My Kittens are so SMART!

I like to describe the kittens as ill-behaved puppies:  They know what they are supposed to do, and most of the time they listen.

But the truth is, I have been training them since they were 4-months-old as if they were actually puppies -- same commands, same rewards-system, etc., and it really works.  Cats can absolutely do tricks, but most humans just don't bother to teach them.

The kittens are a bit limited by what "tricks" they can learn as their coordination and balance will always impact their physical ability to perform, but they are very smart and very eager to try.  Yet, people tend not to believe me when I tell them that the kittens know how to SIT upon command.  Here is video proof of their intelligence:

Pandora knows how to sit.

And Ronan knows how to sit.

Smart kitties :)

Ronan is a weirdo.

This is why there is kibble all over my apartment.

This is how Ronan eats.  You can't make this stuff up.  Pandora chases kibble, too, but Ronan's method has two exceptions to hers:

1) He lays on his side, scoots the kibble piece under his jaw and quickly licks it up.  Because of his cerebellar hypoplasia, his head has a consistent wobble and he gets "intention tremors" where his body jerks or shakes in anticipation of trying to execute a movement.

This is his way of steadying his head while eating.  I have tried to explain to him that it is not wise to eat lying down, but i don't think he's listening.

2) Ronan does not like to chew.  This is why he still has minor gingivitis while Pandora's is all but cleared up.  The kittens were put on Hill's Science Diet t/d Dental Care a few months back to help clean and condition their teeth and gums.  Dr. J is completely shocked that Ronan can get that whole kibble piece down in one gulp.  He has suggested we think about mixing this kibble with some canine t/d Diet as it is even larger.  I am worried it might not make one iota of difference to Ronan.

Meanwhile, I have to put an antiseptic oral gel on the kittens gums, and brush their teeth as regularly as they will allow.

And yes, he really does do this every day.

Fountain!

I may have found a solution to the Messy Kitten Problem.  The kittens have problems eating and drinking without making messes.  Just feeding them often results in:

- Chasing of food kibble
- Playing in puddles
- Crumbs found under carpets, in corners, and under furniture
- Sticky wet food tracked across the floor
- Food in the water dish and vice versa
- Moldy kibble found under carpets, in corners, and under furniture

The above is a direct result of several kitten habits including, but not limited to:

- Falling in water dish
- Aiming at water/food dish and missing
- Pouncing on food dish
- Fighting for first access to wet food dish
- Chasing kibble inside water dish
- Chasing of food kibble across floor and crashing into water dish


Long before I even adopted Ronan and Pandora, I was busy mentally compiling ideas for how to care for two kittens with Cerebellar Hypoplasia.  It occurred to me while at a pet store one day that a water fountain might be just the solution to help them with their drinking problem (haha).

When I first met Ronan, I noticed he "pecked" at his food and water dishes because he lacked the control to simply lower his head to the bowl and hold it there until he was finished eating or drinking.  More often than not he wound up getting water up his nose.  Using a water fountain seemed a natural solution as it provided a gentle slope of running water that was much shallower than the dish itself and was therefore less likely to submerge his nostrils.

Unfortunately, a good quality, stainless-steel fountain is pricey (I don't believe in using plastic if it can be avoided), so I had to wait a few months until finances were sorted.  After finding a pile of moldy crumbs and kibble stretching more than a foot under a cupboard, however, I decided this would be the Week of the Fountain.

Behold!  Fresh running water for my favourite feline friends.  It didn't take long to fully set up (though it would have taken even less time had I not had two very curious and over-eager helpers at my side trying to tackle every bag or bubble wrap pouch), and only a couple minutes to get the water pumping.  The kittens heard the motor start up, wobbled over and explored the new toy. 

And verdict is.....

Uhmmm.... maybe the jury is still out on this one.

The Oatmeal Incident.

People ask me if Cerebellar Hypoplasia means that the kittens are less mentally competent than other cats their age.  The answer is no.  No, no, and oh NOOOOO, bad kittens, Don't touch that ---!!!

