Cerebellar Hypoplasia

[ariellelee]

Not sure if this is the best place to put this, but I figure it's related to health so here we go.

I adopted 2 adorable kittens in December. They are brother and sister. Juice, the orange girl, is a normal, healthy cat. Tumbler, my little boy, is very special needs. He has cerebellar hypoplasia badly and wobbles and falls over quite a bit. He tumbles down stairs and such, but I have cushions at the bottoms of things so he will not hurt himself. We also built him a ramp so he can do stairs like his sister but not have to work so hard at it or worry about falling.

Tumbler is such a sweet, loving, wonderful kitten, but I'm convinced that in addition to his CH he's somewhat mentally challenged. He is just nowhere near as smart as Juice and while I realize cats can have goofy personalities, Tumbler just doesn't "get" certain normal things. Examples of why I think he has mental issues are:

-He isn't afraid of really, really hot things like a normal cat. He tries to get inside the oven if I open it to take something out or put something in.
-If Juice runs in in a circle around a table or island, he keeps going after her and doesn't understand it when she comes up behind him. He's startled every time. He still hasn't caught on to figuring out how she does it.
-If he kicks anything out of the litter box from being so spastic, he has actually eaten his own poop, which I understand is very, very odd for cats. He doesn't do this normally, just if it ends up on the floor somewhere other than his box.
-He can't really clean himself and Juice pretty much does 90% of it for him.
-He doesn't respond to things like Juice does.

He does numerous other weird things that may just be weird and are not necessarily indicative of the fact that I think he's a little brain damaged. Regardless, I love him dearly and he's so endearing I could care less about any mental handicap in addition to his physical one, but he just doesn't understand what he can and can't do like a normal cat would. He will haul himself with extreme effort and use of claws onto some things that are too high for him. He is a persistent little guy who just has no fear. And then the only way to get down is to jump, or in his case, fall. He does not respond to getting sprayed with a water bottle. If I spray Juice she hates it, but Tumbler could care less since he's retarded. Loud noises also don't seem to phase him at all in the way they have a negative effect on Juice.
I came downstairs today and he had climbed his way up (no idea how since he's so tumbly and spastic) onto the very, very top of a recliner chair (on top of the headrest part - and was thus a little lower in height than my shoulders are from the ground). I nearly had a heart attack he'd fall off the back and break his neck. I went over to him and lifted him down and told him "no," but obviously I am gone all day and asleep all night so I can't do that all the time!

These kittens are the loves of my life and I don't want anything to happen to my Tumbler boy!
So...Any advice on how to discourage a cat with cerebellar hypoplasia (and perhaps some other mental retardation) from climbing up onto high places?

[Susan]

How wonderful that you adopted both cats. I have never lived with a cat with CH, so I'm just speaking off the top of my head, and not from experience. However, I can't think of much you can do to train/discourage Tumbler from climbing onto high places, especially when you're not around. That would be difficult to do with just about any cat.

Perhaps a more successful approach would be to try to make sure he has a soft landing below things he might climb and fall from, so he won't hurt himself if he does fall...such as pillows, area rugs with foam cushioning underneath, soft folded blankets, etc.

[ariellelee]

Thanks for your response. I do have some cushions in random places throughout the house, but can't have them everywhere as it's just cluttered and messy then... not to mention expensive to get lots of cushions! He's just such a "special" kitty...and I worry... I'm a pet parent for the first time, by the way... so I'm even more paranoid.

If anyone else has any thoughts or suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

[Mitts & Tess]

I have a deep & special respect for people who take on handicaped cats. Ive found special needs cats are more inspiring than having a normal cat.

My blind kitties climb all over the place. Its a natural thing I guess. We couldnt stop them. We had blankets and cushions when they first started their wild climbing. But they had the capicity to memorize an object or room so that helped. Sounds like your little man cant do that. But Im sure you will cat proof your home for him. Thank you for taking this cat into your heart and home.

I read about cats like yours on Best Friends site. They have a couple of them.

[catloverami]

Wonderful of you to adopt this special needs kitty. Apart from what others have suggested re kitten proofing a house, I suggest for your peace of mind and Tumbler's safety that you have somewhere you can confine him for the night and when you are out and cannot supervise him, such as a bathroom, laundry room or large dog crate. At least that would give you some peae of mind.

[ariellelee]

Thanks, everyone. I adore Tumbler and his sister, Juice. I have some cushions around and so far so good.

