Now that you’ve read Mister Wobbles’s adoption story, it’s time to get to know this kitty a bit better! Paige, Mister Wobbles’s pet parent describes her 2.5-year-old CHer as moderate to severe. Here’s a bit more about his day-to-day:
How does he manage the litter box? Eating and drinking? Do you do anything special to help?
Photo courtesy Paige One Photography.
Mister Wobbles is able to use the litter box all by himself. However, he is not able to stand; he lays down while he uses it. As he gets ready to go into the litter box, he methodically balances and concentrates before all of a sudden making his little “jump” for the box. We have a large, covered litter box, and he uses the side of the box to lean against as he gets situated. Since he lays down, sometimes his aim is slightly off, which is why the covered box with the sides works best. He tends to take a very, very long time in the litter box, and ends up pawing at the litter and against the sides of the litter box.
As for eating and drinking, he lays down. He has a water fountain, so there is no chance of the water tipping over and making a mess. We use a double dish that is set in a base with a rubber lining on the bottom, so there is no chance of the food dish tipping over. In recent months, we have witnessed a couple of times where Mister Wobbles has eaten standing up! It’s not a normal thing, but there have been a couple of sightings of it. The first time I saw it, I was SO thrilled and such a proud CH mom!
What’s one funny story about him (related to CH)? Or share a story about how he figured out how to do something CH cats “can’t” do.
He used to eat straight out of the food dish, however, about a year ago he decided to start “scooping” the pieces out of the dish and putting them on the place mat and eating them off the ground… We aren’t really sure why!? He has also apparently “taught” our non-CH cat Titan how to do this, and we have even caught Titan copying the behavior.
Better yet, one of our other non-cats, Coconut, has also decided to copy one of Mister Wobbles behaviors as well. Coconut someones completely lays down when he drinks! Either they just all want to be as awesome as Mister Wobbles, or they are being good friends and copying his behaviors so that he doesn’t feel as “different.”
Click to view slideshow.Has he ever hurt herself because of his CH?
No (crossing fingers)!
Each animal is special in his own way. How is he special?
He gets SO excited as soon as he hears us come in the door. Each time we see him, he acts as if he hasn’t seen us in months (even if it’s only been minutes). He obsessively licked our faces and purrs. At night, he sleeps between our pillows. He is also constantly making us smile and laugh, with his cute movements, facial expressions, and his determination.
He is an incredibly focused, determined cat. I have never seen anything like it. When he sets his mind to something, he will absolutely accomplish it, no matter how hard it is or how long it takes him. He also seems to have an extremely long body and long legs.
Have you found ways to help him with CH? How?
We have found that Mister Wobbles does much better walking when he is on carpet. We have added some extra rugs to our place, which he really likes. We are also moving to a new house very soon, and there will be several fully carpeted rooms, so he is very excited about the new house!
Photo courtesy Paige One Photography.
We also got rid of our bed and now just have a mattress. We used to have a low platform bed (which he had learned to climb onto), but when we recently purchased a new mattress we decided to get rid of the bed frame and just have the mattress on the floor. It is definitely easier for him to get up onto the bed, and we have now resigned ourselves to the fact that we will probably never have a normal bed and we will just have a mattress on the floor… but it’s completely worth it.
I do a lot of work from home, and he seems to really “miss” me when I am sitting at my computer. So, I bought a cat pouch that has a shoulder strap, and when I sit at the computer I can “wear” the pouch and put him in it and place him securely on my lap. He loves to hang out with me while I’m working.
We also have three surveillance cameras set up in our house, so that we can always check on him if we aren’t home. We are able to log into the security system right from our phones. One of the cameras is placed right next to his favorite rug (which he can almost always be seen laying on), and we call that camera “WobbleCam.”
Do you have any words of wisdom for other CH parents?
I feel that other CH parents probably have similar relationships with their CH cats, so in a sense it’s a mutual feeling of a connection through a common understanding. A covered litter box, a non-slip bowl, and a low bed (or mattress on the floor) are the main things I can think of.
What do you think people need to know about CH?
Photo courtesy Paige One Photography.
There are two things: 1) CH doesn’t mean that the cat isn’t healthy. They can be (and often are) completely healthy with no issues whatsoever, other than a wobble in their step. 2) Cats with CH are happy. They don’t know any different, and they wouldn’t want us to feel bad for them, they just want to be loved!
What is your favorite and least favorite thing about his having CH?
I feel that Mister Wobbles is especially friendly, loving, and devoted (even more so than our other non-CH cats). I honestly feel that he knows he is a lucky kitty and in a sense I think his limitations make him more dependent on us, therefore creating a very special bond.
My least favorite thing is when he sees his friends playing up high on their cat tree, and he looks up at them. I don’t think he really cares or gets upset (I think I am probably the one who gets more upset about it)! I feel so bad and I wish he could play with them, although deep down inside I really don’t think he minds at all. Sometimes we hold him and put him up on the tree while being held securely, just so that he can see what it’s like up high.
Anything else you’d like to add?
When I first considered adopting Mister Wobbles, I could tell that my friends and family were a bit hesitant of the idea. I trusted my instinct and never doubted my decision, and it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made. After seeing the bond that we have, I would certainly say that my friends and family agree that it was a great decision.
Click here to read about other readers’ CH cats or tell us about your CH cat!
