Frank and Louise
Record holder Frank and Louise Rueters

Frank and Louise, a two faced cat, have made their way into the Guinness Book of Records for being the oldest living 'Janus' cat.

The name "Janus cat" was coined by British zoologist Dr. Karl Shuker, based on the two-faced Roman god of transitions, gates and doorways.

Frank and Louise, who have two mouths, two noses and three eyes and one brain, turned 12 years old this month, officially making them the "longest surviving Janus cat," said Sara Wilcox, a Guinness World Records spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Frank and Louie have a case of craniofacial duplication, an extremely rare congenital condition resulting from a protein with the odd name of sonic hedgehog homolog (SHH).

The disorder, also known as diprosopia, can cause part or all of an individual's face to be duplicated on its head. Many cats that are born with the resulting two faces die within the first few days.