Cerebellar hypoplasia (video of Amy)

[Laura's Babies]

phesina, can Elmer run better trhan he can walk? Amy cam run like the wind, it is walking that she has a problem with. His pictures are so adoreable, he reminds me so much of Chester!! Those l-o-n-g legs!!! Has he grown into them? He is going to be one really tall boy!! I reconize that stance he has in that first picture, I see that a lot in Amy.

Talking about Amy as much as I do is to educate, so others would see what a little wonder these babies are, that they are just as deserving at having a great life as any other kitty. If it can save 1 CH kitty, then I will preach until I am blue in the face. They have so much to teach us and I know that is why she was sent into my life... to teach me so that I could also teach. SHE is the teacher and I am her student! I adore her (in case no one has noticed) and she is the center of my heart. I know Elmer is yours too! What absolute wonders they are!

Poor baby, today she went to sleep on one of the kitty sofa's and she was sleeping hard! I heard a ker-thunk and looked and she had fell off of it in her sleep and had the most puzzeled look on her face.. I went and got her and sat on the sofa and loved on her for a long time. I took this picture just as she was dozing off... She is happily sleeping on the human sofa now.

[phesina]

Hi Laura, Elmer can run quite fast, but he does it by kind of throwing his body ahead.. he lunges forward with his front paws, and his back half doesn't follow right behind but swings from side to side a bit, and usually he falls then. And he picks himself up, and again lunges forward with his front paws, etc., etc.. until he gets where he was going.

He can keep up with Poppy when they stalk each other, so she has to jump up on something if she wants to get away from him.

When he walks, he wobbles on all four legs. He makes his way along as if he were walking on stilts, and he falls over from time to time.

Whenever he falls, he just picks himself up and keeps on doing what he was doing. He does not seem to consider himself disabled or lacking in skills that other cats have. As far as he knows, this is the way everybody is! He and the other cats react to each other as equals (Elmer an equal who just happens to fall over a lot).

He is a long, tubular figure of a cat. He has grown some into his legs, but they are still quite long. He has sort of a dachshund's trunk on a giraffe's legs! I think his head is a little smaller in proportion to the rest of his body than on most cats.

Amy is so beautiful and so touching. I am not surprised that you love her so deeply and cherish her so much. She is so cute and sweet sleeping there on her couch. What a wonderful life you give her and she gives you!

Again, I thank you and Amy for helping me to realize that Elmer was to be my boy! Everyone who meets him falls in love with him and his example of prevailing in spite of life's difficulties.

Love,
Pat and Elmer

[ramanth]

What a beautiful and strong will she has. *HUGS* to you and Amy.

[lvpets2002]

Yes Laura & Pat my Taccoa runs better than walks.. She has to sorta leap forward to get the run going & zoom we are gone.. I will admitt I do have carpet everywhere for her falls.. Hey just like wittle Amy & Elmer we would not trade these babies for the world.. I tell Taccoa all the time she is for sure God's Gifted Angel.. By the way Taccoa says Hello to her Boyfriend Elmer..

[Pawla]

What a beautiful girl Amy is! I'm so happy that she and all the cats on PT with this handicap have the truly special people in their lives to care for and love them!

[phesina]

OOOOOOH! My Taccoa! That dainty, adorable little FOOTSIE with the little pink and grey toesies sticking right out front there..

KISSIE... KISSIE.... KISSIIEEE..... KISSSSSIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Your loving ELMER

[phesina]

Hey Helene, I'm glad you and Taccoa saw this thread! I was just about to PM you about this and the other one. Have you seen that one? http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=128925

Pat

[lvpets2002]

Thanks Pat.. I dont think I saw that one till now.. I didnt read much about CH babies until I was just about to adopt Taccoa.. Then I started with who was Amy's meomom & Elmer's meomom.. I have so enjoyed all of you & babies & of course my Precious Taccoa.. Hey is My Boyfriend Elmer ready for Tx Treats??

[caffeitina]

Amy is adorable! And it looks like she doesn't let the CH slow her down at all. She's a special kitty and you should be proud

[phesina]

Elmer would love some Texas Treats, Helene! And he will be looking around to find the best that Michigan has to offer his sweetie.

[cassiesmom]

Phesina, Laura, LVPets2002 and anyone else acquainted with feline cerebellar hypoplasia ... just one question ... how common is it? I understand mumpkees' post about it (I'm a nurse) and after reading about LVPets2002's Butterscotch and reading through this thread, I wonder how often it occurs. Bless you all, bless you enormously for caring about cats with disabilities!

[lvpets2002]

Well I know here in Texas not common.. However I have noticed that up on the East Coast {New York} & surrounding areas it is very common.. Now ButterScotch was in a litter of three & he was the only one with CH..

Phesina, Laura, LVPets2002 and anyone else acquainted with feline cerebellar hypoplasia ... just one question ... how common is it? I understand mumpkees' post about it (I'm a nurse) and after reading about LVPets2002's Butterscotch and reading through this thread, I wonder how often it occurs. Bless you all, bless you enormously for caring about cats with disabilities!

[Medusa]

I've got two w/it; one actually has vestibular hypoplasia which affects the hearing and caused Creamsicle to go deaf. She's the worst case. You'd never know Coco Puff has it now. He just goes into a sort of daze like seizure every once in a while. As for how common it is, I have no idea. My old vet thought that it can be caused by the feline herpes virus. I didn't even know what it was called until I became a member of PT, which is why I like it here so much. We learn and teach, we comfort and are comforted.

[critters]

As disabilities go, it's pretty common, and it can happen to dogs, too. I don't know that anybody can give you a "x out of 1000 births" guesstimate on it, though. Ari is quite severe.

[smokey the elder]

I've personally observed 3 cats with it, out of about 2,000 or so that I have seen, so maybe 1 in a thousand? (I think diabetes is more common than CH.)