Kitten with lack of coordination at 9 weeks

[QueenScoopalot]

She does sound like she has cerebellar hypoplasia to me. Does she 'chicken peck' her food? I have a number of CH kitties here, and it's a birth defect that is caused by the mother cat contracting distemper (panleukopenia) while pregnant. It affects the cerebellum portion of the brain, which is responsible for balance. The way a cats uterus is set up is in 2 sections called "uterine horns". So some kittens can be affected by the virus in utero, while others are not. Sometimes entire litters of CH kitties are born, though it's more common for one or two to be born with CH. It does NOT get worse, and if anything the older she gets, the more she'll learn as to what she can, and cannot do. There is a group on Yahoo (chkittyclub) and often persons are looking to adopt these special kitties there. Here's a link to CH Kitty Club members stories (a few of mine are there)..read some & it may help you determine if this is what she has. Here's the link to the Yahoo group which is very active. You have to sign up to be a member, and I opt for digest form. Community email addresses:
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[emily_the_spoiled]

If the sides of the litter box are too high for you I have used the cardboard 'box' with everything but the bottom inch or so cut off. I then line it with plastic and put the litter in. That way the kittens can get over the "edge" without any problems.

Can we see some pictures????

[Lizzie]

Can we see some pictures????

That's a little difficult at the moment since they are still semi-feral so play under a bamboo recliner a lot (I'll remove that later this week to increase their socialization). And you know how kittens move anyway - flash, flash, crash! I should learn how to use the movie function on my camera. I'll be sure to post some later this week. I'm still rather reeling from being taken up on my offer so rapidly.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Sounds familiar to what Inka has (and Ally) . Don't worry to much, with lots of love and exercise, your little girl will adjust to this world!! If her case is as mild as Inka's, no need to worry then!
Good luck

[catmandu]

Sadly that Kitten may be develpmentally challenged.
I hope that you can keep her, and with work she may be fairly normal.
You should write Queen Scoops a Lot, as she has a lot of experience with these Kittens.
Good Luck with those Babies.

[Lizzie]

Thank you for the online resources, Queen S., I'll check them out later this week when I'm not so frantically busy. The more I watch her, though it's only been 24 hours so far, the more I am convinced that she does have CH or something similar. She enjoys playing, and tonight had a wonderful time with some very light plastic balls which is easier on her than trying to gallop around with her brothers. I'll put some lined box lids in the corners of the room before I go to bed tonight since I think she is the one having litter box problems.

I came home to find the others in the climber, even the black male who is almost as small as she is, but the special girl was curled up on a corner of the blanket under the chair by herself. How glad I was that I'd splurged on a round, well padded and fleecy cat bed for her - though I really, really couldn't afford the $40. I put it at the base of the climber and hoped for the best. Half-an-hour later, I put my head round the door and she was curled up in it fast asleep.

I also bought them Royal Cannin feline baby diet which is tiny and much better for them than the Iams, and canned kitten food so that I can be sure she eats enough at every meal.

I've avoided calling the shelter. The kitten is healthy and eating well, and there is nothing they can do for her. Hopefully, they will let me keep her past the two weeks, not for me to adopt her but to build her up a bit. If I can find someone online, through Queen S's contacts, who wants her, then I can present that information to the shelter.

[Sevaede]

Thank you for doing such a wonderful thing for these kittens.

My heart breaks for the little girl. If I could afford to take in a special needs cat that would need lots of expenses and vet visits then I would but sadly I cannot. I wonder if there are any special needs babies that all you can really do for them is give TLC.