Contact Me
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! If for any reason you’d like to contact me, please feel free to email me at this address:
amanda.maurer(at)gmail.com
Before you do:
- Please understand that I cannot diagnose a condition or offer professional medical advice. You can learn more by reading our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
- If you are considering giving up/re-homing your CH cat, please read this resource first.
- If you have a CH cat who is up for adoption through a shelter, you may send me the cat’s information for the Adoptable CH Cats page.
- I will certainly try to respond to you as soon as possible. Sometimes life, work or my CH cats may slow my response time, but I will get back to you.
Thanks! Hope to hear from you soon,
Amanda
21 Comments
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Amanda, I really enjoy reading your articles. It is so supportive and so much help! I like leaving comments about my own CH kitty, Percy. It would be fun to get everyone to send in pictures of their CH kitties so we can all see everyone’s beloved ‘children’. I adore my Percy, he is so special! I just want to show him off I guess. He was one of three in a litter of feral kittens and he was the only one to survive.
Anyway, what do you think about all of us sending in a picture of our special ones?
Thank you for your wonderful helpful blog!–JacquieB
Oh, please do! On my earlier blog I would do profiles of CH kitties! I’d love to profile Percy if you’re up to it! I’ll send you some questions, etc today. Thanks for the reminder!!
Hey Amanda!
Great site you have here, some really helpful tips!!!
I have a cat named Bowie who has mild CH. I also thought that you may want to check out these pinback buttons I made for all of us who ‘Heart’ our CH Kitties ( http://www.etsy.com/listing/77690020/i-heart-my-ch-kitty ).
Thanks for the link, Megan! They’re absolutely adorable, and I’m proud to say I have one at home, haha
Keep up the great work!
Hi Amanda, I was so excited to find this website. I have a 13 week old kitten with CH named Harvey. I had never even heard of CH until he came along. Everybody I know kept telling me to find him a new home and that he was too much work, etc. But we bonded instantly and I could never give him away, especially after all the time and effort I have put into his care. I have been doing a lot of research, but I still feel in the dark about the best way to care for him. If you have a few moments, I have a few questions…. My vet recommended that I mix his dry food with warm water and wet food so he doesn’t choke. After researching, it seems like he has a mild case of CH. Do you think he can eat plain dry food without it being hazardous? Also, during the day I keep him confined to my bathroom for his own safety. But I always feel guilty leaving him in there. He is still young, but eventually would it be okay for him to roam the apartment? I am just constantly worried about him falling off the furniture and breaking his neck (I cringe at just typing that). He learned to climb on my couch about a week ago – but he can’t get off without tumbling to the floor. Will he eventually learn? I also worry that after the falls that he has had, he will bruise and is in pain. Do you know if that’s possible? Also, at night I put him in the bathroom (again for his safety), but as it is getting colder, I wish he could sleep in my bed and cuddle / be warmer. But once again, I am too worried he will off. Do you think it’s best to keep him in the bathroom or would he be okay to sleep with me? I also worry about keeping him away from his litter box while he is in my bed, but he is working on the whole litter box thing and I have seen a lot of improvement in the 6 weeks that I have had him. Sorry this is so long, please don’t feel obligated to answer everything. Thanks for your site! It’s great…
Hi Amanda. I have a new issue to ask about regarding my CH kitty (Percy, of course). Now that Percy is beyond the kitten stage I expected him to outgrow that frisky kitten behavior of attacking us playfully with all claws and teeth, like typical kitties do when they grow up. But he still likes to demand attention by grabbing our legs, feet or arms with full claws and teeth extended which is very painful and causes bloody lacerations. Sometimes I’ve responded to him with shouts of dismay and pushing him away from me (and he seems to react so hurt and I feel rotten for yelling at him). I would never smack him for behaving this way but sometimes I’ve wanted to! Amanda, do you know the correct way of teaching CH kitties to stop this type of bad behavior? I’d like him to learn to keep his claws in when he feels playful. My other kitties even refuse to play with him because I assume they are overwhelmed by this behavior. I am thinking this is a trait of CH cats, but I do not know that for a fact. Any thoughts on this?
