Happy Tail: Sammie

Sammie’s story has a rough beginning but then he came to Last Hope and things took a turn for the better! We rescued him from a hoarding situation where he was struggling with Cerebellar Hypoplasia, a condition that makes him very wobbly. But Last Hope came to his rescue and through the dedication of volunteers, and a special Facebook page, we were able to find him a wonderful forever home!

Sammie is a very special two-year-old boy. His life hasn’t been easy up to this point and came to Last Hope with a very sad story as he came to us from a hoarding situation and was very underweight. However, he is as smart as a whip and knows how to get his way. His favorite thing is to curl on a lap and knead his toes and purr up a storm.

Sammie is a special needs cat. While he has not officially been diagnosed by a vet, we are 99% sure that he has Cerebellar Hypoplasia. It is something he was born with when his mother contracted Panleukopenia (feline distemper) while she was pregnant. Our research shows that CH is not contagious, he is not a carrier, and cats with CH are not in pain and are capable of a full and happy life. CH cats should not be allowed outside as there are too many dangers and they are too uncoordinated to protect themselves. Experts say they should also not be declawed and they do better on a carpeted or rug surfaces as opposed to wood or linoleum. CH cats do not have coordination in their legs so they stumble and fall a lot. If you want to learn more about CH cats go to http://chcat.org/about-ch-cats

As a result, Sammie needed someone committed and dedicated to accommodating his needs. When eating, CH cats have a tendency to stand up; so we have built him a food stand that brings his food up 6” higher. This simple accommodation has helped him put on some weight, but he needs to put on a bit more. He loves both wet and dry food, but dry is harder for him to eat because it slides around so much in the bowl. Wetting it a bit does help. When eating, Sammie makes a woodpecker bobbing motion, so it is important the he has soft silicon bowls to eat and drink from so that he won’t break any more of his teeth. He also needs a home where he cannot gain access to stairs, as he could be seriously injured falling down stairs.

After a little bit of time, we found Sammie a great home with Jill! He is doing great in his new home, has gained some weight, and gets along with his doggy and kitty siblings. There is even another cat in the home with CH. Thank you, Jill, for opening your heart and home to this special guy and loving him just as much as we do! Happy life, little guy!