Beloved kitten born with two faces passes away over weekend

It was born on May 20, to a litter of six kittens at a farm in Albany, Oregon. The litter came as a surprise to their owners Kyla and B.J. King. The kitten was born with two mouths, two noses, four eyes and one brain stem. A "Janus Cat" is one that is born with a congenital defect known as cranial duplication. The two faces are joined at the cheek, so the cat will looking is permanently looking in two separate directions at once.

Biscuits and Gravy died on Saturday, only four days after it was born, which is actually longer than the typical life span of a Janus cat, which is usually no more than one day. The longest living Janus cat ever recorded liver to be about 15 years old.

“Kyla … put all of her efforts into saving him,” wrote the Kings on their Facebook fan page that was created for Biscuits and Gravy. “He was born with the longest of odds and by living nearly four days, he beat those odds.”

No matter how much the Kings worked to take care of Biscuits and Gravy, it seemed impossible to keep the kitten alive. They would feed it as they could but it still didn't seem to be enough to help it grow.

“He ate a lot, and he peed and pooped a lot,” they wrote. “He just didn’t grow. It’s hard work for a little guy like him to support a large head with two complete faces.”

The Kings were well aware of the possibility that Biscuits and Gravy could live a very short life, saying that every day felt like a coin toss. That didn't stop them from naming the kitten and showering it with love and attention.

Biscuits and Gravy was nursed with a bottle daily, by Kyla King who would tuck the kitten into her shirt to keep it warm and slept with it in a different room from her husband.

On Sunday, Kyla thanked all of the kitten’s fans and supporters, following the death of the beloved kitten.

“This story has been a story of life and how very precious it is, whether days or years, whether animal or human,” wrote King on Facebook. She added that she feels “blessed” to have been involved in the kitten's life, showing her gratitude for being part Biscuit and Gravy's unusual story.

“We loved him and cared for him and he passed in my hands,” wrote King. “We are thankful to still have his siblings to care for, and they are just as precious.”