Even with their reduced motor control the kittens have still managed to get into just as much trouble as any other 8 month old feline.  They can open zippers.  They have retrieved long-lost shards of glass from behind bookcases, and they have managed to extract a bag on oatmeal -- not once, but twice! -- from a second shelf behind several heavy jars without moving anything else.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I give you Exhibit A:

The oatmeal evidence is clearly strewn across a favourite floor mat with incriminating squeaky balls left nearby.  Despite being evolutionary carnivores, the kittens crave carbohydrates for reasons I cannot start to fathom.  As mentioned, this is the second oatmeal incident which occurred after I thought said-oatmeal was stored well-beyond prying kitten paws.  I was wrong.

Happy National Differently-abled Pets Day!

Happy National Differently-abled Pets Day!
Yes, this is real. 

My kittens are clearly in this category, what with being adorably wobbly and all.  So, today I thought i'd give some greater detail about what makes my feline friends so unusual and yet awesome.

Feline Parvovirus -- This is what most commonly causes Cerebellar Hypoplasia in cats.  It is the term most often used to refer to all viruses in the Parvoviridae taxonomic family, but it is also the taxonomic name of the Parvovirus genus within the Parvoviridae family itself.

Interestingly, these viruses have developed to be specific to the species it will infect.  For example, canine parvovirus will only in rare cases infect a cat, but will readily infect coyotes, wolves, and domestic dogs.

If a pregnant female contracts the virus then the cerebellum of the kittens in utero can under-develop (no word yet on what happens if a pregnant male contracts the virus).  The cerebellum, of course, is known as the "motor control centre" of the brain, and thus the kittens are born with issues in the area of coordination.  i.e. They are wobbly.

Other symptoms in the condition can include spastic jerking, intention tremors (the muscles vibrate in anticipation as the animal prepares, for example, to leap), wide splayed legs both in movement and at rest (for balance), and a general lack of motor control or coordination.  They may lose their balance unexpectedly, walk into walls, bump their heads, etc.

Ronan has a more extreme version of cerebellar hypoplasia than Pandora.  He tends to walk sideways into objects and has been known to fall spectacularly to one side when he is trying to leap on something in front of him.  He also has a very noticeable head wobble (yes, exactly like a kitten bobblehead) that increases in activity when he is nervous or excited, and almost disappears when he is calm.

Pandora is smaller and less ballsier than Ronan, so it seems only fair that her condition is less pronounced.  She walks with a swagger, kicking her hindlegs out to the side as she goes, and frequently will tip over backwards when enjoying a head scratch or chest rub.  Ronan is more excitable and is usually the dominant cat during wrestle-time, so the playing field is leveled a bit with Pandora being more agile.  She has developed a wicked judo flip she uses time and again on her brother.

They can leap up onto higher surfaces - like the bed or couch - without much struggle.  Sometimes the claws come out so they can wrangle themselves up without tipping over backwards and having to start all over again.  My bedsheets will never be the same, but then again neither will my life.  As for getting back down to the floor, they have figured out that the easiest way to do so is to bellyslide.  Front paws extend over the edge along with their front legs, then they noodle their way down to the floor.

Both have adapted well to their personal limitations, and I have been told they will continue to improve in both balance and coordination as they grow older, although the condition will be with them for the rest of their lives.  I am always amazed at how quick they are to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and dive headlong back in the fray of life.

PS: April 28th was World Veterinary Day!  I hope you all took time to hug your Vet.  I know I did :)

These are my Wobbly Kittens

Cerebellar Hypoplasia ('CH'):
A disorder found in cats and dogs in which the cerebellum is not fully developed at birth.  Usually the result of a parvovirus infection in the pregnant mother.  Results in motor control issues in the young that vary from the complete inability to maneuver oneself (most of which are euthanized immediately) to ease of movement but with a noticeable gait, ie. "wobbly".

CH does not inherently affect the long-term health of the animal, but care must be taken by the human companion to ensure the environment is catered to its needs.

These are MY wobbly kittens, Ronan Jamieson Fenriz (male, orange tabby) and Pandora Rune (female, tortoiseshell), brother and sister born Sept. 4/2011 and adopted Jan. 21st/2012 from the Toronto Humane Society. 

 
Do not let their docile appearance fool you! 

As their wonderful Fostermom Joannie famously told me, "They don't know they are any different from other kittens".  In other words, they are hellraisers in adorable, furry packages.  In the coming posts you will witness the destruction my apartment has felt at the paws of these miniature Maelstroms. 

You have been warned...