Vilhena, Brazil - In Brazil, a cat was born with cyclopia, which meant that the kitten only had one eye. The animal died two days after birth – but how does this strange condition happen?
Farm worker Gilberto Almeida, who owns the mother cat, is still completely shocked.
"I’m 32 years old and I’ve never seen anything like this in my life," he explains, per The New York Post.
"My cat has had several litters, but this was the first time something like this happened."
The kitten was born on November 4 in Vilhena in the state of Rondônia, together with three other kitties.
It was immediately clear that something was wrong with the animal, however.
Unlike its siblings, the black kitten had only one eye, which was positioned exactly in the middle of its tiny face. Its nose and mouth were also malformed.
Veterinarian Janete Silva diagnosed the poor cat with congenital cyclopia.
What is cyclopia, and how does it function?
The rare disease – which can occur in both animals and humans – causes severe malformations of the face and skull.
"When the embryo is developing, instead of the brain structure dividing into two parts, a single mass forms," explains Silva.
"As the eye follows this division, it ends up positioned in the center."
The expert told Portal Amazônia that one of the causes is chromosomal abnormalities, but external factors such as medication taken during pregnancy or gestation can also cause the anomaly.
Particularly sad: affected creatures have little chance of survival, as the malformation makes breathing and feeding difficult.
Gilberto Almeida's kitten from Brazil also only lived for a short time and died just two days after birth due to breathing problems.
The miracle kitten attracted a lot of attention online due to its appearance, with some users also accusing the farm worker of faking his photos and videos with artificial intelligence.