My adopted kitten has mild ataxia. What special care is needed?

Kittens with cerebellar hyperplasia can lead relatively normal lives. Special consideration will need to be taken in providing food, water and litter box access as these kittens oftentimes cannot jump normally. Using a low-sided litter box and keeping the food and water on the floor will allow easy access for the kitten. You will also need to ensure that she is not bullied by other cats in the household. I would recommend that you have her examined by your veterinarian to ensure that cerebellar hypoplasia is, in fact, the cause for her abnormalities as there are other potential causes for an abnormal gait and we wouldn't want to miss anything.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Kali is adorable! If Kali has been this way since birth she likely has cerebellar hypoplasia which is caused by a viral infection while she was inutero (while her mom was pregnant). It is underdevelopment of the part of the brain that controls coordination and balance. These cats can live full and wonderful lives. They are fun cats! There is no cure though. https://www.petcoach.co/article/cerebellar-hypoplasia-in-kittens/ I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This is likely a genetic malformation during birth. The only thing I would watch out for is pain in the affected leg and any abrasions from the leg dragging on the ground. Otherwise, she should be able to adapt to her malformation. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thabj you for submitting your question regarding your kittens. I am sorry to hear about their condition. There is a disease known as cerebellar hypoplasia that results in progressive neurological signs in kittens. This could be the case for them. It is a congenital problem were the brain is malformed. In this case, there is no cure, but many kittens adapt just fine. Of course, there are other neurological diseases so it is difficult to say. Good luck!

Poor Zoey! Unfortunately, the video will not load on the Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach forum, but I can get a sense for her abnormal gait from your description and the pictures. My first concern would be that Zoey may have cerebellar hypoplasia, but meningitis, toxoplasmosis, congenital lysosomal storage diseases, FIP, FIV, FeLV or spinal cord lesions are all possible. If it has not yet been done, ask your vet about performing a blood test for FIV and FeLV (feline leukemia). Otherwise, hopefully they are able to obtain further insight from a veterinary neurologist or internal medicine specialist. I hope that all goes well!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Gini. There is a chance she has condition known as cerebellar hypoplasia based on your description of her behavior. She will need to see a veterinarian to determine if this is the case or if something is affecting her. For example, has she been exposed to any toxins? In the meantime, monitor her food and water intake to ensure she is still receiving enough despite the tremors. I hope this information helps!

Unfortunately, without a diagnosis it's impossible to say what you need to do to help him - there are many things that can cause a drunken, uncoordinated gait in a kitten this age, and all of these different problems would require different treatments. If the kitten has been to the vet, I would recommend asking him/her what they think is causing the abnormal gait. The kitten may have a birth defect called cerebellar hypoplasia, which is a benign condition that does not require any treatment, or could have a serious neurologic problem such as toxoplasmosis, meningitis, or even a toxicity of some kind (antifreeze, etc.) - these issues are much more serious, and would require prescription medication or even hospitalization to treat appropriately.