Four-month-old kitten Midas was born with two sets of ears and a defective jaw due to a recessive genetic mutation. But this hasn’t stopped her from becoming an internet star with over 73,000 followers.
Midas was adopted by Canis Dosemeci in the Turkish capital Ankara after being born in a friend’s backyard with six other siblings.
“Midas is a very playful cat. She likes to cuddle and sit on my lap and sleep on my lap,” Canis said. “She goes along with the dog, Suzi, and Zeyno, we have another dog. We are a big family.”
Dosemeci said she and her husband fell in love with her at first sight and decided to take her in, believing her chances of adoption are lower than her siblings due to her unique condition.
“We have never thought of buying a cat, we just wanted to rescue a cat from the street and we wanted to adopt her. I hope Midas’s popularity can raise an awareness of adopting not buying,” she added.
According to her vet, the additional ears do not affect her health or hearing in general. What makes her special from other cats with similar genetic abnormalities is that all four of the earlaps are connected to the ear canal.
“Midas was born with four auricles as a result of a genetic mutation,” said veterinarian Resat Nuri Aslan in Turkish. “But unlike the other four-eared cats, both of Midas’s auricles are connected to the ear canal. In addition, her lower jaw is slightly wider on the sides, so her tongue is constantly visible outside. However, this mutation has no effect on the general health of Midas. She is able to continue her life like any other cat.”
Midas is currently living with two golden retrievers, Suzy and Zeyno. Her name comes from the mythological king of Phrygia who was cursed with donkey ears.
