorder known as diprosopus. Such cats are referred to as Janus cats. Born with two functioning eyes, one blind center eye, two noses, two mouths and one brain, Frank and Louie was not expected to survive long.

But Stevens was determined to help the kitten live. She tube-fed the cat for the first three months, and eventually the two-faced cat learned to eat and drink on its own and began to thrive. While Frank and Louie maintained a shocking appearance, the cat was friendly, and at age 12, Guinness declared it the world’s oldest living Janus cat.

In November, Frank and Louie’s health declined, and veterinarians at Tufts suspected cancer. When told that the cat was likely suffering, Stevens decided to have Frank and Louie euthanized.

While Stevens is mourning Frank and Louie, she says she would not hesitate to care for another Janus cat.