A mutant creature has caused alarm after it was labelled a bad omen when a cat gave birth to it.
The strange kitten supposedly looked "like an alien" and a cross between a one-eyed kitten and a monkey. It came out "different" to the other members of the cat litter.
Belonging to agriculture student Michael Severino in Baranggay Baliwagan in the Philippines, Michael was told it must be an evil spirit when his pet cat gave birth and he shared the pictures online.
Michael, who now intends to preserve the body of the doomed mutant cat in a jar of alcohol, said: "There were four offspring and one was born different... It looks like a monkey.
"It has a horn – probably it’s his nose."
The poor creature was born with one big eye, a near hairless body and only survived for half an hour before it died.
The experienced cat owner was informed the 'evil spirit' could be an 'engkanto', a known idea of a human-like creature well entrenched in the folklore of the Phillippines.
According to All About Asia, engkanto are "very human-like in the facts that they age, have male and female versions, can become ill or even die".
They said: "Engkanto are known for negative health effects and negative influence on luck. Those that anger the Engkanto have suffered depression, madness, illness, and some even disappear as a result of possession.
"Some Engkanto are good and some are bad."
It is said the mythical creatures stay i areas with dense trees around, but may also choose to live around humans.
Michael told of his own suspicions and said: "There are two different types of engkanto, some bring bad luck and some bring good luck.
"They say it's bad luck because the kitten is cursed."
Perhaps the more likely reason behind the mutant member of the cat litter was the age of the mother, reportedly around eight years old.
Though Michael said this is the first time this had happened, the older a cat gets, the more likely it is to have pregnancy complications and birth problems.
He added: "The experts on animals say it is caused by malnutrition, and because the mum of the kitten is eight years old.
"I think it's very weird yet unique, because the mother always produced and delivered normal offspring and this is the first time this has happened."