Hi Jacquie,
Actually, it sounds like normal kitten behavior — but you’re right — it doesn’t need to be like that! This ASPCA page has some excellent solutions: http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/29/Cats-Who-Play-Rough-.aspx. I’d personally try a few like increasing the amount of playtime he’s receiving (play with toys, not your hands, etc.), giving him time outs every time he plays too rough, clapping loudly at bad behavior and rewarding the times he does play and get your attention in appropriate ways.
Good luck!
Hi Amanda,
My husband and I have recently adopted our Kitty, Nova, who has CH. She’s adorable and I am totally attached to her but, our apartment manager tells us if we keep her, she would need to declawed, trimmed or capped. Having Nova declawed is not going to happen because she likes to climb the couch and bed to lay down and she also uses them to keep balance when she is playing. I don’t want to lose her but I’m unsure what to do. I don’t what her to be stressed out because she can no longer help herself keep balance. Advice, please?
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for commenting.
I wouldn’t stress out about this – as you said, you can try capping or trimming her nails. Capping should keep most of the length, and you really wouldn’t have to cut off too much during a trim. I would also suggest having a heart-to-heart with your apartment manager explaining the situation (maybe he can even meet Nova so he can see how important her nails are to her). If those solutions aren’t enough for your apartment manager, I would suggest considering offering him a pet deposit. That way, if there is any damage, you’ll help take care of it financially.
Good luck!
Hey, I’m not looking for a diagnosis or anything, but I just got a kitten with CH. I’ve previously never had a cat with CH. However, from past experiences with cats, I’ve always found special needs cats to be really special, so I didn’t hesitate to get him. We’ve had him for about 3 weeks now, and I’ve noticed that his rear legs tremble/spasm when he’s not on them. Is this something that goes along with CH? His head trembles a lot when he’s focusing on stuff, and he frequently falls over, so I would say he’s a moderate case of CH. the tremors/spasms don’t seem to bother him, but they happen frequently. Just wondering if anyone else has had this with their cats. Thanks!
Hi Julie!
I haven’t heard of anything like that, so you may want to check with your vet. Before you go, try taking detailed notes of exactly when it happens (if it’s all the time, certain positions, etc), what happens (what it looks like), etc. That will help a good deal. You can also consult the CH Cat group on Facebook, if you haven’t yet. You can find it here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/CHcat/
Good luck and thanks for taking this little one in!
One more thing, the kitten has a very bad habit of making a huge litterbox mess. He spreads his legs wide, like he’s doing the splits, and hunkers down super low, so that his gut and butt are touching the litter, and then he goes potty. This usually results in urine/poop/litter to be smeared all over his rear end. Any ideas with how to maybe train this out of him? So that he will use the litterbox a little less close to the litter? I realize that if he falls over in it, that’s a different matter, but he always has litter matted in his belly/booty area just because he is touching the litter. :/ He doesn’t appreciate the daily baths!
Здравствуйте! Я недавно подобрала и выходила котёнка – девочку, назвала её Бусинкой, так как глаза у неё-вылитые бусинки. Оказалось, что у неё атаксия мозжечка в лёгкой форме. В целом игрива, хорошо кушает, очень ласковая и умненькая. Ищу ей самые заботливые и ответственные руки! Вот здесь её фото и история http://www.mirann.ru/viewtopic.php?t=511.Ольга, Россия
Спасибо, Ольга! Я надеюсь, что ваша кошка делает хорошо!
For those who don’t understand Russian, here’s what Olga said:
“Hello! I recently picked up all the kitten – a girl, named her beady eyes as she poured-beads. It turned out that she had cerebellar ataxia mild. Overall, playful, eats well, is very affectionate and clever. Seeking her most caring and responsible hands! Here her photo and story http://www.mirann.ru/viewtopic.php?t=511. Olga, Russia”
Hi,
I have been working with a moderate to severe CH cat named Tiny Tim since December. He had an URTI and ear mites, but all is well after antibiotics, an ear mite protocol, etc.
His foster home fell through, and I agreed to take him back in December. I have tried so many things regarding his litter box issues, but I have not had any luck. Believe me- I have tried everything except diapers.
