God bless you Anncetera for helping these poor babies! Glad to hear they are starting to improve. Sending healing white light that they continue to get better. Hugs and purrs.
Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Cats & Kittens
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Posted 3 years ago by SylMiaFelixMomma #
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Is it possible that little Ellis has congenital cerebellar hypoplasia? My daughter adopted a kitten whose mother was a feral. Somewhere along the line, in utero, Hope was exposed to something from her mother and was born with problems walking and eating. Hope is now 4 years old and still a little wobbly, but she is an extremely sweet cat and doesn't seem to realize she has a handicap.
Hope's vet says her life span may be shortened a little by her disability, but that she's a happy, healthy cat otherwise.
I know you have more cat knowledge than any of us, except an actual vet, but I've attached an article just in case it helps.
http://www.catcustomer.com/veterinary/cerebellar_hypoplasia.htm
Posted 3 years ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
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That's entirely possible; it would also explain why both of them have it. But other, more common causes would need to be ruled out first. The labwork for that is probably going to be expensive, and with no job yet lined up, I'm fervently hoping their conditions will spontaneously resolve due to improved diet.
Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #
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That was an interesting article CBM...I find it disconcerting yet encouraging as well.
Hope Ellis is getting even stronger today and willing to feed on his own some. Otto sounds like he's well on his little way. You're so wonderful Ann!! God Bless you and your kitties!
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The kittens continue to improve. Otto can make the most pitiful meowing sound when he sees one of my cats on the other side of the doorway! And Ellis is using the cardboard scratching pad, though he nearly knocks himself off his feet when he does so.
That being said, their wobbles are not going away. It's not slowing them down much; they play with the jingle ball, and they climb all over low things in the room. They even climbed up to the seat of the upholstered chair! But the wobbly gait is not improving much. (They're at least walking now, rather than crabbing around the room.)
I'm concerned; there are many things that could be causing this, but most of them don't appear to be temporary problems. For a more comprehensive look, see:
http://www.fabcats.org/owners/wobbly_kittens/info.html
So if they're to survive at all, they will be special-needs kitties, in all likelihood. And they are slower to be adopted. My only hope is to get them extra cuddly - a challenge, with ferals. Ellis still hisses when he sees my hands, and Otto still wants to hide from me (though this impulse is lessening as time goes by).
Sigh.
Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #
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You've only received two replies, thus far, from what I can see.
Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #
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You're good at working miracles Ann, hopefully this is something that's treatable.
Posted 3 years ago by MadcatwomanintheUK #
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A temporary triumph! This afternoon, I found out that Otto has a butt button! So when I scooped up both Otto and Ellis at the same time, Otto forgot to be afraid of me. Instead, he was headbutting me persistently to get petted!
Unfortunately, by 8:00 tonight he'd forgotten all about this development, but I'm glad to know that he can temporarily revert to being a mama's boy. It gives me greater hope that someday I'll be able to get him to come around a bit.
Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #
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Congratulations! You'll just have to use it frequently
Posted 3 years ago by paulajeanne #
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The kittens are still working on coming around. Today I laid down on the floor and batted lightweight balls across the floor for them to play with. It's about the only time I've been grateful for having non-level floors; the balls would default back to me, so we played this way for a good 45 minutes.
They also play with the Cat Dancer, though that's a bit challenging for them. Otto will play with it quite vigorously, and chase it, but Ellis is much more tentative. I think it's because his sense of balance is a little worse than Otto's. When I bring wet food for them, they'll now stay out and eat it, with me nearby. They'll even let me pet them while they're eating. I think the next step will be the yogurt-on-fingertips trick.
Oh, and Otto has a lovely purr! If he forgets to be afraid, and lets me pet him, stroke his forehead and rub his chin, I can hear him purring.
Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #
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You are working your magic with them, Ann. Keep up the great work!
Posted 3 years ago by Kitten Whisperer #
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