Meet Frankie, short for Frankenkitten. As you might have already noticed, Frankie's a little different. He has four ears and had to have one of his eyes removed. However, if you told him he didn't fit the norm, Frankie probably wouldn't understand you. After going through everything fate threw at him, the little guy has adapted to living in the big world and his foster family is there to help when he gets a little overwhelmed.
Frankie was born with four ears under a suburban house where he was found with another sibling
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
"He was born under a suburban house to a feral mother," Frankie's owner, Georgi Anderson told Bored Panda. "He was found with one living sibling but there may have been more that did not survive. The homeowners took Frankie and his brother in for several weeks to socialize them and fatten them up before bringing them to the shelter for medical care and rehoming."
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
His four ears are the first things people see in him. "He also has a very large overbite which gives his face a very angular appearance. He did come into the animal shelter with 2 eyes, but one eye had ruptured and needed removing. Frankie also has joint problems in his hind legs - his knees don't sit properly in place, so he walks splay-legged and his knees often slide in and out of place."
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
He also has a large overbite which gives his face an angular appearance
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
"Because of the overbite, his lower canines were piercing through the roof of his mouth. He also needs his knees operated on to stabilize the joints but I am saving the money for that, it's quite expensive," Georgi said. "He has also had dental work done to cut his lower canines to just a few mm above the gum line."
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
"He did come into the animal shelter with 2 eyes, but one eye had ruptured and needed removing"
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
"The eye removal allowed him to survive as the infection would have become septic and killed him."
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
"I worked at the animal shelter at the time that Frankie came in. I was also a foster carer so I was asked to foster him for a week as he recovered from the eye removal"
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
"It wasn't so much his unique look that sold him to me -- it was his sweet demeanor, the way he explored his surroundings, and seek comfort from me"
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
"I went and saw him prior to his procedure and right away was struck by how sweet-natured he was. After a few hours of having him home in recovery, I knew he was special in a way I couldn't quite describe."
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
"The physical aspect of his condition has some impact on his everyday life. The little front ears mildly affect his directional hearing, as they almost act like little earmuffs to his proper ears. He has adjusted well to only having one eye, but I can tell his night vision is not as good as my other cats'. His legs cause him to walk splay-legged but don't cause pain or affect the way he plays or jumps. His mouth probably is the biggest physical factor -- he struggles to eat wet food because he can't get a good grasp on it. He is on a dry food-only diet and has learned to pick kibble with his tongue and bring it into his mouth that way, rather than using his teeth."
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
"A normal day for Frankie is picking different places to curl up and sleep, ambushing me every morning while I make breakfast -- he likes to try and climb up my leg and then darts off like a lunatic"
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"Playing with his brother Lucius Malfoy. Annoying his older siblings Minako and Toothless"
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"He sleeps a bit more... a lot more. Then annoys the dogs. He is a very cheeky character"
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"His personality is very cheeky, but he gets away with it because he is also very sweet. He is not overly intelligent which has been a noticed trait in some other cats with 4 ears. I doubt he would fare well outside. He would see a car and think it was something to play with. But he is so loving and affectionate and seems to sense when I have had a difficult day. I almost would say he has a doglike personality."
Frankie is living proof that the beauty of a pet lies within it. He and his humans are lucky to have each other and something tells me everything's gonna be just fine.
Image credits: frank_n_kitten
Many people have fallen in love with Frankie, including his perfect imperfections
