New “CH” Pet Parents
Being like me as a new “specially-abled” pet parent I was unsure what I was embarking on and had a plethora of emotions (mainly excitement! But of course there was a dash of fear in there also). Most of the things I have learned by “on-the-job” training as well as the love, support & guidance of other specially-abled pet parents. I highly suggest you join the many Facebook groups that are dedicated to cerebellar hypoplasia (and other specially-abled!) animals and never be afraid to reach out for questions or guidance! Blogs and forums such as Kitty Cat Chronicles also became my saving grace and honestly the gift that both Bifford and I needed to better understand one another. Learning and patience are the two most important points when adopting (or fostering!) a specially-abled pet!
Below is a list of items, tips, tricks & suggestions compiled by fellow CH-pet parents! Have anything to add to the list? E-mail us today and we will include it!
Play mats like this are ideal for pets who cannot really run around and play. This provides a mat where your special baby can lay on their side and easily play. 
Toys like this are ideal for pets who cannot really run around and play. This provides a mat where your special baby can lay on their side and easily play. 
Having one of these books on hand is GREAT for at-home, after-veterinary-clinic-hours injuries that may result from babies being special (falling, tripping, minor injury etc.,). It is great to have at home as well as a guide for helping stabilize emergencies until you can get them immediate medical attention. 
Having one of these books on hand is GREAT for at-home, after-veterinary-clinic-hours injuries that may result from babies being special (falling, tripping, minor injury etc.,). It is great to have at home as well as a guide for helping stabilize emergencies until you can get them immediate medical attention 
Non scented, sensitive baby wipes are great to keep around the house as well! I use these to wipe eye nose/eye boogers, any “danglers” that may be left on Bifford’s behind after bathroom time as well as wiping dirty paws! 
Play mats like this are ideal for pets who cannot really run around and play. This provides a mat where your special baby can lay on their side and easily play. 
Play mats like this are ideal for pets who cannot really run around and play. This provides a mat where your special baby can lay on their side and easily play! 
If you have a long-hair special baby like Bifford then unfortunately mats in the hair can be somewhat common! Having a dematting tool on hand will help provide you with the ability to gently yet effectively remove any mats in the hair before they go on too long (if you let mats go they can get tighter and tighter to the skin causing a great deal of pain as well as potentially tracking moisture which can then cause a skin infection!) This provides less trauma to your pet (you do not have to snip/shave or use a brush to tug! 
If you have a long-hair special baby like Bifford then unfortunately mats in the hair can be somewhat common! Having a dematting tool on hand will help provide you with the ability to gently yet effectively remove any mats in the hair before they go on too long (if you let mats go they can get tighter and tighter to the skin causing a great deal of pain as well as potentially tracking moisture which can then cause a skin infection!) This provides less trauma to your pet (you do not have to snip/shave or use a brush to tug! 
If you have a second story home and want to keep your pet on one floor (NEVER ALLOW YOUR SPECIAL BABY UNATTENDED ON STAIRS!) provides a safe & ideal way to keep your special baby from attempting stairs unsupervised! 
If you have a second story home and want to keep your pet on one floor (NEVER ALLOW YOUR SPECIAL BABY UNATTENDED ON STAIRS!) provides a safe & ideal way to keep your special baby from attempting stairs unsupervised! 
Pee Pads (either washable or disposable) are really ideal to have around the home (we use washable pads here which are ideal if they get soiled just chuck them into the wash and reuse them!) We also place these around the litterbox or under food/water dishes. 
Feliway is a natural pheromone spray that captures the endorphins that mother cats used to release to their kittens whenever they were stressed/upset. It comes in a spray/collar/plug in (nonscented to us! And not harmful to other non-cat friends. They also made a dog equivalent!) 
Feliway is a natural pheromone spray that captures the endorphins that mother cats used to release to their kittens whenever they were stressed/upset. It comes in a spray/collar/plug in (nonscented to us! And not harmful to other non-cat friends. They also made a dog equivalent!) 
Thundershirts are GREAT for babies that get easily stressed/nervous/anxious! Mimicking the same ideals of when you swaddle an upset baby – the thundershirt does the same action! 
When you get your pet spayed/neutered sometimes hard plastic e-collars cause them great stress and sometimes injury because they are traumatized by those plastic cones of shame. NEVER EVER LET YOUR PET GO WITHOUT AN E-COLLAR/ONSIE AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN SPAYED!! All it takes is ONE time for your pet to be left alone and able to work at their spay sutures causing infection (or worse, ending in a fatality) These properly cover any spay incision thus preventing your pet from licking or chewing at the suture site (plus they are super adorable and able to be machine washed!) 
When you get your pet spayed/neutered sometimes hard plastic e-collars cause them great stress and sometimes injury because they are traumatized by those plastic cones of shame. NEVER EVER LET YOUR PET GO WITHOUT AN E-COLLAR/ONSIE AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN SPAYED!! All it takes is ONE time for your pet to be left alone and able to work at their spay sutures causing infection (or worse, ending in a fatality) 
Mats such as this one are GREAT to play in front of the litterbox/litter trays to capture any spillage or little bits of litter (they are easy to shake out and some have pockets underneath that makes it easy to fold the mat and siphon spillage into the trash) 
When you get your pet spayed/neutered sometimes hard plastic e-collars cause them great stress and sometimes injury because they are traumatized by those plastic cones of shame. NEVER EVER LET YOUR PET GO WITHOUT AN E-COLLAR/ONSIE AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN SPAYED!! All it takes is ONE time for your pet to be left alone and able to work at their spay sutures causing infection (or worse, ending in a fatality) 
Soft side or canvas carriers allow these special babies the ability to not hurt themselves on hard plastic carriers or injure themselves/break a tooth on metal carrier bars 
When you get your pet spayed/neutered sometimes hard plastic e-collars cause them great stress and sometimes injury because they are traumatized by those plastic cones of shame. NEVER EVER LET YOUR PET GO WITHOUT AN E-COLLAR/ONSIE AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN SPAYED!! All it takes is ONE time for your pet to be left alone and able to work at their spay sutures causing infection (or worse, ending in a fatality) 
When you get your pet spayed/neutered sometimes hard plastic e-collars cause them great stress and sometimes injury because they are traumatized by those plastic cones of shame. NEVER EVER LET YOUR PET GO WITHOUT AN E-COLLAR/ONSIE AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN SPAYED!! All it takes is ONE time for your pet to be left alone and able to work at their spay sutures causing infection (or worse, ending in a fatality) These properly cover any spay incision thus preventing your pet from licking or chewing at the suture site (plus they are super adorable and able to be machine washed!) 
