I am a proud Cerebellar Hypoplasia kitty!

I am Tippers, a special needs kitty with a condition called Cerebellar hypoplasia. Last week I had my first check with the Veterinarian. I thought that this would be the purrfect opportunity to share a little more about my condition.

Cerebellar hypoplasia is a condition that kitties are born with. It is a congenital condition which occurs due to the balance part of the brain not forming properly……hence the term wobbly cat syndrome! This is usually due to the Mumma cat having bacterial or viral infections such as feline panleukopenia, caused by feline parvovirus. Less commonly, it can also be caused by the Mumma being poisoned, injured or malnourished. I am not sure what the cause was with my Mumma, but…… it is what it is …… I am how I am….. so there really is no point in worrying about it too much!! I love being Tippers!!

CH is a condition that has no cure but equally it should not get worse! There are three different severities of CH; mild, moderate and severe! I am fortunate in that I would probably be categorized as a mild to moderate! Typically, the more able bodied of us are either wobbly or tippy…….I bet you can’t guess which I am!!!!! Of course, I am Tippy the Tipster!!!! I am very stable on my front paws but my back and my rear are my tippy parts! Sometimes I can walk the length of the room without being a Tipster, other times……I am the best a Tipster in the World!!

‘No matter how many times you fall………get back up and try again!!’

I am now Six and a half months young and have been living with my 2Foot parents since I was about 11 weeks. Mumma and Dadda have seen a huge improvements in my abilities in just a few months……I think that all of my IG friends have too! I can now walk up and down the stairs very well. I cannot jump on the furniture or the counter tops but that is fine because it means I never get into too much mischief. I have a three sided litter box so that I don’t fall out when I am doing what kitties do in litter boxes. Mumma puts me in a crate at night…..I am not sure if I am entirely happy about that but Mumma wants me to be safe when she is sleeping. I am a CH cat…… Continually Happy!!!!

My dear friend, Happy Mittens, is also a CH kitty; he is categorized as having severe Cerebellar hypoplasia. Although he cannot walk and has faced some challenges with seizures, he still manages to have lots of fun. He really is Happy Mittens!!!! I guess that life is what you chose to make of it…..us 4Foots are sometimes better at grasping that concept than some of our 2Foots are.

A lot of 2Foots have not heard of Cerebellar hypoplasia, Mumma had only recently heard of it when I found her. Together, we hope to promote the awareness and understanding of Cerebellar Hypoplasia. The greater the awareness, more CH kitties will end up in loving homes. Unfortunately, many CH kitties are sent over the Rainbow bridge due to a lack of understanding of my condition. We would wholeheartedly encourage 2Foots to consider adopting a CH kitty; we are pawesome and have so much love to give!

Wishing you a beautiful Wobbly Wednesday!

Sending lots of Tippy love and kisses.