Does my kitten have ataxia? (Video attached)

May 3, 2020 1:16 AM

I just picked up a trio of 5 week old kittens from the rescue organization on Thursday afternoon. Two of the kitties are normal and one of them is...not. I think she might have axatia, possibly from cerebellar hypoplasia. Can you take a look at this video and see if that's it? If not, what else could it be?

This kitten is 2-3 oz smaller than the other kittens, constantly tries to suckle on everything, and has a funny walk. She's been like this ever since I got her. Normally I would take her to the vet, but because of COVID-19 the vet is not doing non-emergency appointments.

Two YouTube videos are attached. I apologize for the bad quality. In one of the videos, she ends up pooping in her food dish because she can't get into the litter box. (Immediately after taking the video I set up a makeshift litterbox with a lower side.)

As you can see, in the videos, it doesn't seem like she's too weak or too small to get into the litter box, she just can't seem to get her shit together (pun intended). Her two siblings get in just fine all the time. This kitten sometimes uses the litter box, but sometimes eliminates on the floor like in the video. In addition to the very cautious gait, this kitten also has other strange postural behavior. For example, she keeps her tail curled under her very frequently -- even when pooping, as you can see in the video. I know she's physically capable of lifting her tail because I've seen her do it while walking, but most of the time she seems to carry it curled up.

Kitten video one
Kitten video two

Any idea what's wrong with this kitten? I will also be texting the rescue in the morning.

posted by phoenixy to Pets & Animals (20 answers total)

My vet and most of them near me are doing visits where you leave your pet outside the door and they'll bring it in for the exam. I don't know what this is but it doesn't look like on par with nail trimming or rabies shots, it could even be a legit emergency but the vet has to diagnose it to determine if it's an emergency or not. Have you totally ruled out every vet with say 45 minutes?
posted by bleep at 1:24 AM on May 3, 2020

Response by poster: Just to clarify, the kittens belong to the rescue organization and I am required to work only with their veterinarians. However, their main veterinary partner closed for non-emergencies due to COVID-19. They've made it clear that the level of veterinary support they can provide has been reduced.

I will obviously be asking them in the morning if this is an emergency, but since the escalation pathway has changed and the first step is no longer "call the vet line" but rather "ask the volunteer staff if this seems serious", I thought getting some crowdsourced perspectives from folks with kitten experience might be helpful as well. (I should add that the kittens were living at the house of the rescue's chief for a day or two before I picked them up and she didn't seem to think that they were on the brink of death or anything like that.)
posted by phoenixy at 1:46 AM on May 3, 2020

Best answer: I don't think it's an emergency in that she's going to die if you don't bring her to the vet, given that she's eating and drinking and popping and interacting.

She does look developmentally behind the other kittens. But what that means and if there's anything that can be done, I have no idea. But it doesn't look like a sick cat where a medical intervention is going to make her life better or dramatically different or save her life. I am not a vet though.

I think it's worth chatting with the organization about it. But I don't think they'll encourage you to come in, unless her behavior or skills has declined in some way.
posted by AlexiaSky at 3:04 AM on May 3, 2020 [1 favorite]

it doesn't seem like she's too weak or too small to get into the litter box

I dunno. Too small for that wall is pretty much what popped straight into my own mind as I watched her in the first video, along with seemingly distracted by a bit of monstering from her siblings.
posted by flabdablet at 3:32 AM on May 3, 2020 [2 favorites]

Best answer: At first glance, it could be mild CH. There’s no need to consult a vet unless the little girl has a seizure or some other acute event. A vet can diagnose CH but it’s a non-progressive developmental disability that most animals can live full, happy lives with. The fact that she has neuro-typical siblings is great because she can get lots of exercise and stimulation.

Are you in the Bay Area? If you need extra resources I could possibly refer you to somebody.

(Was owned by a cat with mild CH for 16 years; she passed away a couple years ago and we miss her so very much. The most loving kitty I’ve ever known.)
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 3:41 AM on May 3, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: If it were me, I'd start by raising the floor all around the litter box (maybe piling some pieces of scrap lumber (different thicknesses) in kind of a gentle ramp/very shallow stairs configuration, or maybe a towel over some books enclosed in plastic bags) so she wouldn't have to climb so high, and putting more litter in so she wouldn't have to climb so high from the other side.

They're small enough that they're probably not going to dig so vigorously that the litter flies out, and if you put a ton of litter in the box you really don't have to change it as frequently (unless a kitten is sick, of course). I'd aim for about 1" of plastic rim sticking above the litter/ramp setup.

The tail curling and everything makes me wonder if she's constipated? Any chance of that? If her tummy hurts she might be less inclined to climb, too. You can try very gentle remedies in case that's the issue, and make sure she's getting enough water.

