Two Faced Kitten

Outline:
Email claims that an attached photograph shows a kitten with two faces born in Perth, Western Australia.


Status:
True

Detailed Analysis:
According to this email forward, an attached photograph depicts a kitten that was born with two faces. The message claims that the kitten was born in the Western Australian city of Perth.

The photograph is genuine. Images and information about the kitten have made their way to news sites around the world. Bloggers have also been quick to pick up the story. The two faced kitten was indeed born in Perth in November 2008. A November 20 article about the kitten published in The Age notes:

A two-headed kitten born yesterday has left vets baffled.

The kitten’s mother was taken to the Swan Veterinary Clinic in Perth after suffering complications while in labour.

Community Newspapers photographer Matthew Poon happened to be at the vet’s for an unrelated visit and snapped the amazing images of the kitten.

There were three kittens in the litter, but only one has the unique deformity.

The kitten eats out of just one mouth because of a cleft palate, but both mouths meow simultaneously.

Sadly, the kitten died just a few days after its birth. A 22nd November Brisbane Times article reports:

The Perth kitten which made international headlines this week because it was born with two faces, has reportedly died overnight.

The three-day-old male kitten died after asphyxiating on fluid in its lungs.

It was reported the kitten was taken home from the Swan Veterinary Clinic yesterday to be with its mother before it died.

More images of the kitten are available on the inMyCommunity website

Last updated: 2nd December 2008
First published: 2nd December 2008
By Brett M. Christensen
About Hoax-Slayer

References
Perth’s two-faced kitten loses its battle