Readers’ CH Cats
Throughout the years I’ve been blogging (here and on my previous blog), I’ve been blessed to meet dozens of folks and even more cats with cerebellar hypoplsia. It’s incredible to hear each one’s story — and there’s always something new to learn.
These readers and friends have generously shared their stories with me, and I’m honored to share them with you. If you’d like your story to be shared, please feel free to click here for more information.
Click on the kitties below to learn more about them:
Allison’s Goobie
Andrea’s Skittles
Barbara’s Harley
Brittney’s Teddy
Christy’s Flip
Donna’s Ackie
Elise’s Hippa
Elise’s Nanako
Emma’s Stevie
Jacob’s Camden
Jamie’s Halas
Jen’s Arthur
Jessica’s Jasper
John’s Princess
Kathy’s Oatie
Kelly’s Von
Lauren’s Mimosa
Laura’s Scooter
Lizzie’s Tardy
Lizzie’s Ziggy
Lizzie’s Luna
Lizzie’s Spike
Cindy’s Lucy
Cindy’s Thumper
Melissa’s Peanut
Renee’s Kiki
Ruth’s Maddie
Sharon’s Moby
Mallory’s Scooter
Shiva
Sheila’s Buster
Selena’s Kiro
Selena’s Roxy
Ruth’s Betty
Selena’s Shinju
Stacey’s Hunter
Libby’s Tia
Libby’s Timmy
Melissa’s Effie
Melissa’s Lovey
Lisa’s JillyBean
Catherine’s Dotty
Megan’s Bowie
Sho’s Elvis
Michelle’s Pappy
Sheri’s Archie
Rita’s Gil
Carmen’s Harvey
Karen’s Oscar
Andrea’s Jello
Misty Dawn’s Starr Blue
Merrianne’s Lemon
Dannielle’s Chairman
Emily’s Sophie
Jennifer’s Lily
Andrea’s Aiden Grace
Anna’s Ms. Flipper
Daniel’s Groove
Life with Cerebellar Hypoplasia Cats 
Hi Amanda, I am adding the link to the one video I have of Percy on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgWz6dIF5_g , if you’d like to view it. He has grown up since this video was taken about 3 months or more ago, but this is the only decent video I have taken of my little guy. The other kittens in the vid were fosters (not related to Percy) I went ahead and adopted.
Please, can you tell me if all CH kitties do what Percy does: When he is ‘frisky’ he behaves as if he has springs in his legs, he jumps and actually can fly across the room (literally up to six feet or so!) Sometimes he just propels himself a few feet but its the craziest darn thing I’ve ever seen. Of course he does not have any coordination and can land anywhere! Sometimes he has bonked himself pretty hard and it is frightful to watch. Many times I’ve caught him in midair to avoid a hard fall from the couch or bed to the floor. One of these days I’m going to catch him doing this on video and send it to you. Anyway, do all CH cats have this crazy behavior? I’d appreciate your input. Thanks-Jacquie
Hi Jacquie,
Thanks for sharing the video! Percy’s such a cutie!
I can’t say if *all* CH cats do this, but mine will flip around like that. I’m sure that since Percy’s a kitten, it’s easy for his body to propel his tiny frame all around your home! I’m also curious how many other folks have seen this in their kittens. I’ll put up a post soon to find out!
Best, Amanda
Our CH cat Squeaks rolls around when she plays like that too. She also jumps across the room. We laugh because she looks like a rabbit when she does it. She is only 4 months old and has jumped to the top of the arm of my sofa so she can sit with me. It is about a 2 1/2′ jump. We are amazed by it. She jumps better than our “normal” cats.
Hey, where’s that Zig Monster?
Haha, he’ll be posted soon, promise! There are still a number that need to go up 🙂
Jacquie – our Whiskey Bob does the same thing. When he’s hyped up, it’s as if his rear legs become spring loaded. We’ve seen him leap OVER the sofa…he was aiming for the seat, but missed and went sailing over the back! We laughed so hard and he just sat there as if saying “I meant to do that!”
Yes, aren’t they funny?! Is your Whiskey Bob a severe case of CH? Percy is more severe than any I’ve seen on videos. He has never been able to stand on his feet to take a regular step, he can only flop. So sometimes I think he may just get frustrated with his slow sloppy meandering ways and just give it his ALL and fly across the room. It is hilarious, except it can be frightening at times cus I worry he will seriously bonk himself (concussion?).
