Video of Special Needs Cat, Best Friend Dog Goes Viral

A sweet video has been making its rounds lately, perhaps you’ve seen it. Titled “Dog Befriends Disabled Kitten,” the video shows the special bond between Ralphee the kitten and Max the cattle dog. From the video’s description:

“Ralphee the kitten and Max the cattle dog are an odd couple who seem besotted with each other’s company after they were introduced following Ralphee’s rescue from a barn at a horse stable.

…Ever since Ralphee was brought home, Max is never far away. He appears to be forever curious and watches over Ralphee wherever she goes. Ralphee is growing more mischievous by the day and loves to see what Max is doing as well. She will often get excited when he is nearby and leap in the air before playfully charging in his direction.

Despite her condition, Ralphee is a happy cat who, like most kittens loves affection and causing all sorts of trouble wherever she goes.”

I originally saw it pop up on a Polish site, but now it’s being passed around a number of English sites, including Gawker:

The video originally caught my eye because folks have been attributing Ralphee’s behavior to cerebellar hypoplasia.

While I can’t speak to whether or not that’s true — diagnoses can be complicated as some cats are impacted to different degrees and may have other congenital conditions and not all wobbly cats are CH cats — I’m thrilled that the video of this precious little kitten is getting the word out about this condition.

So thanks, Internet! If you found this post via that video, welcome! If you have questions, I recommend starting with this post. I’ve tried to make information easy to find on the site, but if you have any questions, please leave a comment. Thanks!