Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
British Blue kitten born with two tails and four hind legs
By Seavers, Aine M·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2009·Oak Flats Vet Clinic, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Monocephalus dipygus parapagus: a suspected case of complete caudal duplication in a British Blue kitten.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A British Blue kitten was born with a rare condition called complete caudal duplication, meaning it had two lower bodies but only one head. This kitten had a normal upper body, two separate pelvises, four hind legs, and two tails, but also had a cleft palate and a split lower jaw. Remarkably, the mother cat did not experience any birthing complications, which is uncommon for such cases. The kitten's unique features highlight the complexities of conjoined twins in animals.
People also search for: British Blue kitten conjoined twins · cleft palate in kittens · unusual kitten birth conditions
Abstract
Complete caudal duplication is an extremely rare type of conjoined twinning. This communication reports the birth and gross features of a live conjoined British Blue kitten born naturally to a healthy queen. The monocephalic dipygus kitten exhibited a normal skull and upper body, two separate pelves, four hind limbs and two tails. A cleft palate and bifurcation of rostral mandible were also noted. The absence of maternal dystocia was unusual for conjoined twinnings.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19091616/