Tips on how to care for your CH or Disabled kitty
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Just a few things to begin with. My experience of cats with cerebellar hypoplasia has taught me these things.
CH cats are normal cats. They don't have any more or less problems than a normal cat. The only difference is that they have less balance.
Another is that because of the ballance issue, they may have a few problems with using the litter box. We use a litter pan from a rabbit cage. Its high on the sides and low in front. Tardy is able to get into it without much problem. But he won't use litter, he only uses paper, So its lined with newspaper.
At first we were always having to give him a bath. Now after a few years, he's taking care of himself real good.
Tip 1
When Izzy is drinking, she splashes all the water out of the bowl. Its really
an unbelievable sight! What I do is lay her water bowl down on a dish cloth.
Simple, but helpful! Also, she throws her food around the kitchen. Cant think
of what to do about the dry food in regard to this, but with the canned food
I feed her in a bowl instead of on a plate. It helps to keep it off the floor.
Thats all for me, except for waving like mad to get her attention, she is my
purrrrrrfect kitty, and I dont make many exceptions for her other than these
little feeding things and keeping her inside.
~~Kitty~~(^..^)
Tip 2
A few tips for disabled kitties is if they are capable of
climbing, which all of mine are, be sure to have all obstacles which could
injure the adventurous feline out of the way. And I also have a thick fleecy
pad next to my bed and my crippled Willy knows it will soften his jump from
the bed. All but Eli can miraculously navigate the stairs, but a baby gate is
highly recommended for really severe ch cases. Eli is severe, but also VERY
smart, and only once did he attempt stairs. It was an unpleasant excursion,
but he was uninjured. Thankfully! And I helped Eli learn how to walk as a
kitten by using a jersey sling under his belly, and practiced helping him
learn how to spread his legs out while eating. At first he would fall from
side to side, but now I watch my smart boy spread his legs and CHOW! I am
convinced it made a big difference in his learning to get around! Use my name
if you'd like.....
Jan
Tip 3
If your CH kitty is like our tardy, then you should never trim their claws. Tardy uses his claws to pull himself up on to the bed, a chair or to just help stabilize himself anywhere on the floor. To trim or de-claw them would to cripple him further.
Randy
Tip 4
The main thing we have learned is that you have to be sure they can't
get into a situation where they can't get out of if you aren't there
with the kitty.
We've found with Buddy that we had to rearrange the furniture because we
had a chair right next to an end table, which was also right next to the
"bar" in the kitchen. He climbed from the chair, to the end table, to
the bar, and then he was on top of the kitchen counter, and that was a
pretty good distance to fall.
We also make sure all our kitchen chairs are pushed in so that he can't
get on top of the table. He found a way around that, though. He could
get on the windowsill right behind the table, and then get to the table
top from there. We kept seeing him on the table top wondering how he
got there My daughter caught him in the act. So we have to keep those
blinds closed so that he can't do that anymore!
When we first got Buddy,he had a hard time drinking water because his
little face would 'bob" into the water. We put the water dish on
something to raise it up about 4 inches or so, and he did much better.
As for the cat pan, we just have one of those plastic runners with teeth
on the bottom, and it surrounds the cat pan. He still has occasional
accidents where he falls outside of the pan, but at least most of his
"waste" ends up on the plastic instead of the carpet!!
Beth Chase
Tip 5
Stimulation of the CH kitty. We use a laser pointer to stumulate Tardy and Shiloh, plus all the other kitties. We know that it won't cure the problem, but it does help them learn to compensate for it. Plus they love playing with the little red dot. Most of the other kitties don't like to play with Tardy, I think its because he tends to play real rough with them. So he is really eager to play with the dot. Please remember to NEVER point the laser at the eyes.
Randy
Tip 6
Clyde is a severe CH case: he can't stand, sit or walk. Rather, he gets around by laying on his side and pushing/pulling himself. Occasionally he forces himself up and takes a few wobbly, staggering steps before falling or crashing into something. Sometimes I wish he would wear a helmet. ;-)
Clyde is very intelligent, social, sweet and playful. We have found a few adaptations that have helped him along the way:
- When he was around 6 weeks old, we gave him a small animal water bottle. It was much easier for him to drink from this bottle until he decided he was a big boy and refused to use it anymore. Now we keep his water bowl in a shallow plastic container that is just slightly larger than the bowl; this contains any spillage.
- We place Clyde and his food bowl into a container (we first used a loaf pan, then a small litterbox, now a carrier with the door removed). This prevents him from accidentally pushing the bowl away from himself and contains food scatter, making clean up easier.
- We tried using a mobility cart for Clyde, but after a couple of days he refused to use it. He seemed to miss the ability to crawl into the open space in our coffee table, to go up and down the ONE step into our living room, and to crawl into a bed or carrier to sleep. He is very content with himself, and doesn't want to use a cart.
- It is critical to keep the litterbox clean. We scoop every time it is used. We have moved to a larger, hooded litterbox since Clyde urinates and defecates while lying on his side. Most of the time he gets in and out of the box without making an unusual mess. Occasionally he falls backwards into his mess, and needs to be cleaned up. Clyde seems to try to use the litterbox when we are around so we can help him out and clean the box right away.
- We are very cautious about anything that might frighten Clyde as one aspect of CH is an extreme fear reaction. Before moving anything large or unusual (even bringing out a suitcase or carrying in a box), or engaging in any loud activity (vacuuming, using a hair dryer, etc.), we safely hold Clyde while someone else engages in the activity that might frighten him, or secure Clyde in another area of the house.