[Babyblue033]

Another CH kitty mom here, I have 3 wonderful CH girls, oldest is 4 and the sisters who are 2 It's wonderful that you adopted Tumbler and his sister, you'll have so much fun with them!

We always talk about the physical limitations and developments of our CH babies, but there's very little information out there on their mental capabilities. Most CH cats seem to have average to above average intelligence, although with so much of our focus on their physical aspects it would be very easy to miss how they compare mentally. From what I've learned by reading about CH in humans, along with the delayed physical developments (all 3 girls of mine grew at slower pace than normal kittens, and are smaller in size), some also encounter slower mental development and/or mental retardation. So far I haven't come across these symptoms in cats but I wonder if we simply miss the signs or just don't have the ways to measure/prove it.

While cerebellum is most known for playing a critical role in motor control and coordination, I read that it is also involved in emotional functions such as responses to fear or pleasure. Tumbler's lack of fear for hot things may be part of that, but again I'm just making a guess here. You didn't mention how old Tumbler and his sister were, but while it's possible that he may suffer from mental retardation, it's also entirely possible that he's simply still learning certain things and understanding them in his own ways. What's most amazing about CH cats are their ability to adapt and you learn to appreciate them for the unique individuals they are, no matter how completely wacky they seem sometimes

Keep him safe in the meanwhile and see how he decides to face his world as he learns more. They're pretty resilient, although SOME injuries are part of life when you have CH cats

[ariellelee]

Thanks so much, Babyblue033,

I really appreciate your response. Glad to know you. My kitties are 9 months old. They are brother and sister and I've had them since they were 7 months. I see distinct differences in their mental capacities and am near convinced that my little Tumbler has some mental retardation issues. I don't care one bit about it - he's such an affectionate little guy and I love him immensely regardless. His sister takes extremely good care of him and acts as a pseudo-momma to him, adding to my thoughts about his mental limits. I do think he is rather unaffected by fear and such. Your thoughts are very helpful! Hope to see you around the board!

[diveraz]

Hi,

A CH cat is also part of my family. To share my experience..........

My CH kitty, named Miu Miu, was born in May 2009 and was one of the 2 kittens in the litter. Both kittens look normal upon birth, nothing to indicate of any abnormal conditions. It's only at around 6 weeks or so, that I noticed Miu Miu was not moving much as compared to her sister, Michiko. Both the kittens were brought to the vet for their initial checkups and it was then that the vet mentioned about the possibility of Miu Miu being a CH cat. I was told that the condition would be lifelong but it does not affect her mortality, she'll live out the normal expectancy of a regular cat. The initial months was very challenging because Miu Miu had difficulties using the litter tray and also faced problems having her meals due to the tremors and instability of her neck. She was handfed and I had to allocate a very shallow litter tray to allow her to pee and poo (with occasional "mishaps" too). It took a few more months before she learnt to cope and accommodate/compensate for her lack of coordination and tremors. A close eye was kept on her, and it helped that her sister, Michiko, was constantly looking out for her. Fortunately, Miu Miu does not climb, but instead chose to remain a floor cat (if there is such a thing).

It was mentioned by the vet (and I did some research) that there are varying degrees of CH in cats. Looking at her, Miu Miu's condition is not of the severe type. She gets tremors (especially when concentrating on things), she moves like she's on skates and she needs to lean on something when sitting, else she tips over. Other than those mentioned, she is a regular kitty who loves to play with her toys, enjoys her food and is especially close to my son. Now that she is already 21 months old, she has managed her condition very well. She does not move much, unless absolutely necessary (meal times or playtime). When seated, you would have no inkling that she is a CH cat. And due to that fact, Miu Miu gets to accompany me to the park regularly. She just sits next to me on the park bench and watch the world go by. We get weird stares from strangers, some wondering if she's a stuffed toy cat.

You can have a look at Miu Miu at this post. You can also watch her and the rest of my kitties playing in

this video.

this video.

From,
Diveraz

[Babyblue033]

Arielle, I think it's just so sweet that Juice takes care of him so much, that they seem so closely bonded. My youngest CH girls are sisters but they seem completely disconnected and I do wish they were closer. Kiro, who is more mobile, prefers to be among the boys (all normal) and seems to find her less mobile sister annoying. It's interesting to wonder if things might've been different had only one of them born with CH, or maybe it's just sisters thing