A Nigerian man’s cat gave birth to a kitten with two faces. This has captured widespread attention online.
The unusual occurrence was shared by popular X wildlife researcher and biologist, Arojinle, in a well circulated video.
Arojinle explained the phenomenon in a post that has since gone viral.
In a tweet on Saturday, 3 January, 2026, Arojinle said, “I just received a message about a cat giving birth to a kitten with two heads. This will be interesting to see. I’m coming back with the video and explanations.”
The video shows the man holding the kittens, and Arojinle later clarified that the kitten is not “two-headed,” but a two-faced cat, scientifically known as a Janus cat, named after the two-faced Roman god, Janus.
He explained that during embryonic development, a protein called SHH (Sonic Hedgehog) regulates the formation of facial features.
“If the SHH protein is too low, it can result in facial features being too close together or underdeveloped,” Arojinle said. “If the SHH protein is overproduced, it may lead to duplication of facial features, a condition called diprosopus. The animal may have two noses, two mouths, or multiple eyes, but typically shares one brain, skull, and set of vital organs. That is what is seen in this Janus cat.”
Unfortunately, most kittens born with this condition have a low survival rate due to complications such as difficulty breathing, eating, or neurological issues. However, there have been exceptions; Frank and Louie, a famous Janus cat, lived to 15 years and holds a Guinness World Record for longevity.
The post has sparked reactions from Nigerians online. One user, @raji_abduljelil, wrote, “This is really amazing.” Another, @aniky_bee, said, “We will learn by force. Thank you, teacher.” Others expressed concern for the kitten, with @muphyk_ commenting, “Nature is beautiful and amazing but painful — the kitten will die soon.”
