My First Experience with CH (Cerebellum Hypoplasia) Kittens
I received a phone call from a former feral cat client. She told me there is a very sick kitten at a gas station in Campbellford and asked me to go to check on the kitten.
I called a friend (Eileen) who lives near there and asked her to please check on the kitten. She told me she had also received a call from a friend saying there are kittens at the gas station that look very ill. Eileen went to the gas station to check on them. She called me when she got home and said she had seen a couple of the kittens and they looked all wobbly and staggering. Eileen said she spoke to an employee and he was so glad someone finally was going to do something about the kittens. He told her there were 4 of them 2 could hardly walk and 2 were not quite so bad. He said they are wild and you can’t touch them. I said I would like to see them and speak to the manager who we have been trying to get to spay/neuter/maintain for over a year. Meanwhile I am remembering everything I have read on Facebook, SpecialNeedsInNeed Postings about Cerebellar Hypoplaysia in cats. I have never seen a CH cat in person; I have seen videos and have read a lot of info on the disorder.
Eileen and I went the next day to see these little guys. When we got to the gas station there was a beautiful tortie and a much smaller black kitten outside. I knew as soon as I saw them that they had CH. They looked just like the videos. I have always had a soft spot for Special Needs humans and animals. I am already thinking what can I do to save these beauties; I will do all I can to keep them alive. They are so misunderstood, they are not ill just because they shake, stumble or wobble. I remember the SpecialNeeds InNeed on Facebook and hope they can help us. We went into the store and spoke with the clerk, she said the manager had already taken 1 kitten to the vet and it had a disease from inner breeding. She said something had to be done, the manager was leaving his job and corporate was taking over the business, she didn't know what would happen to the cats (there are about 12 being fed there including the kittens). I asked why she hadn't called the Humane Society, she replied that she did not want any trouble, I said that's fine but who is suffering in this situation, THE CATS, she said I know but.... The lady said the manager was keeping the kitten that could not walk at all. We asked when he would be available to talk. So I made another trip to Campbellford the following day to speak with him. He explained to me that he took the worst affected kitten to the Vet. I asked if the kitten had CH and he said yes he couldn't pronounce it but that is what the Vet. had determined. I asked why he hadn't called me and he never really answered. I told him I would do my best to find help for these babies, I do not think they will survive the winter outside. He said they are tougher than you think; I did not want to find out.
I went home and immediately posted on Facebook SpecialNeedsInNeed about these kittens. I had a very quick response from Deb, who had spread the word far and wide. She said she had a contact in Ontario and had contacted her and given her my contact info. I soon was in contact with Heather from Urban Cat Relief who said she would take the four kittens and foster them until they find forever homes. I could not believe how fast this all happened. I truly thought I would lay awake at night worrying about the kittens. I agreed to catch and have them neutered through our feral program. I went very early Halloween morning to the gas station before it opened and met the manager; he feeds them before he opens up every morning. All of the CH kittens were there. He said you can't touch them and that 1 had bitten him when he tried to pick it up, so I put on my heavy gloves and got my net and carriers all lined up and ready. I caught them all within 1/2 an hour, they are much quicker than I expected. I didn't get bit; thankfully, I do more than I'd like to. Cats are very quick and often bit when they are frightened and I don't blame them at all.
I brought the little darlings home and put them in my cat room downstairs. They were pretty stressed at first but settled quickly and let me pet them and hold them. The tortie (Skittles) started purring as soon as I picked her up and soon they were all curled up in their cat bed purring away. I fed them and left them to rest for a while. The next time I went down they were playing with the cat toys. They didn't use the litter boxes the first day, they pooped in and on the cat towers, tents and scratching posts but by the second day they were using the smaller litter boxes I had given them, they couldn’t get into the taller boxes. The two bigger kittens are friendlier, a black male (Sonny) and a tortie girl Skittles. The two smaller ones have more severe CH, they are both black males one has a white spot on his chest (Seth) and the other is all black (Spencer). Seth and Spencer both have poop on there back feet that has been there for a long time so I soak them in warm water to try and get it off. The smell is bad but the water helps remove most of the dried on packed in mess.
I am in awe of these kittens. They do everything other kitten’s do and don’t seem to know they are different. They really eat and drink a lot. I am in love and would keep them all if I didn’t already have 5 of my own cats, 4 foster cats a dog and a rabbit. They are such sweet little darlings. I'm sure they will make wonderful companions for someone very soon. They will all need some socialization and time spent getting use to people. We are going to try to find homes for the rest of the friendly cats and TNR the rest of the residents at the gas station. There is a man near there that opens his garage door a bit and
feeds them in the winter, we are going to speak with him soon to be sure he will continue.
I am so grateful to have been a part of these amazing kittens lives if even for a short time. I will love and remember them always.
I want to thank Heather Thomas, Jackie Riddle and Deb Martin for all of the help and support they have given these special precious kittens and me.
