Couple Adopts and Spoils Two 'Wobbly' Cats with Cerebellar Hypoplasia
Michelle Milliken
Gulliver and Twerk are a little wobbly, a little clumsy, and a whole lot of personality.
The two cats were brought to Dumb Friends League, a Denver-based shelter, and upon intake, one of the employees thought they were acting weird. That's when another employee, Brooklyn Nielsen, had a look and was pretty sure she knew what was going on.
PHOTO: BROOKLYN NIELSENNielsen says, "I went down there and I was like, 'I think these cats have CH.' So the vet upstairs looked at them and they needed to go to a foster home right away. So we took them and then swore we weren't going to keep them, and it just kind of happened after a month with us."
These foster fails live with a disease called CH, or cerebellar hypoplasia. This means they deal with issues like head tremors, a tough time walking more than a step or two, lots of falls, and a lack of solid motor skills. Because of this, they do require a bit more care, but they came to the right home for that.
Nielsen says, "They are messy eaters, and it's hard for them to eat, so we have to help them. Instead of using normal litter boxes, they have to use ones with potty pads, so that was new for us. Drinking is an issue, as well, so sometimes we have to syringe them because they can't get an adequate amount of water. And just a lot of childproofing, so baby gates. We put fun noodles on every corner. Soft pillows and blankets everywhere."
Despite these difficulties, though, Nielsen says they're essentially normal cats, and their lifespan shouldn't be impacted by the disease. There's just a need to be extra careful and avoid injuries that could come from falls. If anyone finds themselves in the position to adopt a cat with CH, it requires a little more preparation than another cat adoption might.
PHOTO: BROOKLYN NIELSENNielsen explains, "I would just say, do your research, make sure you can baby/cat proof your house. There are risks for additional medical needs just because they are so clumsy, like falling over, anything like that. So just make sure you do some research. They're a little extra work, but they're 100% worth it."
The extra work they put in lets them enjoy two unique kitties: Gulliver the ginger, who his humans say is a "ham sandwich," and hard-headed Twerk, a dilute tortie. They have each chosen one human in the household, with Gulliver a classic momma's boy and Twerk a daddy's girl. They follow their chosen humans to plenty of places, too.
PHOTO: BROOKLYN NIELSENNielsen says, "They're the chillest cats I've ever had. They travel in the car great. We take them to all kinds of get togethers like holidays, and they love it."
If you'd like to see more adventures from these special cats, you can follow their Instagram page. You can also check out the video below!
