UPDATE: Two-faced kitten dies at 4 days old
The newborn two-faced kitten who stole the hearts of Thai netizens yesterday has sadly passed away at 4 days old.
Tung Ngern and Tung Tong the Janus cat was born by caesarian section in Lampang, northern Thailand, on Sunday afternoon. After a four day fight, the kitten stopped breathing at 5:30am today.
The kitten’s owner Anuwat informed netizens of Tung Ngern and Tung Tong’s death via social media…
“Little Tung and Ngern Tung Tong has died, everyone. She has left this world. I don’t know what was wrong. She started struggling to breathe at 1am and I put the blanket over her. I opened the blanket at 5:30am and she wasn’t breathing anymore. Her body was in a good condition. She was born on July 17 and died on July 20. She fought really hard and was very patient.”
“In the four days I cared for her she faced many challenges. I have never seen anything like it. She struggled to be born. Her mother, “Cat”, started to show signs of giving birth at 9am on Sunday. Cat had one kitten but couldn’t get the other babies out. Cat had a caesarian section at 5pm. Cat slept for more than 12 hours before she could meet her babies and was very patient, letting us take care of Tung Ngern and Tung Tong, for just a few days. Tung Ngern and Tung Tong was excellent. Safe travels, Little One. #TheCircleOfLife #WeDidOurBest”
Later, Anuwat posted another message…
“Sleep well, Little One. You don’t need to suffer. Please be born again. We did everything we could. #HaveFunInCatHeaven”
ORIGINAL STORY: Two-faced kitten born in northern Thailand
A kitten with two faces was born in Lampang province, northern Thailand, on Sunday. Two-faced kittens – also known as “Janus cats” after the two-faced Roman god Janus – don’t generally live longer than a day. However, this tiny Janus kitten is doing considerably well so far and is drinking milk from both mouths, said the kitten’s owner.
One side of the kitten has been named “Tung Ngern” (bag of silver) and the other side is named “Tung Tong” (bag of gold).
The kitten’s two year old mother – named “Cat” – gave birth to one kitten at a house in Hang Chat district in Lampang province on Sunday afternoon. When Cat tried to push out the second kitten, she physically couldn’t give birth.
The owner of Cat, 29 year old Anuwat, took Cat to the animal hospital at around 4pm where she had a caesarian section. Cat gave birth to the Janus kitten and three more “normal” kittens.
Anuwat was sure the Janus kitten was going to die at first. However, Tung Ngern and Tung Tong appeared to fight hard for its life, said Anuwat. Anuwat said he has hardly slept at all since the two-faced kitten was born because it cannot hold its head up and needs constant attention. It’s as much responsibility as having a human baby, said Anuwat.
Statistically, Janus kittens do not usually survive for longer than one day. However, one grey Jenus feline named “Frank and Louie” born in Massachusetts, USA, in 1999 lived to an amazing 15 years old, dying in 2014. In 2012, Frank and Louie were commemorated in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest surviving Janus cat. So, there is still some hope that Tung Ngern and Tong Tong will survive into adulthood.
The Janus kitten isn’t the only animal with extra body parts capturing Thai people’s hearts today. This morning, a four-legged chicken made headlines after becoming somewhat of a celebrity at a farm in Nong Khai province, northeast Thailand.
SOURCE: Thai Rath