Suzanne Hart
CCSNI Co-Founder\President
I received a phone call from a former feral cat client. She told me there is a very sick kitten at a gas station in Campbellford and asked me to go to check on the kitten.
I called a friend (Eileen) who lives near there and asked her to please check on the kitten. She told me she had also received a call from a friend saying there are kittens at the gas station that look very ill. Eileen went to the gas station to check on them. She called me when she got home and said she had seen a couple of the kittens and they looked all wobbly and staggering. Eileen said she spoke to an employee and he was so glad someone finally was going to do something about the kittens. He told her there were 4 of them 2 could hardly walk and 2 were not quite so bad. He said they are wild and you can’t touch them. I said I would like to see them and speak to the manager who we have been trying to get to spay/neuter/maintain for over a year. Meanwhile I am remembering everything I have read on Facebook, SpecialNeedsInNeed Postings about Cerebellar Hypoplaysia in cats. I have never seen a CH cat in person; I have seen videos and have read a lot of info on the disorder.
Eileen and I went the next day to see these little guys. When we got to the gas station there was a beautiful tortie and a much smaller black kitten outside. I knew as soon as I saw them that they had CH. They looked just like the videos. I have always had a soft spot for Special Needs humans and animals. I am already thinking what can I do to save these beauties; I will do all I can to keep them alive. They are so misunderstood, they are not ill just because they shake, stumble or wobble. I remember the SpecialNeeds InNeed on Facebook and hope they can help us. We went into the store and spoke with the clerk, she said the manager had already taken 1 kitten to the vet and it had a disease from inner breeding. She said something had to be done, the manager was leaving his job and corporate was taking over the business, she didn't know what would happen to the cats (there are about 12 being fed there including the kittens). I asked why she hadn't called the Humane Society, she replied that she did not want any trouble, I said that's fine but who is suffering in this situation, THE CATS, she said I know but.... The lady said the manager was keeping the kitten that could not walk at all. We asked when he would be available to talk. So I made another trip to Campbellford the following day to speak with him. He explained to me that he took the worst affected kitten to the Vet. I asked if the kitten had CH and he said yes he couldn't pronounce it but that is what the Vet. had determined. I asked why he hadn't called me and he never really answered. I told him I would do my best to find help for these babies, I do not think they will survive the winter outside. He said they are tougher than you think; I did not want to find out.
I went home and immediately posted on Facebook SpecialNeedsInNeed about these kittens. I had a very quick response from Deb, who had spread the word far and wide. She said she had a contact in Ontario and had contacted her and given her my contact info. I soon was in contact with Heather from Urban Cat Relief who said she would take the four kittens and foster them until they find forever homes. I could not believe how fast this all happened. I truly thought I would lay awake at night worrying about the kittens. I agreed to catch and have them neutered through our feral program. I went very early Halloween morning to the gas station before it opened and met the manager; he feeds them before he opens up every morning. All of the CH kittens were there. He said you can't touch them and that 1 had bitten him when he tried to pick it up, so I put on my heavy gloves and got my net and carriers all lined up and ready. I caught them all within 1/2 an hour, they are much quicker than I expected. I didn't get bit; thankfully, I do more than I'd like to. Cats are very quick and often bit when they are frightened and I don't blame them at all.
I brought the little darlings home and put them in my cat room downstairs. They were pretty stressed at first but settled quickly and let me pet them and hold them. The tortie (Skittles) started purring as soon as I picked her up and soon they were all curled up in their cat bed purring away. I fed them and left them to rest for a while. The next time I went down they were playing with the cat toys. They didn't use the litter boxes the first day, they pooped in and on the cat towers, tents and scratching posts but by the second day they were using the smaller litter boxes I had given them, they couldn’t get into the taller boxes. The two bigger kittens are friendlier, a black male (Sonny) and a tortie girl Skittles. The two smaller ones have more severe CH, they are both black males one has a white spot on his chest (Seth) and the other is all black (Spencer). Seth and Spencer both have poop on there back feet that has been there for a long time so I soak them in warm water to try and get it off. The smell is bad but the water helps remove most of the dried on packed in mess.
I am in awe of these kittens. They do everything other kitten’s do and don’t seem to know they are different. They really eat and drink a lot. I am in love and would keep them all if I didn’t already have 5 of my own cats, 4 foster cats a dog and a rabbit. They are such sweet little darlings. I'm sure they will make wonderful companions for someone very soon. They will all need some socialization and time spent getting use to people. We are going to try to find homes for the rest of the friendly cats and TNR the rest of the residents at the gas station. There is a man near there that opens his garage door a bit and
feeds them in the winter, we are going to speak with him soon to be sure he will continue.
I am so grateful to have been a part of these amazing kittens lives if even for a short time. I will love and remember them always.
I want to thank Heather Thomas, Jackie Riddle and Deb Martin for all of the help and support they have given these special precious kittens and me.
Suzanne Hart
CCSNI Co-Founder\President