An ordinary workday at a Tennessee auto repair shop turned into something extraordinary when an employee found a taped-up box by the back gate.
Inside were four tiny kittens, abandoned and in need of help. The employee quickly contacted True Rescue, a local animal shelter, and the kittens were taken in without delay.
Rescuers at True Rescue are used to heartbreaking discoveries, but as Kristin Condit, the shelter’s director of operations, began the intake process, she immediately noticed something unusual.
While removing one of the kittens from the carrier, a fellow staff member, Ross, asked, “What is that on his ear?”
That’s when they saw it — the kitten had an extra set of ears.
Nestled inside his normal ears and facing backwards like little clamshells, the second pair was a rare congenital mutation. Even more surprising? All four ears could move independently.
“We realized pretty quickly that he had full movement of all four ears,” Condit said.
The shelter staff were amazed.
In fact, True Rescue’s executive director Amy Simcik said the condition was so rare, it likely resulted from a unique combination of genes from both parents — and they hadn’t found another documented case quite like it.
Here's a closeup of Audio's ears:
As they marveled at the kitten’s unique appearance, the team debated the perfect name. Ultimately, they landed on Audio, joking that he probably had surround sound hearing.
But Audio wasn’t the only one in his litter with an unusual feature. His tortoiseshell sister had a small extra ear on the right, and his calico sister had one on the left. The genetic quirk clearly ran in the family.
To ensure Audio’s extra ears weren’t causing any health issues, the shelter brought him to the vet. Not only was he perfectly healthy — he also made quite the impression.
“You’ve never seen a grown man geek out as hard as our vet did,” Condit laughed. “He said it was the coolest thing he’d ever seen.”
After everything Audio had been through, the little kitten’s story had a perfect ending. Simcik fell in love — and adopted him herself.
“He’s going to be an ambassador for feral cats,” she said.
Now safe in his forever home, Audio continues to turn heads and win hearts with his one-of-a-kind look and charming personality.
“He’s pretty unique,” Simcik added.
Want to help other animals like Audio? You can support True Rescue here.
