chillypeppers
09-06-2006, 08:39 PM
I saw this on my other list serve i am part of and felt a need to pass it on:
Please take the time to read our story and maybe you can help or you know
someone who can:
Me and my room mate went to our local shelter at the beginning of this summer because we were looking to help out and foster a cat or dog. Sure enough, within a day we got the call that they had a cat for us and they needed us to care for him and observe his behavior. His name was "Pepsi" at the time and he came in a white card board box which we excitedly took him home. This 8-week old kitten had difficulty standing and walking. He could move around, but flopped over a lot. The shelter’s vet said the muscles in the kitten’s hind legs and pelvic region had not developed properly.
As we got home, we set him on the floor and watched him wobble across the room. Friends suggested that we rename him "The Chairman" because when he was in the room he had everyone's attention, so we affectionately call him The Chairman to this day.
He had already learned how to compensate for his lack of motor skills: He set his tiny legs far apart for stability, and held his little tail sticking straight up for better balance. Even so, he could take only a few steps before toppling over. Then he’d pick himself up and start all over again.
To us The Chairman seemed to have a neurological issue, not a muscle problem. We took him to the shelter a few months later for an exam. Sure enough, the specialist diagnosed his condition as a neurological disorder known as cerebellar hypoplasia.
The Chairman's mother most likely had the feline panleukopenia virus when she was pregnant, and this interferes with the development of the cerebellum in the kittens in the womb. So the result is that the part of the brain that deals with balance and motor skills never fully developed.
He may not be steady on his feet, but The Chairman sure can get around fine. He is energetic, playful, and comes with an “auto purr” function: pick him up and he starts purring. The Chairman loves to reach out and grab our legs as we walk by. And one of his is favorite things is to do is go to the park and play with the other dogs. It really is something to see!
The Chairman has a friend called Fluffy, a young Lab with muscular dystrophy, we usually invite them over on weekends for play dates, and after an exhausting round of play, Fluffy and The Chairman will fall asleep together.
After two months with The Chairman we received a call from the Shelter that he was deemed "unadoptable". We made the decision to adopt him and make him ours. Unfortunately his condition is getting worse and the vet bills are piling up. The Chairman is having difficuly holding his head up and using his back laegs. We have the option of surgery which would cost $850 dollars or a wheelchair. We love The Chairman very much and have taken him to Schools and Hospitals. We are both Primary Teachers and cannot afford these steep vet bills. We thought we'd give this a shot and see if anyone would be willing to make a donation to The Chairman. It would mean a great deal to us and we promise it's for a great cause. Any amount would be greatly appreciated and we can give you updates on his condition.
We want to give this little guy a long and happy … if unbalanced … life here with us!
Thankyou and God Bless.
Paypal account:
savethechairman@yahoo.ca
Please take the time to read our story and maybe you can help or you know
someone who can:
Me and my room mate went to our local shelter at the beginning of this summer because we were looking to help out and foster a cat or dog. Sure enough, within a day we got the call that they had a cat for us and they needed us to care for him and observe his behavior. His name was "Pepsi" at the time and he came in a white card board box which we excitedly took him home. This 8-week old kitten had difficulty standing and walking. He could move around, but flopped over a lot. The shelter’s vet said the muscles in the kitten’s hind legs and pelvic region had not developed properly.
As we got home, we set him on the floor and watched him wobble across the room. Friends suggested that we rename him "The Chairman" because when he was in the room he had everyone's attention, so we affectionately call him The Chairman to this day.
He had already learned how to compensate for his lack of motor skills: He set his tiny legs far apart for stability, and held his little tail sticking straight up for better balance. Even so, he could take only a few steps before toppling over. Then he’d pick himself up and start all over again.
To us The Chairman seemed to have a neurological issue, not a muscle problem. We took him to the shelter a few months later for an exam. Sure enough, the specialist diagnosed his condition as a neurological disorder known as cerebellar hypoplasia.
The Chairman's mother most likely had the feline panleukopenia virus when she was pregnant, and this interferes with the development of the cerebellum in the kittens in the womb. So the result is that the part of the brain that deals with balance and motor skills never fully developed.
He may not be steady on his feet, but The Chairman sure can get around fine. He is energetic, playful, and comes with an “auto purr” function: pick him up and he starts purring. The Chairman loves to reach out and grab our legs as we walk by. And one of his is favorite things is to do is go to the park and play with the other dogs. It really is something to see!
The Chairman has a friend called Fluffy, a young Lab with muscular dystrophy, we usually invite them over on weekends for play dates, and after an exhausting round of play, Fluffy and The Chairman will fall asleep together.
After two months with The Chairman we received a call from the Shelter that he was deemed "unadoptable". We made the decision to adopt him and make him ours. Unfortunately his condition is getting worse and the vet bills are piling up. The Chairman is having difficuly holding his head up and using his back laegs. We have the option of surgery which would cost $850 dollars or a wheelchair. We love The Chairman very much and have taken him to Schools and Hospitals. We are both Primary Teachers and cannot afford these steep vet bills. We thought we'd give this a shot and see if anyone would be willing to make a donation to The Chairman. It would mean a great deal to us and we promise it's for a great cause. Any amount would be greatly appreciated and we can give you updates on his condition.
We want to give this little guy a long and happy … if unbalanced … life here with us!
Thankyou and God Bless.
Paypal account:
savethechairman@yahoo.ca