Cerebellar hypoplasia (video of Amy)

[AbbyMom]

What a darling! Give her a kiss and a hug for me.

[christa]

*crying*

Laura, Amy is a blessed kitty for having you in her life! And I'm sure that you feel the same about her!!! This is such a sad condition but can you imagine if someone else would have gotten their hands on her instead of you? She might not have had the chance she's had with you!

***kitty kisses*** to you sweet Amy

[rg_girlca]

Congratulations Laura on posting the video. I told you it was easy to do.

WOW!!! To actually see a CH cat in action, is hard on the emotions isn't it.
I can truly understand the tears you have shed for Amy. I had LES just watching the video.
It's good to know though that they learn to compensate with their condition and can lead a fairly normal life.

I know Laura that you have made things easier for your precious Amy. She really hit it lucky when you took her from the pet store. I think 9 out of 10 people would have brought her back seeing the condition she was in, but not you. No siree. You found all you could on her condition and went forward with it. Bless you.

Amy is one pretty girl and seems like such a sweetheart.

[catlover4ever]

Oh Laura, my heart is breaking to see Amy like that...but she is such an EXTRA SPECIAL girl that it also made my heart happy to know that she is in such good hands. I dread to think what may have become of her if you had not adopted her. Please give Amy an extra special hug and kiss from Gracie and Gabriel....as we both know how extra special our special needs babies are.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Aw poor Amy....
Laura, this is exactly the same illness that my Inka has! Inka has it is a much lighter degree, thanks God! But she has very little balance too and falls very often. She cannot estimate distances either, so when she tries to drink or eat, she always gets startled as she ends up with her nose IN the water . She can walk well, but as soon as she tries to run, she makes salto's and cannot run in one straight forward line. She learned how to cope with it though

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I had never actually seen a CH kitty in action until I met Homer at the Hermitage Shelter last week. His movements are very similar to Amy's and it seemed for every step he took forward, he took 1 back and 2 to the side. The girl at the shelter said he gets where he needs to go even though he might take the "scenic route" to get there.

Amy is such a sweetheart, and I can see how determined she is to eat every little morsel she might drop on the floor. I don't know if I could handle having a CH kitty around because I'd have to constantly fight the urge to pick her up and take her where she wants to go to try and make life easier for her.

Amy, sweety, you have THE best meowmy around. Gentle smoochies to you.

[Laura's Babies]

Debbie, you learn fast that they do not want you "helping" them.... and yes, you could handle it when you think of the alternative of what someone else would do with a baby like this.

Help her? NOT!!!!!!! I have brought her food into the living room so that she won't have to make that trip into the kitchen and she would still go into the kitchen to eat. Only at her absolute worst would she accept eating in the living room, the same with the puppy pads.. Simply refuses to use those so she trys even harder to get into the litter box. Pick her up and put her on the bed? Ha! She will jump off and turn around and climb right back up all by herself thank you! The handicap ramp I made to help her get on my bed is now locked up in the shed.. Refuses to use it. These CH kitties are so crammed packed full of determination that I am in awe of this little furry bundle of love and sweetness. She sets her goals and just won't give up until she accomplishes it. I have had to learn to leave her to accomplish her goals.

M&I Mommy, I was hoping you would see this so YOU could compare to Amy to Inka so I can get a fix on just exactly how bad (or good) Amy's CH is. Now I want QSL to see this to compare to her Eli.

rg.. Thanks for the "how to" on posting video's...It got the job done and I couldn't have done it without you. THANKS! Yes, it is hard on the emotions, the worse a day she has, the harder it is on my emotions, on her victories, the highs are SUPER! An emotional roller coster but it is something I am glad I have gotten to experience. I think of the song "The Dance" a lot when I look at Amy.

Now, if only I can catch "that look" she gives me on video that absolutely and completely melts my heart!

[Lizzie]

I'm in tears also, especially at Amy's determination to get to each piece of food. I don't think I would ever learn to accept the way she copes; I would have to walk away and not watch.

I would put the odds of someone not taking such a kitten back to the pet shop at more like 999,999 to one, considering the number of people who can't even cope with a one-eyed or three-legged cat. When I visited the shelter a few weeks ago, I told them that I was ready for more special needs cats (I'd adoped three FIV+ cats a few weeks before) and they showed me one called "Wobbles". I wanted to be capable of adopting that lovely cat, but I knew that I wasn't. I can deal with behavior problems, socializing ferals, extreme medical problems, but I know I can't deal with a disabled cat that I can't help.

So, Laura, you have to be a very special person in order to nuture such a special needs cat - though I bet you think all the specialness is on her part.

Wobbles needed a low sided litter box, does Amy? That would mean having low-sided litter boxes for all since the other cats are bound, from sheer cat-contrariness, to use the special one. Does she fall down steps or stairs?

[Laura's Babies]

Lizzie, we don't have stairs here and she has never even see a set of stairs but those who do have them with CH kitties have to make sure they are not able to even get close to them.

Until this last year, Amy used a regular litter box, then I got her a puppy litter box and put it inside a kennel that the box would fit into and that worked out great. A neighbor gave me a corner box that has TONS of room in it and has a entrance only about a inch off the floor and that has worked out better than the puppy box in the kennel. It is large enough that she can lay down to do her business in should she fall over, which she does a LOT. Only once in awhile does she fall while trying to get in it and not able to get up in time and that is why the puppy pads are spread all around the outside of that box. I have regular litter boxes for the rest of the gang and on her good days, she'll go into those and I can't keep them out of hers..

Could you just think about fostering Wobbles to get her out of the shelter enviroment? You will be amazed at how HIGH the highs are when they accomplish an impossiable feat that you just new would never happen. Amy NEVER gives up! She has taught me to set my goals and do NOT give up, to keep trying until I accomplish that goal. The lessons I have learned for her are priceless! CH is a birth defect, not a disease that will kill them.

If her eating the food she dropped on the floor touched you, check this thread out!
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...67#post1330567