A kitten born in Brazil drew global attention this week after being born with a single eye in the center of its tiny face. Locals called it “Cyclops Cat.” Sadly, it lived for less than two days.
The kitten was part of a litter of four in the town of Vilhena, in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. “I’m 32 years old and I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” farmhand Gilberto Almeida told NewsX, as reported by the New York Post. “My cat has had several litters, but this was the first time something like this happened.”
Almeida filmed the kitten shortly after birth. In the footage shared by the New York Post, he holds the animal carefully, its single eye open and searching. The clip spread across Brazilian social media within hours. Some viewers questioned whether it was real. It was. And it was alive for less than 48 hours before dying from respiratory failure, a common complication for animals with severe cranial deformities.
How Exactly Did the Cyclops Cat Happen?
Veterinarian Janete Silva explained to The Post that the kitten’s condition was consistent with cyclopia, a rare congenital defect in which the developing brain fails to split into two hemispheres. As the brain remains fused, the eye develops in the center, creating one structure and no nose.
“When the embryo is developing, instead of the brain dividing into two parts, a single mass forms,” Silva said. “As the eye follows this division, it ends up positioned in the center.”
Cyclopia is extraordinarily uncommon, affecting fewer than one in 100,000 births. It has been recorded in humans, horses, pigs, and now this kitten. Most fetuses with the condition do not survive to term. Those that do rarely live more than a few hours.
The cause varies, from genetic mutations to environmental factors, but the result is always fatal. The animal cannot breathe properly, feed, or regulate its systems. The brief existence of Cyclops Cat was a biological misfire, not a miracle.
Almeida buried the kitten near his home on November 6. “It was so strange,” he said, “but it was still a kitten.”
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