Cindy
Tip 7
We used "coop cups" for Sunny's food and water bowls. These cups are usually used for bird cages, and we screwed them right into the baseboard. Sunny can only take a few staggering steps. Most of the time he pulls himself along with his front legs, and he uses these cups to pull himself upright to eat and drink. His version of a chin up! Also, we used a doggie litter pan for Sunny. The front entrance of the pan is much lower than the sides so it's easier for him to use. We also discovered a great flooring for CH kitties. We found it at Sam's Wholesale Club, but I've also seen it at Lowe's. It's a package of mats that interlock like a puzzle and are easily cut with a utility knife to conform to your space. Their primary purpose is for an anti-fatigue mat or a mat for the back of your SUV. I believe it is dense foam, so it cushions falls as well. The top surface has texture to it providing better traction.
Hope this is helpful.
Sandra Young
Tip 8
My CH kitty Bo was only 3 lbs and was 4 months old when he found me. As soon I took him to the vet he was immediately diagnosed with CH. Since his diagnosis I have done a number of things to help improve his coordination. I immediately bought a laser pointer. That stimulation alone has given his coordination such a boost. In addition I keep a basket of toys where he can reach them, knock the basket over and chase after the balls. I also bought this circular toy that has a ball trapped in a track and in the center is a cardboard scatcher that can be refilled. This is what he uses to scratch on and nothing else. Like many other CH kitties he has kept his claws, but the funny part is I am not sure he really understands that he can hurt someone with them, because he has never used them to defend himself.
The litter box has the been the biggest challenge. I had other cats and bought an expensive automatic litter box. Within a week Bo developed a strong aversion to the litterbox and was deficating on the bathroom floor. I tried almost every type of litter and every type of box out there. The best litter box I have found is a box for small puppies. It has thick solid high plastic sides and has a low front for easy access. In addition, for the first few weeks I used the Cat Attract litter. That, in combination with kitty prozac has helped to get him back in the box. The kitty prozac helped him to adjust to his surroundings better and that was only used for 2 months. Don't waste any money on Feliway, it's a pherome plug in that cost $25-40, and had no effect whatsoever (it just stunk up the house).
Please post as well that some vets have told me that because CH cats can be skitish with other animals you should not put them through that stress. I'm here to say that my Bo is one of three of my animals. I have a german shepard mix dog and a new kitten. Bo has made himself a terrific big brother and the dog helps Bo to clean himself after he uses the litter box. Maybe I am a lucky rare exception, but I give my animals a lot of love and they in turn take care of each other.
I'm sorry I got so long winded, but Bo is such a special cat and everytime I take him to the vet they are amazed at the progress he's made and the things he has accomplished since I first brought him in to their office. I know that there are definite adjustments you need to make, but the love these special kitties have to give is well worth it.
Thank you,
Shanon Myers
Tip 9
Our CH kitty, Nemo, struggled with the litterbox too. We finally found that it wasnt the boxes, but it was the litter. Any litter. So, we decided to try incontinence pads (like puppy training pads). We put a pad out in front of the litter box and Nemo gets on it, with his front paws in the litterbox and pees on the pad. He is usually very good about staying on the pad while he pees. The litterbox provides support for him without actually having to get into it. We get our pads at Sams Club.
Laura
Tip 10
We took in a stray kitten last week. He was feisty and friendly. We
rescued him from a warehouse. I have learned very quickly how to take
care of a CH cat.
We put a cat bed in our bathroom. I use a heavy high sided bowl(the
white kind you use for custard Pyrex I think) for water and a smaller
one for food. I found that if I put the water bowl right up to the bed
our kitten will lean over the bed and drink the water keeping his body
from shaking. the food is kept in a smaller bowl I leave it in the bed
so he can lay down while he eats. The litter box is more of a
challenge. He goes in it. but always steps in it. So he is now getting
used to getting his paws washed.
Bobs Mom.
Tip 11
I just adopted a CH kitty this weekend. He is spunky & what he lacks in coordination he gains in personality. I've never had a CH cat before, so I had to get a little creative. His water bowl is a heavy crystal wine coaster. I also bought a cake tray, that I have placed in a corner with the coaster on top of it. The height, weight & location make it perfect if he bumps into it. I've also modified his litter box. I found a low sided oversized oven pan & placed it next to the toilet. Then, I cut up a pool noodle to cover the exposed edges. The lower sides allow for greater access & the location & foam cushion him & give him support. Plus if he misses, the mess is pretty much contained to that area.
He's a little love & is definitely working on my creativity!
Karen
Tip 12
I have four kitties with CH. The first two were feral until about a year old when we started trapping the colony. Callie is a gentle Calico and Blackie is her tuxedo brother.
The second two were from a litter variously affected with CH. I already had 11 cats, but after talking with a cat rescue person had agreed to take the boy (Topaz) as I’m familiar with the condition and as he’s severely affected. I knew my other cats would take time to adjust and so I adopted his sister (Gemini), as well, so he’d have company. She is affected, but less so.
All my cats are doing famously. The other cats have adjusted to them and leave them alone, knowing that they mean no harm, other than losing their balance and accidentally causing a collision. I use a cat box made by Aspen/Booda that is round. The left side has a ramp for cats to walk up. I have four of these boxes, soon to be five. They work marvelously for cats who can’t step over things and keep their balance. It’s easy to take off the lid and wipe out any messes caused by accidents. I recommend these highly for disabled cats.
Kathy