MIAMI -- A six-legged kitten awaiting surgery to remove the extra legs has died.

Hex the six-legged kitten died Thursday, according to a poem posted on The Hex Foundation Web site.

Veterinarians told owner Barbara Flores that Hex had a Siamese twin that never fully developed. An operation to remove the extra legs, remove the extra colon and correct the intestines was initially scheduled for last month, but Flores sought a second opinion and was told to wait until Hex was between 10 and 12 weeks old.

Flores took Hex to a local veterinarian to run a test that consisted of barium on the 7-week-old cat. When Hex underwent a CT scan Tuesday in Gainesville, veterinarians discovered that Hex had some barium left in his other half's pouch.

Veterinarians said the barium burned a hole in Hex's intestines.

Hex was the only cat in his litter and the first born to his mother, Vanilla.

A poem titled "We Must Say Goodbye…" written as the voice of Hex reads: "We were supposed to be two, but I was born the only one, with half of my brother still holding on strong. We tried to get help and sought to repair this tangled body that somehow we shared.

"Though the doctors fought hard and worked past being tired, we did what we could do, but we grew oh, so tired. Now we know there can't be one without the other, here we'll stay attached to one another.

"Knowing that all prayed for the best here we lay together for this long eternal rest. We thank you for your prayers, your support and your love. Until we meet again in the heavens up above."