I am in graduate school, working plus I do volunteer work. I hate to ask, but is anyone out there willing to adopt him? He is a cute orange tabby, and I think he would do better in a situation where he had more company- canine and human. He also gets along well with dogs.
I am in Maryland….
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I’m sorry to hear about Tiny Tim! Fortunately, there are several options. You can read about them here:
Can’t Keep Your CH Cat? Here’s What To Do.
My cat’s name is Ziggy. My spouse named her after the way she would zig zag when she tried to walk. Ziggy was born in July under a shed along with her four siblings by a stray in my sister in law’s yard. Unfortunately, her mother died about two to three weeks after birth so my sister and law and myself “raised” them from birth. Her husband brought them inside and we did the feedings with syringes and made sure they were comfortable and warm. It was a lot of work but we loved every minute of it! Her and I are both avid cat lovers.
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As the weeks went by, we found homes for them. Unfortunately, one of the kittens didn’t make it. Debbie kept the runt, who she named Peanut, her friend took the strongest amd most feistiest of them, Georgie, and I kept Ziggy.
It was not until October that Ziggy started showing signs of CH. She was having trouble walking and her head kept shaking. I looked up “wobbly” kittens on the internet and that’s when I first heard of CH. I was so relieved to find out that she would be okay. Her condition was mild to moderate but I would have to say that now she is mild. She has gotten stronger and her head only shakes when she is trying to focus on something or excited. We all love her so much and she provides us with a chuckle or two when we watch her try to jump onto the furniture. She has no depth perception so when she jumps, there is no telling where she will land and she can jump so high! When we have company, she is the center of attention. Everyone wants to see her jump
She has had to have her fair share of baths, as she sometimes falls into the litter box. She has her own little one now with shorter sides. She can eat out of her dish now but pecks at her food like a chicken. I had to feed her by hand when she was younger as her head would not stop shaking.
Her claws are razor sharp as she uses them to climb onto everything. I don’t dare cut them for fear that she will lose her ability to get up on our laps. She loves to sit on us and have behind her ears scratched:-)
I have four cats and love them all dearly but Ziggy holds a very special place in my heart.
Hi Krista,
Thanks for sharing! If you send me a photo of Ziggy, I’d love to publish your post on her!
Amanda,
I just adopted an 8-week old kitten with moderate CH. I named him “Weebles”, as in “weebles wobble but they don’t fall down”. I’m totally new to this. My family has had several dogs and cats, but none of them had any disabilities. We have two other cats that have been part of the family for several years, and they’re not sure what to make of Weebles. Right now, I’m trying to get him adjusted to the house and especially litter box training. I place disposable chucks under the box because he can’t manage to maneuver into it yet. Sometimes he can get his legs under him, other times he can’t . It’s a real adventure trying to read his body language and time it so that I can get him to the area around the box. He’s eating pretty good but he has to lay on his side to do it and he pecks at the food to get it into his mouth. I think he’ll manage to make adjustments to the way he moves as he grows. In the meantime, I’m giving him as much care and attention as I can. I really like your site and I’ll make sure to visit again when I need more tips.
SFC MAC
Thanks for commenting and sharing about Weebles! I think you’re right – I’m sure he’ll make lovely progress over time. I adopted Ellie, my CH girl, when she was about that age, and for a month or so we struggled with the pan until she was finally big enough to get in and out of it fine. Today she still goes potty while laying on her side, but she makes it work
Please keep me posted about him! It’s always so exciting to adopt a CHer!
Amanda,
Weebles is now 10 1/2 weeks old and he’s making great progress! He’s getting big. He’s using his litter box just fine and he scoots like crazy when he wants to get from point A to point B in a hurry. He can actually stand on all fours for a few seconds and runs a bit before he flops over on his side. It’s funny to watch. The only two things he has yet to master: drinking water from a bowl (I still give him water in an eye dropper) and the stairs. My home is carpeted, so when he takes a flying leap (tumble) off the bed, a chair, or the couch, he gets up, shakes it off, and scoots away. He’s slowly expanding his exploration of the house. I’ll keep you posted.