# Two-faced cat - one animal or two? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015 "2011-09-29T15:10:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/21 "2011-09-29T17:28:37Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I was not suggesting that this cat has had its _corpus callosum_ cut, or that there is any reason to think that _it_ is two animals. I was simply pointing out that number of brains is not necessarily equal to number of individuals or consciousnesses. To imply that it is, is a misleading oversimplification of the brain-consciousness-individual relationship. > > ETA: And a very common oversimplification as well. I see **TruCelt** is doing it again. Yes, I’ve read several studies. But for legal purposes, a person whose corpus colossum is cut does not become two people. There is a difference between arguing a divided individual personhood and arguing two seperate people. Just because the right brain can make the left hand move does not mean it is a whole person. There is still only one brain stem, and one frontal lobe. This cat appears to have only one of each. The Hensel twins have two of each. I’ve always wondered how the control of autonomic functions is organized in such cases. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/22 "2011-09-29T22:15:51Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Anyone else squicked about the prospect of clicking on that link and seeing any pictures? I’m certainly not brave enough… To answer a factual question (grin…) YES! Way too squicked! The San Diego Zoo has a two-headed snake on display… It always makes me queasy to see, so I generally look the other way… My paw took me to an old-fashioned circus freak show when I was a youngker: one of the more horrid experiences of my life. (Even though some of 'em were so obviously fake, even a kid could see it!) Trinopus (wimp!) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/23 "2011-09-29T22:31:10Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > It’s not that bad, just think _Three eyed Picasso cat!_ Just looks like someone fumbled an edit in photoshop. It reminds me of one of Queen’s final [album covers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Queen_The_Miracle.png). ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/24 "2011-09-29T22:42:32Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > It’s not that bad, just think _Three eyed Picasso cat!_ Just looks like someone fumbled an edit in photoshop. Yeah that’s really encouraging! ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/25 "2011-09-29T22:56:25Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > So, the brain processes the three eyes? It looked like one half head (right) had two eyes that were linked and the other hafl (left) had only one. How would that work? From the article: “The animal can see out of only two of his three eyes. The middle one can’t even blink and makes Frank and Louie appear to be staring even when his other eyes are closed.” ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/26 "2011-09-29T23:03:25Z")
I think Schroedinger would be interested in this cat, especially if one side died! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/27 "2011-09-30T03:42:36Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Anyone else squicked about the prospect of clicking on that link and seeing any pictures? I’m certainly not brave enough… This is one of the very few types of things I have trouble looking at. Humans I can take, but not animals. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/28 "2011-09-30T03:50:13Z")
He’s a kitty cat. One face kitty, other face cat. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/29 "2014-12-11T16:18:14Z")
Awww… Frank & Louie has died. > **[World's oldest two-faced cat dies - UPI.com](https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/12/06/Worlds-oldest-two-faced-cat-dies/1511417874021/?spt=sec&or=on)** > > A Janus cat named Frank and Louie, the 2012 Guinness World Record holder as the longest-surviving two-faced cat, died. He was 15. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/30 "2014-12-12T04:39:22Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Anyone else squicked about the prospect of clicking on that link and seeing any pictures? I’m certainly not brave enough… Animals with greater than normal - or fewer than normal - body parts . . . happen to be one of my few phobias. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/31 "2014-12-12T11:43:56Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > So, the brain processes the three eyes? It looked like one half head (right) had two eyes that were linked and the other hafl (left) had only one. How would that work? As already noted, apparently in this cat the problem is “solved” by only one eye having vision. That could be due to the nerves not being correctly “wired” or connected to the brain. On the other hand, when a brain gets confusing sensory information it can start ignoring the input from one (or, in this case, more) eyes to reduce the confusion - this can happen in amblyopia or “lazy eye” that is left untreated. > [@TruCelt](#): > > The Hensel twins have two of each. I’ve always wondered how the control of autonomic functions is organized in such cases. You aren’t the only one. The Hensels have never volunteered for medical research and apparently have no interest in doing so, in their case we might never know. Which is entirely their right, I don’t think our curiosity trumps their right to privacy or determine boundaries. Long-living dicephalic conjoined twins are rare no matter where you look. Interestingly, such twins like the Hensels do seem able to coordinate their motions, walk, run, and so forth (there have been prior instances surviving to adulthood) but conjoined twins joined at the chest/sternum, basically have four arms but one body from the wast down, usually don’t. Of course, we’re working from a _very_ small pool of samples, most of which are known from scanty historical records. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015/32 "2014-12-12T13:38:49Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Anyone else squicked about the prospect of clicking on that link and seeing any pictures? I’m certainly not brave enough… There’s no picture. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-faced-cat-one-animal-or-two/598015.md?page=1)