Soooo cute! You're a peach for taking them in!
posted by amtho at 4:04 AM on May 3, 2020 [2 favorites]

Note: I know nothing about the condition you're asking about, so my comment is not at all ruling that out.
posted by amtho at 4:04 AM on May 3, 2020

Best answer: i've only seen one case of cerebellar hypoplasia, but it did not present like this. you really need to have them examined by a vet. most vets are doing a curbside thing right now, so someone should be able to see you guys!q
posted by megan_magnolia at 4:22 AM on May 3, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I would be the squeaky wheel and try to get the kitten seen no matter what. She looks really distressed to me. She could be in pain from a serious GI issue (curled tail), or yeah, just have mild CH (the legs fit mild CH to my eye at least, based on spending time with a couple CH cats.) If its CH its no problem, beyond making certain things easier for her like you already have with the new litterbox. But if its a GI obstruction or something thats causing pain/distress when she moves in certain ways, that could be life threatening and that's what I would focus on when talking to them.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 4:39 AM on May 3, 2020 [5 favorites]

Best answer: My partner is a vet, but this isn't a formal diagnosis. She says that the most probable cause for a kitten that's always been a bit wobbly would be cerebellar hypoplasia due to the mother being infected with feline panleukopenia during pregnancy. If it is that, the cat will be a bit wobbly and mentally slow for life (for instance, she may continue to poop in weird places), but can otherwise live a normal and happy life. There's a lot of useful information in the Wikipedia article for cerebellar hypoplasia (non-human).

The best thing would still be to get a vet to look at her in person.
posted by spielzebub at 5:54 AM on May 3, 2020 [1 favorite]

Talk to the rescue you're fostering for ASAP. This isn't the first question they've dealt with. Describe the symptoms, send the video. Don't offer CH as a possibility- people are prone to premature closure, hearing a plausible idea and pursuing it even when it isn't the most likely one.

Assuming it is CH, not the end of the world.
posted by wotsac at 7:57 AM on May 3, 2020 [2 favorites]

... people are prone to premature closure, hearing a plausible idea and pursuing it even when it isn't the most likely one.

.. this is something I needed reminding of, for other things in my life. Thank you.
posted by DoubtingThomas at 8:48 AM on May 3, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: She looks to me like she is about a week too young to leave the mother. I know her sibs are that old but if she's the runt of the litter she could be developmentally delayed. I would do the thing where you feed more often and wash thoroughly/massage under her tail several times a day and always after she eats to make sure she is eliminating properly. Her difficulties could just be size and immaturity. It's critical that you make sure she is eliminating properly. She may be just barely ready for littler box training but still need some supplementary assistance for a week or two.

Don't forget that she is quite likely just half-sib with her litter mates. Is it possible that she could actually have had a slightly shorter gestation period if they were conceived on the first day the mother was in heat and she was conceived on the last day?
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:53 AM on May 3, 2020 [1 favorite]

The walls of the litterbox are too high for her.

I don't feel qualified to comment on whether she has CH, but if she does, she can live a normal and happy life though she should probably stay with at least one sibling or be placed with another CH cat - cats can sometimes go after kitties with CH because they assume the cat moving "wrong" means something dangerous to them.
posted by bile and syntax at 10:02 AM on May 3, 2020

Best answer: Can't diagnose anything based on the video, but based on the behavior in the video it could also be dehydration or malnutrition caused by parasites, or a severe physical injury - such as to the spine or hips.

If you pull up the scruff of her neck, does it bounce back quickly? If it slowly returns to shape, she is likely dehydrated.

Are her 3rd eyelids on the inside corners of her eyes visible? This could be a sign that she's in pain.

I had a cat with a similar gait that had 3 crushed discs in her spine. It took forever to diagnose, because she didn't show other normal signs of discomfort. She was rescued at 2 weeks old and bottle-fed, so she was likely injured very very young and probably experience the constant pain as more of a misfiring nervous system.

I would see if you can get her into a vet on Monday. I don't think she needs to be on the brink of death for it to be an emergency. Kittens can be remarkably tough survivors, but they can also be very fragile.
posted by Anoplura at 4:22 PM on May 3, 2020 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: So I went to the vet and after waiting outside on the sidewalk for 2 hours got to hear that there was nothing wrong with her. So I at least appreciate knowing that I wasn't crazy to have brought her in. I'm still not convinced that she doesn't have CH, but if she does have it, it's not the shelter's vet who will have diagnosed it. To address some of the specific ideas and suggestions from the thread, she's clearly not constipated (is pooping frequently and without apparent effort) and she's unlikely to be half-sibs with the other two as she has almost identical markings to her brother.

I set up multiple additional litter boxes with very low sides. Also as you can see in the videos both litter boxes have a shelf next to them that it is easy to step up from. She is still continuing to poop in the food dish. It will be an ongoing process I guess.
posted by phoenixy at 7:27 PM on May 3, 2020 [3 favorites]

She is still continuing to poop in the food dish.

She's done that enough times now to have learned that that's where to do that. Picking her up whenever you see her get in there, and putting her gently into the litter tray instead, should shift that habit reasonably quickly.
posted by flabdablet at 9:14 PM on May 3, 2020 [1 favorite]

You might also care to see what happens if you switch to kitten-grade wet food while they're still tiny, just so she never feels something under her paws that says Scratch Me Up to her little kitten brain when she gets in the food dish.
posted by flabdablet at 10:19 PM on May 3, 2020 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Well, it turns out Jane the Brown was right! A bit more back and forth with the shelter and it turns out these kittens aren't littermates at all. This kitten is likely a few weeks younger than the rest, which explains a lot.
posted by phoenixy at 10:33 PM on May 3, 2020 [7 favorites]

I have a CH cat, aka Yorvit, aka Wobblycat. He sometimes falls over while pooping and gets cat litter on his hindquarters, but otherwise negotiates the litter box pretty well. It was a little hard to tell what was kitten wobbliness from possible CH wobbliness. It seems from your updates that it may just be age, but if the wobbles continue and you want any other insight from my life with my adorable wobblycat, hit me up.
posted by gingerbeer at 7:04 PM on May 4, 2020 [1 favorite]