ONE-EYED "CYCLOPS CAT" BORN

Matt Case - November 11th, 2025 

VILHENA, Brazil  — A newborn kitten in Brazil captured global attention last week after being born with a single eye in the middle of its face — earning the nickname “Cyclops Cat.”

The kitten was part of a litter of four born in Vilhena, in the state of Rondônia, but it was the only one with the rare condition known as cyclopia. Tragically, the kitten survived just over a day before dying Thursday due to breathing complications.

Veterinarian Janete Silva said cyclopia occurs when the brain fails to divide into two hemispheres during early development, forming a single mass instead. “Since the eye follows the brain’s split, it ends up forming in the center,” Silva explained.

The condition, named after the one-eyed giants of Greek mythology, is extremely rare — appearing in fewer than one in every 100,000 births — and can affect humans and animals alike. Experts say it’s often linked to chromosomal abnormalities or certain medications taken during pregnancy.

Even in heartbreak, the story of the little “Cyclops Cat” served as a reminder of nature’s mysteries — fragile, fleeting, and sometimes astonishingly strange.