Chickadee was one of several special needs cats that Pet Paw-see had the honor of helping in 2020. He was a wee Scottish Fold kitten who was born with cerebellar hypoplasia (CH), a condition in which the cerebellum is not completely developed, resulting in impaired motor skills and presenting as head bobbing, limb tremors, unsteadiness, and falling.

It is often caused when a pregnant mother is infected with panleukopenia virus. While the symptoms of CH can be distressing to watch, it is not painful and cats with the condition know no other way of life, quickly learning to adjust to their disability.

Chickadee was placed with one of our experienced and dedicated fosters who patiently taught the tiny tike how to motor around, play, and most importantly, how to eat solids—a messy endeavor for all involved as Chickadee enthusiastically pecked at a mountain of delicious canned food! Chickadee’s foster mom frequently shared videos of the kitten to our social media pages and he gained quite a fan base, wobbling his way into the heart of many of our followers. See another Chickadee video here and our YouTube Channel here.

We worried that finding an appropriate home for this special needs kitten would be a daunting task. However, five weeks after coming into our care, Chickadee was adopted into an adoring home who didn’t hesitate at the challenges of a special needs cat!

Sadly, that was not the end of Chickadee’s story. This sweet kitten had seizures so severe that he had irreparable brain damage and the kindest choice was to help him pass. Chickadee’s family was heartbroken and devastated, as were his original rescuers.

We are grateful that he had such a loving family who felt they needed Chickadee, as much as he needed them. He knew love for his short stay with us.