I want to hug this little fella. He struggles to eat from his bowl but he copes. It probably looks worse than it is. His name is Phin and his human guardians are proud of the video which is why I have published it on PoC. There is no intention to gawp at a disabled cat. It is more a celebration of what can achieved and how he copes in a caring home.
“This is a really special video for us, as it is probably the first one we ever shot of Phin coming over for a meal! For those who don’t know Phin very well yet, he has cerebellar hypoplasia. He’s not in any pain, & he won’t get worse over time.”
Feline cerebellar hypoplasia is caused by the underdevelopment of a part of the cat’s brain called the cerebellum. The underdevelopment is caused by the Feline Panleukopenia virus being transmitted from mother to offspring during pregnancy or soon after birth. The cerebellum is concerned with movement and coordination. When it is underdeveloped it malfunctions causing what is called ataxia (a loss of coordination and balance). It does not get worse over time.
Here is some more on the disease, written in plain English:
The disease is also called Feline Distemper:
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May the goddess always keep him safe. I’m glad he has a forever home. He will be loved and and never judged by other cruel humans that would harm him.