Mambo and Salsa
Mambo and Salsa arrived with us around the same time in February 2019. They both have cerebellar hypoplasia. We believe that the cause was hypoxia (starvation of oxygen at birth). Both kittens were intensively nursed and they required around the clock supportive care and physio to give them the best chance of survival with the best quality of life possible. They are both now 8 months old (September 2019) and loving life at the rescue. They continue to thrive in the SENSE garden and our volunteers continue to educate visitors about their condition which you can read about on our cerebellar hypoplasia fact sheet.
They are currently our youngest permenant residents here at BCWR, and both have the non-progressive neurological condition known as Cerebellar Hypoplasia.
The pair arrived to us separately within 16 days of one another, however we do believe that due to the nature of their arrival, they are most likely siblings. Salsa arrived on a Thursday morning with her brother Rumba, who also was a CH kitten. The pair were 5 weeks old and practically immobile, neither had mastered the art of balancing or mobility and that in itself took weeks of regularly scheduled physio sessions. The siblings were syringe fed for 2 weeks quite intensively before either began to eat for themselves.
Just at the end of that period was when Mambo arrived, pretty much in the same condition as the pair before him. He was written up for the same care plan as Salsa and Rumba to work on his mobility and increase his weight. The hours were long but ultimately worth it to see these 3 kittens successfully growing into their own individual character.
Upon introduction the trio became the best of friends, they were inseparable; they ate, played and even slept together. They were treated with constant forms of enrichment, even a baby play mat which entertained them for hours. After their first vaccines they were welcomed by the other residents into the sensory garden. They loved the attention of volunteers and visitors on a weekend and were always keen to display a wobbly performance for the ‘cute factor’.
Unfortunately, as with any neurological condition, a cats future isnt certain and Rumba suffered a series of seizures on the evening of the 28th of May and passed away early hours of the 29th. His last few hours were filled with so much love and affection and he is so truely missed.
Currently, Mambo and Salsa are living happy and fullfilled lives at the rescue, growing more in size and character everyday. They absolutely love to be pampered and cuddled and no amount of wobbling can stop that. They may not be the most graceful cats however they definitely have the personality to compensate. Due to the severity of their particular condition, this pair will never be considered for rehoming due to their demanding on going physio, health assessments and welfare requirements.