CH Topics & Tips
Life’s a learning experience. No matter if you’ve never heard of CH, or if you’ve been around them for decades, there’s always something to learn.* Here are some of the most commonly discussed topics; you can find the full range in the tag cloud on the ride side of the blog.
The Basics
Cerebellar Hypoplasia 101: Click here to learn about this condition’s causes, characteristics and more.
Degrees of CH: Some cats may be only slightly affected, others are never able to walk. Consequently, CH kitties have different needs when it comes to getting where they need to go. This topic covers how CH kitties get around. Click here to learn more about the mild, moderate and severe characteristics of cerebellar hypoplasia.
Claws: You suddenly don’t mind them when you realize they’re vital to your cat’s mobility. Find out why a CH cat’s claws are important.
Head Tremors: They may be a part of life, but you don’t need to worry. Learn more about why CH kitties have a “bobble head.”
There are ways to make a home safe for any pet, but some CH cats require special consideration.
Carpet: Who knew it’d become your CH cat’s best friend? Here are some tips about how it can change your cat’s life.
Stairs: You’ll never look at stairs the same way after adopting a cat with CH. For some they’re a source of pain, for others a source of pride. Here’s what you should know about stairs safety.
The Day-to-Day
For most normal cats, the day-to-day routine can become mundane. However, the most basic daily essentials can be complicated with CH. Here’s how you can help.
Eating and Drinking: Pecking (because of head tremors) for kibble, spilling over the water bowl and general messes are all a part of life. No big deal. Check out some lessons learned.
Litter Box: For some people, it’s a gross topic. For CH cat moms and dads, it’s just another challenge (and sometimes accomplishment!). Check out these litter box tips.
Exercise & Playing: Pretty much a no brainer, but these tips have a CH twist.
Everyday Health: Since CH kitties are a bit different, check out the special health-related issues you should keep in mind.
Videos: CH severity ranges; watch how it impacts each cat differently.
*Here you’ll find many of the topics that we’ll be covering on this site. Please remember that this is not professional advice, rather personal best practices we’ve come up with from living with our CH cats. Every person’s CH kitty’s needs and abilities are different, so please consider this information accordingly. However, since I’d like to be as helpful as possible, if you have any tips or tricks you’ve learned from living with your CH pet, please contact me!
Does anyone else notice their CH kitty twitching a lot while they sleep? I just got a 10 month old CH boy from a local shelter and when I’ve cuddled with him and he’s fallen asleep, I’ve noticed him twitching intensely. In a “normal” cat I would just shrug it off as dreaming, but I just wanted to make sure that that was all it was. He’s my first CH baby and I’ve only had him for a few weeks so I’m still in paranoid mommy mode. Can someone help calm my nerves and let me know if this is normal?
Hi Lauren,
Welcome and thanks for asking! My first thought is that it’s just dreaming, but I’ll see if I can learn anything more about it, and post on it soon. Hopefully other readers will be able to provide some feedback too!
What’s his name? He sounds precious!
His name is Riley because I wanted a special name for a special cat and Riley means “courageous” so it seemed to fit. My step-mom volunteers at North Shore Animal League, a no kill shelter near me and she met him and felt he was perfect for me. My whole family has their share of challenges and so she said he was “the perfect misfit for a family of misfits”.
He is a total mush and I love it. He loves to be cuddled and held like a baby which is exactly what I was looking for in a cat. And his little wobbles and tumbles just make him that much cuter. And I love his little “bobble head” when he’s watching a toy that you’re gonna throw or when he’s getting ready to pounce. I affectionately call him my little spazz cat because that’s what he is. And I’ll be the first one to admit that I am definitely somewhat of a spazz myself, frequently bumping into things and tripping over nothing.
And he’s quite the little ladies man. Even though he is fixed, he loves to flirt with female strays that I feed on my patio. He does this through the the glass of my sliding glass door because he is an indoor cat, but it’s still funny to watch. However, if a male stray shows up, his tune changes completely. He puffs up and starts hissing and making demonic growling sounds at them through the glass. I’m in the process of training him to understand that the boys are my friends too. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.
He definitely seems to be much less affected than some of the cats I’ve read about on here, but he definitely has his difficulties with certain things. But I love him nonetheless and maybe even a bit more because of his differences. He is definitely a special cat.
Does anyone else experience the phenomenon of the “silent meow” with their CH kitty? Riley is normally a very vocal cat but when I was holding him earlier, he was purring like crazy and ended up having an entire “silent meow conversation” with me. He must have done it like 10 times. He’s done it before on occasion, but this was definitely more frequent than usual. I was wondering if there was any possible CH connection to the frequency or if this was just a “normal cat thing”. I did a google search and just came up with a bunch of stories from “normal” cat owners, so I thought I’d breech the subject with the CH community and see if anyone had an opinion. I’m still new to the whole CH thing, having had my boy for less than a month, so I still press the panic button for little things. Just wanted some feedback.
How funny! I’ve seen CG do it a number of times. From what I’ve read it’s just a meow at a pitch we can’t hear — what did you read? It may be another sign of how much he loves you, haha. Maybe he thinks you’re his mama cat and thinks you *should* be able to hear him