When you get your pet spayed/neutered sometimes hard plastic e-collars cause them great stress and sometimes injury because they are traumatized by those plastic cones of shame. NEVER EVER LET YOUR PET GO WITHOUT AN E-COLLAR/ONSIE AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN SPAYED!! All it takes is ONE time for your pet to be left alone and able to work at their spay sutures causing infection (or worse, ending in a fatality) 
Nail caps give these babies the ability to keep their nails (which they need to climb onto furniture) as well as protect your legs/arms from unintentional “booboos” (plus we are staunchly AGAINST declawing!) 
Littergenies are FANTASTIC for pet parents (both special pet parents and non special alike) providing an easy and convenient way of disposing of litter clumps (plus there is no foul odor!) 
We utilize these “bowl mats” WITHOUT the stainless steel/hard plastic bowls in them. They easily hold food/water and capture any spillage as well as prevent any injury if your pet would “head but” the dish lip. Plus they are easy to clean & dishwasher safe! 
Instead of the trauma of soaking your special baby in the bathtub, Burt’s Bees waterless shampoo removes the stress and trauma of a traditional bath while leaving your pet smelling fresh & clean! 
Burts Bees wipes allow new pet parents the ability to wipe away any “messes” that may arise from their special babies falling in the litterboxes (or maybe not yet mastered the art of the litterbox just yet) . 
Corner guards such as these are great for those wobbly babies that may bump into things (and get little boo-boos!), you can also use foam pool noodles that you can cut down to size and place on any sharp/hazardous spots. 
Interactive toys such as this one are a GREAT way to entertain (and exercise) your special baby where they do not have to run and chase it but can lay on their side to play with it (plus it is pretty sturdy so if your special baby is a tad rough on toys like Bifford is then they have a harder time damaging it!)
- If you notice your new special baby stressed or overly anxious try to utilize the Feliway spray as well as try to get your baby into a “routine”. I noticed that Bifford enjoyed having a semi-structured routine (we woke him up from his “big boy room” and fed him breakfast, then we would let him play the day away with his brother and sisters then “mommy” would be home from work so he got snuggle time then it was dinnertime and then lounging with “mom and dad” before bedtime). I found that if anything derailed his routine in such a dramatic way he would freak out (and eventually that turned into stress cystitis, but that is a topic for another post!
- Schedule regular dental cleanings/examinations! I cannot tell you how many times when I first brought Bifford home would he sneeze a little too aggressively or be playing and “biff” it a little to hard and hurt his mouth or even chip a tooth! By having regular dental cleanings done I was able to address any injured teeth (injured= extremely painful).
- Construct a first aid kit for cats! This will come in handy if your little angel stumbles and falls or gets a “booboo” that may need a little attention when your veterinarian is closed (or you need to address and stabilize while en route to the veterinarian!)
- Invest in a low lip litter box! We actually made “BHOP” (Bifford’s House of Poop” which was a 13 gallon Rubbermaid container that Bifford’s “dad” cut a hole out on the bottom of one side (always use caution when using power/sharp tools!) This way Bifford could easily bobble into BHOP and do his absolute worse inside and there was no spillage or issue! He could also fall in it (or sometimes, play) without him knocking the entire thing over or causing any damage/injury!
- COMMUNICATION! When you adopt one of these special babies call your regular veterinarian right away (or send them a letter/postcard!) letting them know you adopted a specially abled pet (e-mail us if you would like our informational packet for veterinarians/veterinary staff) and if they have any questions (or maybe concerns) about these special babies. (Check out our map of veterinarians that are aware and understand these special kiddos here)
First Aid Kit Suggestions/Inventory:
- Blood Clotting Powder (Styptic Powder)
- Saline Wound Flush (Arm & Hammer Simply Saline Wound Wash)
- Wound Disinfectant (e.g., Povidone Iodine or Chlorhexidine Diacetate)
- Cotton Balls/Swabs
- Gauze Pads (“sponges”)
- Non-Stick Bandage Pads
- Gauze Roll
- Bandage Tape
- Blunt-Tip Bandage Scissors
- Splint(s)
- 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
- Antibiotic Ointment
- Eye Flush (saline)
- Battery Powered Beard Trimmer/Hair Clippers (for trimming fur around wounds — it’s best to avoid using scissors for this purpose) & do not forget to get batteries!
- Digital Thermometer
- Lube (Surgilube Lube or Petroleum Jelly)
- Instant-Cold Packs
- Muzzle (pets in pain are more likely to bite — even their owner)
- Oral Syringes
- Pillowcase (Makes for a great and quick temporary transport “makeshift cat carrier” in a pinch!)
- Exam Gloves
- Flashlight
- List of emergency veterinary facilities, regular veterinary physician, and other important numbers!
- Tweezers/Hemostats
- Antiseptic Spray/Wipes
- Towel/Blanket
- Nail Clippers (for animals)