Sweet kitten with ‘wobbly cat syndrome’ needed a home. Then came good news
UPDATE: At about 3:30 p.m. Aug. 9, the North Carolina shelter shared the good news that the kitten with “wobbly cat syndrome” was adopted. Desi had spent about two months waiting for a home.
The original story is below.
A sweet kitten with “wobbly cat syndrome” needs a home — but keeps being overlooked at a North Carolina shelter.
“We have posted before about this precious girl but no one has inquired about her,” Friends for Animals-Humane Society of Burke County wrote Aug. 8 on Facebook. “Surely she has a person out there that would love her. Desi was born with cerebellar hypoplasia also known as ‘wobbly cat syndrome.’ This means that the coordination part of her brain never fully developed.”
Cats with the “rare” condition have a lack of balance but otherwise live normal lives, according to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences website. A video shared online shows Desi pouncing on a toy as she plays with other kittens.
“She watches what the other kittens are doing,” Patsy Smith, assistant director of the humane society, told McClatchy News in a phone interview. “She runs and hops with them, but she wobbles. And it’s the cutest thing in the world.”
Desi arrived at the shelter in June, after a man found her in his yard and couldn’t keep caring for her. The man thought Desi hadn’t learned to walk, but the shelter later discovered she had the syndrome, according to Smith and social media posts.
“She has a heart of gold and so loving and affectionate,” the shelter wrote. “Everyone falls in love with her but no one has taken her home.”
Desi is described as a cuddly cat who will start running when she knows treats are coming. She’s also known for her soft fur and “sweetest little personality.”
“Desi’s favorite time of the day is nite nite time,” the shelter wrote. “She loves to be held, rubbed and rocked. She will look up in your eyes as if saying ‘thank you for loving me.’ So precious.”
While experts believe “wobbly cat syndrome” is harmless, they recommend owners keep affected pets in an environment with low risks of falling. The shelter said Desi’s next family will need to pay extra attention in case she trips while using the litter box.
The shelter believes the 4-month-old cat is being overlooked due to the preference that she be adopted into a one-story home. It also thinks potential adopters don’t understand her condition.
“We try to tell everybody that she will live a normal, full life,” Smith said. “I mean, there’s nothing that stops her.”
As of Aug. 9, Desi was available for adoption in Morganton, a roughly 75-mile drive northwest from Charlotte. More details about the shelter’s adoption process can be found at burkecountyfriends4animals.org.
This story was originally published August 9, 2024 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Sweet kitten with ‘wobbly cat syndrome’ needed a home. Then came good news."
