Nature
PUBLISHED
Sometimes genetics likes to throw an adorable spanner in the works, especially when it comes to the animal world. From albino anteaters to spotless giraffes, color is one aspect that is often at the hands of the genetic lottery – however, it seems ears are not immune to the effects either.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.When four kittens came to the True Rescue shelter in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, USA, the team was not expecting one of the litter to have four ears. Sharing the images of the adorable 8-9-week-old new arrival on their Facebook page, the team have named the four-eared kitten Audio.
In their post, True Rescue explains that the vet will soon check over Audio but they believe that he will not be impaired by having the extra flaps to his ears. “We will have him fully checked by a vet, but from what we know, the inner ear is completely normal and will cause no issues, other than having extra flaps to clean!”
While Audio is rare, he’s not the only cat of his kind. In 2021, a cat called Midas was found in Turkey with four ears and a heart-shaped patch of fur on her belly. As you can see from her very popular Instagram account, she is still thriving.
In 2018, The Dodo reported on another four-eared cat that was found hiding under a house in Geelong, Australia. While the ears didn't seem to present any issues, one of his eyes was removed, earning him the name Frankenkitten due to the stiches. Little Frankie was adopted by one of the shelter volunteers involved in his care.
While the prognosis is most likely good for Midas and Audio, Ariel the six legged “mermaid” dog underwent a successful surgery to remove her extra limbs earlier this year in Wales, UK. And if you can’t get enough of these animals, check out Narwhal and his bonus tail.
