2-faced kitten puzzles veterinarian in W.Va.

[June 14, 2010]  CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- The kitten born with two faces in Charleston was given a 50 percent chance of survival by an area veterinarian.

The kitten known as Two Face was brought to the vet shortly after it was born on Wednesday because its mother refused to nurse the kitten. Dr. Erica Drake said the kitten was born with a rare condition called diprosopus, which means the kitten literally has two faces. Two Face has four eyes, two noses and two mouths.

Drake said the kitten's two mouths act independently and she believes each mouth has a separate esophagus leading to one stomach. It'll take a closer look at the kitten's internal anatomy before known about how the kitten will be able to function.

___

Information from: The Charleston Gazette, http://www.wvgazette.com/

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.