Hii,omg I am so happy to found this blog! I’ve alwys wonder where can I share my story about my ch daughter (to me she’s no pet)her name is eliana,we call her ‘eli'(ally) she 13mnths old,and she is one of the greatest gift frm god.I must done something good in my life to deserve hvg eli in my life.m soo greatfull,I wish to share more about my beautiful angel!
Hi everyone, I have a 10 week old CH kitten named Ben, he is technically a foster kitten, but I am probably going to keep him. People have been more put off by him at adoption events than I thought, and it’s like they don’t believe me when I tell them it isn’t a disease and he will have a normal lifespan and a good quality of life. He runs, plays, uses the litterbox, and acts like a normal cat, the only thing is he wobbles and bobs his head a little, and he doesn’t jump. I have a couple of low entry litterboxes for him and am working on some steps up to the windowsill. So far it seems he can jump down but not up, though when he jumps down he flops on the landing.
Ben sounds very sweet! Hope you decide to keep him – it sounds like he will get a great home! 🙂
I adopted Rico from the Lapeer County Animal Control not knowing he had CH- only that he appeared to be a Maine Coon mix, was guessed to be about 4 months old (being a former breeder I took one look at his teeth and knew he was more like 2 months, his size was misleading), and that he was sweet as pie. Since he was laying down in his cage, and draped himself in my arms purring madly, of course I took him home to my husband, who had been reminiscing about “Fat Pat”, the Maine Coon he had as a child. In no time, I discovered his disability, and luckily hit on your page right away! Rico is what I would consider a mild to moderate CH kitty. At first he had a lot of trouble getting into and out of the litter box, but he was very determined. Over the months he learned a marching gait that helps to prevent him from bumping into walls and falling. He taught himself to climb the sofa, the stairs, and eventually the more than 3 feet up to our bed (of course we hang a special blanket down for him!). He also learned VERY quickly that many of his behaviors were considered so adorable by his humans that they would immediately lay on the floor and tell him how cute he was! As a result he purposely throws himself onto his side when he sees us. My husband, who, like many truck drivers, is a real softie underneath, spoils him rotten. Really. NO cats allowed in the bedroom! Well, except Rico… Dry cat food has always been the norm in our house with the occasional healthy treat, but Rico has to have his (real) chicken or turkey at least twice a day…now the other cats have to have some canned food so they don’t feel left out.
I do have a few questions. Rico is so fearless of other animals it amazes me, and yet the slightest unexpected noise sends him fleeing in an ungainly panic reminiscent of a cartoon character trying to run. He is also terrified of anyone other than us, and disappears the second he hears a strange voice. I tried playing the radio and music for much of the day, but he can definitely tell the difference. My friends call him my imaginary cat!
Also, I believe he is about 10 months old now, and STILL growing (he is at least 3 feet long from nose to tail, and not a bit overweight) which is probably due to his Maine Coon heritage, but this is beginning to be a problem for him. He seems to be having more trouble with his back legs. I have tried to gently exercise them, but he protests, glares, and then hides and sulks for hours. He does play very energetically with our other cats for at least an hour a day, but this usually consists of him flinging himself on top of them and wrestling, or flopping on top of the cat tunnel while they run through it.
Hopefully I will get around to posting a few pics of him soon so you can all admire His Royal Majesty’s extreme handsomeness 😉 In the mean time, I wondered if anyone had advice on the two items I mentioned above? Thanks, and keep up the good work here, your page is so much appreciated!
Rico’s Mom (Laura)
My boyfriend and I work in multi housing and often find abandoned and abused animals. We care for them and either keep them or find them homes. The other day my boyfriend found a very malnourished brand new baby kitten. She was very weak and shaky. I figured it was due to the lack of food and water. I quickly began bottle feeding her. She has quickly gained weight, eats like a champ and plays with our puppy (who thinks she is the momma). But, it soon became evident that the little fighter couldn’t walk.
I researched development milestones of baby kitties and found that at her estimated 3 weeks- she should be very stable. I feared she might be ill. I checked her for head injury, broken bones, and sickness. She is healthy in all regards- except this. My boyfriend and I felt that if we took her to the vet…. we would be forced to put her down and decided to delay the visit until we were sure she was dying.
I was randomly googling her symptoms online- finding some pretty scary possibilities and was devastated. Then I found your site. EVERYTHING ON HERE is her. I was so relieved!!!! I love the little monster (and after feeding her every three hours for a week- more then a little attached!) Thank you for this information. We have already began to implement many of the suggestions. Since I will be weaning her very soon- I appreciate the information so that I can train her to eat properly.
