Cerebellar hypoplasia (video of Amy)

[Medusa]

Sadly, the reason it seems 'more common' in the northeast is because Texas and other southern states still have far too many vets, shelter personnel and others that do not recognize a possible CH kitten when they see one.

When confronted with a kitten who has CH many vets diagnose rabies, brain tumor, neurological disorder, toxoplasmosis. The prevailing opinion of these vets is that a kitten will be doomed to a life of misery or that the prognosis is 'poor'. Kittens w/ CH turned into shelters are euth'd without a second thought. Kittens taken to personal vets often suffer the same fate when client is told of the 'poor prognosis and much suffering'.

I heartily second this opinion! When I first found Creamsicle sick inside one of the outdoor shelters that I had set up, I thought she was dead. She was 6 weeks old and when I shook her, she didn't move. I shook her again and startled her. She struggled to get up and immediately fell over. My vet was out of town and one of his associates took her case and, while I was at work, he called to tell me that he thought she might have rabies and should be PTS. When I asked how it would be done, he said that her veins were too tiny to inject a needle and that he would have to directly inject her heart. I said "Don't touch her! I'm leaving work right now to come and get her." He said that he wouldn't treat her at all but I didn't trust him, so I called back on my cell phone and stayed on the line until I got to the animal hospital. I waited until my vet came back into town, meanwhile taking care of Creamsicle as best I could, keeping her isolated in case she could transmit whatever it was that she had to my other cats. When my vet saw her, he admitted to being baffled but he wasn't one to just write an animal off. He stayed up all night researching her symptoms and he told me that she had a herpes virus that caused the symptoms. With good vet treatment and a lot of love, she now is the happiest cat you'd ever want to see.

At times, she can even be a bully w/my other cats! When she gets excited or scared, she reverts to walking frantically in circles and then, of course, she becomes even more spastic and falls a lot. I can't keep her from getting excited because feeding time gets her all worked up. But I can keep her from getting scared and I make sure that she feels as secure as possible. Yes, sometimes she tries to jump up onto the sofa or chair and she misses and she never lands on her feet. She's taken some lumps, that's for sure. But her determination and her sweet, sweet personality are unmatched by any of my other cats before or since adding her to my Fur Posse.

Her deafness also means that she needs more stimulation than the other cats do and she loves to reach up and touch your face. I couldn't bear the thought of her doing that while she was being PTS. I couldn't have lived w/myself. She's also partially blind; she has no peripheral vision, so I'm thinking that she may have something other than CH but I don't know for sure. I also don't know for sure if it is indeed caused by a herpes virus. What I do know is that she is the most wonderful, loving, determined, spoiled little cat that I've ever had the pleasure of living with. (Well, she isn't so little any more. She's on Prednisolone for a skin allergy and she's chubbed up.) And she came in to my life at a time when I needed to be saved, too. We saved each other. If you have an opportunity to adopt a CH baby, I encourage you to do so. CH babies need more love than the average cat and they give it back to you a hundred times over.

[Emeraldgreen]

That is an amazing story about Creamsicle! Thank God you didn't give up on her and that you were both there for each other.

Yes, sometimes she tries to jump up onto the sofa or chair and she misses and she never lands on her feet. She's taken some lumps, that's for sure.

Stinky is the world's worst jumper. She often 'misses' when she attempts to jump up on stuff but the second try usually gets the job done. Maybe it's all connected! She is very agile though and even though she is an indoor cat, last night she caught a mouse on our enclosed deck! I was sad for the mouse but very impressed with her hunting skills that I had no idea she had! She was very angry with me that I took the mouse away from her. Rightly so I guess!

[kb2yjx]

A bit slow here.. just saw the video!! Our cats can teach us so much!!! Amy is precious and you are so special to care for her!!!