Cute, Disabled Kitten Gets a Second Chance at Life
As a writer for EcoWorldly, I should think about the mass demonstrations currently swelling in South Korea, where I live. I should think of the struggle between Chavez’s revolution, the entrenched oligarchies, and the confused youth of Venezuela, where my brother lives. I should think of any number of critically important world events currently unfolding. I should. But all I can think of is a small, orange kitten with a physical disorder.
Now, it’s a well-known fact that infants are not always similar to the adults that nurture them. Sometimes, they’re not even of the same species. What do I mean? Take the young hippo and the 100 year-old tortoise, for example. But when a 5 week-old orange tabby kitten in rural South Korea is taken in by a 26 year-old peregrinating writer with a return ticket to California, things get tricky.
What’s more, the kitten I brought in last weekend and unwittingly adopted is not a normal kitten. At 5+ weeks of age, it’s becoming clear that the animal has cerebral hypoplasia. That’s a fancy way to say “his coordination’s not so hot.” In fact, although he’ll probably live a full and otherwise normal life, he’ll never be able to walk properly. Hence my current dilemma: what do you do with a drunken kitten?
- » See also: Fleurville Bags: Eco-friendly, Family-friendly…and Sexy?!
- » Get Eco Child’s Play by RSS or sign up by email.
There are those who would probably say that I should have him put down. In fact, when I brought him in early Saturday morning, he looked so weak that I believed I was simply giving him a warm place to die. However, now he’s a relatively healthy kitten, except that he’s severely lacking of motor skills.
Moreover, as my girlfriend, Whitney, and I have fed him we’ve watched him imprint on us. We’re now — collectively — “mom”. And I realize that as the kitten was imprinting on me, I was imprinting on him as well. I can’t help but feel responsible for his life.
There’s a time for every new parent when all that seems to matter is one little life. Then, the outside world fades away and the tiny space between the nutrurer and the newborn becomes an everywhere.
What can I say? I’m a sucker.
So, I guess the only thing to do is to keep him and watch him grow. I’ll start thinking again about world events as they’re splashed across the headlines and I’ll wait five months until my calendar shows the date of my return to the United States. Then, I’ll try and explain cerebral hypoplasia to the folks at imigrations (that should be fun!) and carry on raising a very affectionate but very wobbly cat.
On a (hopefully) helpful note, if you have a kitten that can’t stand at the proper age of around 4 weeks, can’t walk well (or at all), and shakes when excited, take him to a vet. If the diagnosis is cerebral hypoplasia, don’t worry. It’s not progressive or dangerous, and with time the cat will become better (though not perfect) at moving about. Here are a couple of websites that I found helpful:
Maybe you are too caught up in ‘world affairs’.
The world is a big and important place, but your hands are small. Don’t forget to ‘be the change you want to see in the world’. Congrats on your newfound baby =P
The world changes by one pair of hands at a time, by that small act of compassion.
Thanks for reminding me.
Thanks for sharing this very sweet story Gavin. Even animals with special needs deserve a chance at life.
Thanks J. Thanks Jennifer.
He’s a really sweet cat. I’m hoping that he makes it to the point where he can sort of walk around, like the cat in the video I linked to in paragraph 3. Fingers crossed.
Aw thanks for sharing this
Your kitten is a beautiful baby. I guess you’re all pretty lucky to have found each other.
I feel sunshiney and warm from this story. I’m going to go and hug my cat.
I would start looking into bringing an animal into the states if thats where your going back to, a lot of countries have laws about importing pets into countries, come countries make it so that you have to put them into Quarantine 6 months before bringing them over.
You are a good person.
I think the kitty was darned lucky! I PRAY for its entry into the USA, though. I am an American expat in Europe and worry about carrying even a simply case in, let alone a wobbly kitty. BLESS and KEEP you three!
The cool thing about cats is just like people they learn to cope with their disablities as they get older. I took care of a cat for a friend that only had three legs- over the years it had learned it’s own walking style and a tough attitude and a strong bite to fight with. Your little kitten may even grow out of it’s funny walk, if it ends up just being a virus or insect bite that made it sick. That would be cool if you can bring it back with you.
Aw! That is so darned cute! I like how you dubbed him drunken kitten. What’d you and Whit decide to name him?
The picture of your little baby reminds me of how I fell in love with an orange tabby named Norman when I was 9. He was my uncle’s cat.
Miss you and not the least bit surprised that you are doing good things everywhere you go. That would be so rad if you got to bring the booger back with you and I got to actually meet the drunken legend upon your return!