Come in and meet Charlie ***CUTENESS WARNING!

[Laura's Babies]

Today was the cat show at Lamar Dixon and I went to help out Spay Baton Rouge. (Will do those pictures later) We had a table there to sell stuff and advertise Spay Baton Rouge and what they do. One of the volunteers brought her new CH kitty Charlie and he stole the show today! She has only had him a week and EVEYONE that saw him, wanted to adopt him! We could have adopted out at lest 5 to 10 CH kitties if we had them! Charlie did more education on CH today than you would believe! A lady stopped us out in the parking lot and she wants desperately to adopt a CH kitty, she so fell in love with him! She asked tons of questions and she wanted to know WHERE she could get one like him.

They were also having a handicapped child expo in the building next door and we were asked to take him over there so Toni and I did and he was a HUDGE hit over there! One beautiful little boy about 3 to 4 that was in a wheel chair just grinned ear to ear and kept working his little hands to touch Charlie. Charlie also did a ton of educating there and made a lot of kids happy. So many smiles on those adoreable faces at just the sight of him.

Now, on to the little heart stealer! Charlie is 4 months old and is a sever CH'er (in my opinion). He loves to be held like a baby as you will see in the pictures. You hold him any other way and he wants down to wander around and check things out. People would see him trying to walk and would come right up and ask what was wrong with him and the educating would begin. They ALL wanted to hold him and take him home. Here are the still shots of him while a little girl held him.
Here is was talking to everybody, he is VERY verbal!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Grammy707/HPIM3265.jpg

Here is is just relaxing and checking everything out....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Grammy707/HPIM3266.jpg

These are video's of him and just how bad his condition is but as you will see, he does NOT give up, showing that CH determination. Warning for the extreemly soft hearted people, it IS heartbreaking to watch but he is one happy little boy!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Grammy707/th_HPIM3264.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Grammy707/?action=view&current=HPIM3264.flv)

It was so cold in the building that we would take him outside to warm him up and he would reall go out in the warm air!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Grammy707/th_HPIM3278.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Grammy707/?action=view&current=HPIM3278.flv)


NOW, for the best part!!! There I was, playing with Charlie when a lady walked up and asked me what was wrong with him. I explained to her that he had CH and what it was and told her about the CH kitties (everything I could think of) and she looks at me and says "Would you say all that on CAMERA?" :eek: HUH? :eek: I got interviewed for TV to explain about CH kitties and Spay Baton Rouge to be shown on the Ascension network next week!!! I just hope I don't sound like a blubbering idiot when it airs!

[catfamily]

That's wonderful Laura that they picked you to help teach the world about these special needs cats.I'm so happy that they did because you know so much and I believe can explain it well,so everyone will understand and realize how very special these kittys are.Great job and congrats : )

[jennielynn1970]

Oh my goodness.. what a heartbreaker he is! Gosh... such determination too. I'm so glad that he has someone taking care of him who loves him just the way he is.

Do you think he'll get better with the walking and coordination, or does the CH make that deteriorate over time?

[Laura's Babies]

I forgot to mention that one of the judges came looked at him and said he has Japanese Bobtail in him due to the shape of his head and face and has no tail. Until then they were telling everyone he was Manx.

Yes Carla, I am glad they got me to do it too, since his Mom was telling everybody he has Cerbal Palsey (spelling) and nothing more than that. She can't say cerebella hypoplasia so that is what she tells everyone he has, not even how he came to have it, about his life span or anything! They had asked her to do the interview before I got there and she told them to get someone else to do it and I reckon since I looked like Miss Social Butterfly, the TV crew tagged me to do it. :rolleyes:

Jenn, as he grows, just due to weight, I think it will become harder for him, it did for Amy.

[Catty1]

What a DOLL!!!! If he didn't need some exercise - and if I didn't need to go to my job and other silly things - I would hold him like a baby forever! :D Even better - one of those cloth 'baby huggers' in Preemie size! 'Take your baby to work....' :)

TOO cute!

[Taz_Zoee]

I learned a lot about CH kitties here on PT, of course. But I can't help but cry everytime I see a video of one of these kitties. I don't think I could have one because I'd be in tears ALL the time. I know they are not hurting, but it just kills me. :(

Thank you Laura for all you do for these kitties as well as the other causes you help support. :)

[jennielynn1970]

She can't say cerebella hypoplasia so that is what she tells everyone he has, not even how he came to have it, about his life span or anything!

How did he come to have it? I heard that it was from the mom cats having vaccinations when they are pregnant, and then I heard that it was because the mom cats had Distemper.

What is the life span/expectancy?? I hate to ask this, since Amy has it...

[Laura's Babies]

Cerebellar hypoplasia is a disorder found in cats and dogs in which the cerebellum is not completely mature at birth.

