Worcester woman’s two-faced cat makes the record books

By Amanda Cedrone, Globe Correspondent

Frank and Louie is not a normal cat, though his owner begs to differ.

The cat was born with two faces -- a condition called Janus -- and was awarded a spot in the 2012 edition of the Guinness World Records book for the longest living cat with the condition.

The two faces share a brain and a stomach.

“Frank does the eating,” said the cat’s owner, Marty, who prefers not to give out her last name to protect her privacy. “He only has to eat for one cat body. He’s just one cat body with an extra face.”

Most cats with the condition don’t live past kittenhood, but Frank and Louie just celebrated his 12th birthday at the beginning of the month. The cat’s longevity could be due to Marty’s dedication to the unique feline.

She adopted Frank and Louie when the cat was one day old. Marty was working at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts at the time, and someone brought him in to be put to sleep. That’s when she decided to take Frank and Louie home with her.

“For the first month or so I fed him every two hours,” Marty said. “He was the size of a hamster.”

Now, Frank and Louie is thriving. He plays with Marty’s other animals – another cat and a dog – enjoy going for walks on a leash, riding in the car, and giving kisses.

“He’s acclimated very well,” Marty said. “He doesn’t know he’s any different. He thinks he’s a normal cat.”