A "male" cat in Izmir gives birth, a one-in-six-million case

In Izmir, Aylin Bermant's cat, which she believed was male and named 'Cengo,' caused great surprise when she gave birth after 13 months. A veterinary examination revealed that Cengo is a hermaphrodite, a condition occurring in approximately 1 in 6 million. Experts stated that this rare phenomenon, considered one of nature's miracles, could also appear in the kitten.

Aylin Bermant, living in the Urla district of Izmir, was astonished when her cat, whom she thought was male and had named 'Cengo,' gave birth after 13 months. A veterinary examination revealed that Cengo is a case of intersex, occurring in about 1 in 6 million.

The tabby cat Cengo, adopted as a kitten from the street by Aylin Bermant in Urla, gave birth a month ago. The family, who named the cat 'Cengo' thinking it was male, was shocked in the morning to find a kitten in its box.

'WE WERE IN SHOCK WHEN WE SAW THE KITTEN BESIDE IT'

Aylin Bermant, explaining that Cengo was adopted at about 1 month old, said they thought the cat was male due to its outward appearance.

Bermant said, 'It had testicles. We thought it was male. Since we thought it was male, it went outside from time to time. It mated with another cat. In the morning, I looked in its box, and there was a kitten beside it. Its belly hadn't swelled before, so we didn't notice. We were shocked when we saw the baby next to it.'

Bermant, stating that the birth brought joy during a difficult time for the family, expressed that the event both surprised and delighted them.

'We had lost two cats a few days before the birth. We were very sad. Then, when we saw Cengo's kitten, we were surprised and happy. Later, we learned it was intersex. We said our male cat gave birth. It's a very rare thing,' she said.

Veterinarian Ismail Ekmekcioglu stated that the examination determined Cengo is intersex. Ekmekcioglu said, 'The male organ is not functional. The female reproductive organs are more developed. Therefore, after mating, it had a kitten. A similar condition is seen in its kitten. This is a very rare case, occurring in about 1 in 6 million. We see this more often in goats and kids. It's a miracle of nature.'