I have never heard of this condition and will do all I can to help people understand it.
I look forward to a lifetime of fun with my baby. I want her name to be Lucrezia because she is a wicked beauty who likes to attack the puppy, my toes and any ball. My boyfriend wants Showtime. He is going to lose the battle!
Thank you!!!!!
Hi!
So happy to hear about your new addition! Have you had a chance to take her to the vet yet? If you’re looking for a CH friendly vet, you can check out this map.
Thanks for being open-minded to a special needs cat, and I can’t wait to hear how she does in the next few weeks!
Hi! My name is Mary. I have a severe CH kitty named Angel, but we call her Chibs (I have no idea where this name came from – my daughter Alexis came up with it!). She came from a feral cat (her name was Miss Kitty) along with other kittens. It was freezing outside, and some of the kittens already had frostbite. A few of them died off quickly. I knew this was dangerous, but I put the kittens in a box and took them inside. I kept them in the bathroom with heat, fed them 24/7. My daughter had a field trip one day, so we took a chance and left them at my friend’s house. That was a bad idea – almost all of the kittens died, except three. The two soon died, and we were left with one. We didn’t know any of these kittens had CH at the time, until we kept Angel. We were going to sell her to a good home, until we got her in for her veterinary shots. They diagnosed her with severe CH. We ended up keeping her. I looked up tons of research and explained to Alexis how to help take care of her. I trained her to go to the litter box (kept in Alexis’s room along with our other normal black kitten, Onyx) and eat and drink my herself. She lets us know when she needs to go to the litter box – she kicks around her legs like she’s running and meows. Then we pick her up and take her to the litter box. She loves food – her signature move is whenever she hears her food bag opening, she meows and comes flying! Just because she can’t walk, doesn’t mean she can’t move. She gets fed dry food in a little fold-up bowl, and wet food in a little cat bowl. We had no idea she would survive, but she is healthy. We’ve had her for three years now! She’s part of the family. There’s the bad parts, like her ‘doing her business’ on the floor, and how she often vomits after eating, but she’s a good cat. She likes to sit at the sliding door and meow at the door. She also loves Temptations treats! She pecks around madly, and can eat three of them at once! We’ve decided on a hooded litter box, because before, she used to kick litter all over the place. We also have litter boxes in three rooms of the house, so wherever she is, she can get to the box. We took a chance and got her spayed because she used to use the carpet as her litter box! She was fine, thankfully. And one more thing – the seizures. She’ll grip the carpet with her claws and rub her body on the ground. Alexis calls it ‘The Crab.’ “Mom, Chibs’ is in crab-mode!” she’d say. I have pictures if you want to see her! Also, I think people need to know that ‘CH’ does not mean ‘helpless.’ CH cats are fighters, or else they wouldn’t be here. Sure, they have their struggles, but they can put up with it. They made it this far, so obviously, they’re not giving up. If you’re going to adopt a CH cat, please don’t mistake it for a helpless baby. When raised right, they, I think, can be some of the strongest cats in the world!
-Mary, Alexis, and Angel
I have a son in law with a CH kitty. Cecil is a male cat about 7 years and flops to get around. I was wondering if any adaptive device have been created for helping these kitties get around?
Found out today about this desorder.. I found a kitten a few months ago.. I had to feed him with a bottle.. When he started to get bigger i noticed that he was normal.. My vet was sure what he had, she thought it was from some kind off fall..
I have been fostering a CH kitten. He is having difficulty controlling his bowels and needs daily bathing. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and what they did? He is the sweetest! Just don’t know what to do to help him with this potty issue.
Hey Amanda, I have some sad news. My little CH Cat Spaz passed on the 22nd of February. Spaz was three months short of being 20 years old. This last year was tough for him hyperthyroidism and arthritis from his hyper extended and non- normal movement. I couldn’t have the surgery done that was available for the hyperthyroidism because of his frail health and age. I miss him so much, I loved my little boy with all my heart, he was an amazing little kitty and touched so many. There will never be another Spaz, he was so loving and special. I think of everything we did together and all that we did to educate people on how perfect is not always perfect or the best. Spaz was the best and brought such joy to my life. His fight to never give up or let his disability bring him down was an inspiration. He taught me how precious life is, Spaz had so much love to give and he gave it to me every single day. All the children he helped with their disabilities and all the people he touched. He will always be loved, He will never be forgotten, he will always be with me..
Thank you
Patty Martin