Kitten with dwarfism. (kittens, eating, teacup, weight)
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Neighbor and I care for two loosely-connected feral cat colonies....we do TNR (trap-neuter-release) but kittens still occasionally happen.
Neighbor has shown me a litter of three kittens. They are quite wild but will come close for feeding, especially if we stay still and put out some canned food. One of the three is definitely a dwarf - tiny stumpy legs, tiny stumpy tail, round smooshy face, about half at most the size of its littermates. My neighbor figures the litter is about ten weeks old. I think I could probably hold this kitten in the palm of my hand. Of the three, it is actually the one that will come closest...I was able to briefly pet it while it was eating this morning.
I'm visiting my vet on an unrelated matter this morning and will ask him what he thinks...obviously I think this kitten, although it appears healthy otherwise, cannot probably survive long as a midget outdoors. We plan to trap it in the next few days. Plus it's so freaking adorable getting it adopted (if healthy enough) will be easy. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me this morning when I went down to see it. I will try to get a photo in the next couple of days.
However, I know that midget kittens can have a lot of health concerns and many if not most don't live that long.
I have no experience but isn't that the "breed" they call Munchkins? I've seen them at cat shows and they are adorable. But outside would probably be a challenge. I don't think 10 weeks is too old to domesticate it. Hopefully you can find a good home for him.
Bless your heart for caring for all of these cats. I'm crossing my fingers that this guy (girl?) will be healthy enough. I knew about "munchkin" cats, but never considered that cats can have dwarfism.
Well my vet says he will do a health exam but predicting future issues may be between difficult and prohibitively expensive. However, I have three people already who have offered to keep and care for it at least on a temporary basis once it's been vetted and until a permanent home can be found. (Both my neighbor and I have dogs that are not reliably cat-safe, so we cannot house strays or ferals indoors.)
Yes, "Munchkin" cats are cats deliberately bred for a genetic mutation causing deformed short legs, which I don't agree AT ALL with but they are now a breed.
This kitten is seriously stinking adorable, though. A teensy round ball of gray fur with tiny stumpy legs and tail. The plan is over the next few days, we will spend as much time as possible around the ferals while feeding them to try to get this one accustomed to being touched and near humans. Then by Friday or Saturday, get it into either a carrier or humane trap, and get it to the vet, then to a temporary home. Depending on what health testing reveals.
I'm pretty sure that Tardur Sauce (aka Grumpy Cat) has feline dwarfism, and she seems to be in good health. Hopefully your little dwarf kitty will also live a long and happy life.
I'm pretty sure that Tardur Sauce (aka Grumpy Cat) has feline dwarfism, and she seems to be in good health. Hopefully your little dwarf kitty will also live a long and happy life.
and make you as much money as Grumpy Cat is for her owner!
and make you as much money as Grumpy Cat is for her owner!
I can only hope, LOL!
None of the photos I took this morning were worth a darn. It was nasty and raining. Munchkin will hopefully be grabbed up/trapped on Saturday morning, get checked by my vet then go to a friend's house; she will keep him as long as need be.
Update: I picked up Piglet (official name) this morning and took him to the vet. He's healthy, FeLV/FIV negative, yay.
Vet won't say he's "deformed" but according to facial features and teeth, he thinks between 8-10 weeks old but with the weight (1.5 lbs) of a 5-6 week old kitten.
Also folded ears and very short legs, with a gait somewhat like those over-angulated German shepherds one sees in the US show ring.
So maybe not technically a "dwarf" but certainly very small, and will probably grow to be a very small adult cat with truncated legs, tail and ears.
Right now he has free roam of a friend's spare bedroom with a crate, food, water, toys and litter box. He's a bit overwhelmed but anybody can walk in and pick him up for a cuddle, if you don't move too fast or noisily. He doesn't run away or hide. Once he's settled in a bit he'll get more freedom. Already have a couple of potential people interested in him.
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