Usually symptoms of cerebellar hypoplasia can be seen immediately at birth in cats, but sometimes can take two months or so to become apparent in dogs. Cerebellar hypoplasia causes jerky movements, tremors and generally uncoordinated motion. The animal often falls down and has trouble walking. Tremors increase when the animal is excited and subside when at ease.

There are several bacterial infections and viral infections such as feline panleukopenia,[1] that can result in the disorder in both cats and dogs. However, the disease can also be caused by malnutrition, poisoning, injury or general accidents during development in the fetus.

The disease does not get better or worse with age, but the cat or dog can usually learn to somewhat compensate for it and should have a normal lifespan. Most afflicted animals can lead a fairly normal life if special considerations for the animal's disability are taken by the pet's owner.

A related condition seen in cats, dogs, horses, cattle, sheep and other animals is cerebellar abiotrophy. The symptoms are similar, and the two conditions are sometimes confused with each other, but cerebellar abiotrophy occurs due to loss of purkinje cells in the cerebellum that occurs after the animal is born. Cerebellar abiotrophy is usually a genetic condition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebellar_hypoplasia_(non-human)


What is the life span/expectancy?? I hate to ask this, since Amy has it...

They have a normal life span/expectancy. I expect for Amy to be with me for just as long as Giz and Samantha.

I disagree with the part that says they do not get worse. Just think about it, you have trouble walking, holding your balance... You grow and your body gains weight. Amy has finally leveled off but every year around her birthday, she would decline more.. This is the first year she didn't and she turned 4 this year.

[kimlovescats]

Laura, they picked the perfect person to be the spokesperson for CH kitties!!! GREAT JOB!!!

Kim

[Donnaj4962]

Oh my, what a cutie that Charlie is! I think that without his condition, he would be a pistol, running all over the place!

You are the greatest spokesperson there could be for CH.... I have learned so much about it from you and others here on PT.

In fact, I have learned A LOT on PT! :::looking ashamed::: before I discovered this site, I thought it was perfectly fine to have your cats declawed.... but I know different now and I apologize to my girls every day for what their uneducated meowmie did to them when they were little. :o

[phesina]

Oh, Laura, how wonderful. What a fantastic job of educating the cat fanciers public on cerebellar hypoplasia done by you and Charlie and Spay Baton Rouge!

He is just DARLING, that sweet face looking up at you and talking to you, and him walking and wobbling around. Elmer gets around at about the same rate.

And you and Charlie are going to be on TV to tell the world, at least around Baton Rouge, about beautiful, loving, sweet CH kitties! What better spokesperson and spokescat could there be?!!

Well done!

Pat and Elmer

[Laura's Babies]

Seeing everyones reaction to Charlie, I don't think there could have been anyone represent CH better than he did! He drew the crowds! More than the perfect kitties there for adoption. You see him in that video outside, he was all over inside more than that.. Poor tyke would go and go and go then PLUNK....ZZZZZZZZZ.... He went from fast speed to sound asleep in 1 second! I just adore than little guy!

[catmandu]

That Was So Fortunate For Those Special Cats That Such A Compassionate , Involved And Informed Person Was There To Explain These Cats And Thier Needs.
I Wish I Could Adopt Charlie As I Bet The Found Cats Would Fall In Love With Charlie Too And He Would Be In The Cat Pile Mix At Once.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Laura, Charlie sure is adorable and I'm glad that he drew so much attention so that a lot more people have now been educated about cats with CH.:) I'm also glad that they picked you to help educate the public about it.:)

[Laura's Babies]

I am going to TRY to get someone to video that when it comes on TV for me and get it put on a DVD... If I didn't babble on to much and make myself look like a idiot, I will try to post it on You Tube so you all can see it. I emailed that lady from the parking lot a whole slew of CH'ers on You Tube, hoping she can see they are all different and have different degrees of it.

Gary, Charlie has a home and a friend to cuddle with. His Mom went all the way to Texas to get him so she isn't about to let him go anywhere! He is her 4th, also introduced to CH kitties by me and Mike.... so the talking, educating, and showing IS working!

[CultureJunky]

What an adorable little fella Charlie is, what a heartbreaker!! Laura that is so excellent you're going to be on TV!! You must post it when you have it on PT there are so many that will want to see it.
I think it's so great that you managed to raise awareness of his condition in one afternoon, if only others knew about these CH babies more of them would get adopted. I'd have Charlie, though I think I'd have to get in a very very long queue!!!
Thank you so much for posting about him, it's cheered me up so much.

[smokey the elder]

What a little cutie patootie! He doesn't seem in the least bothered. Diva got worse as she got older; I think it was from changes in body weight/size. Spike has a very mild case of CH, and can easily climb stairs, which Diva could not do.