Franklin

Franklin is a 3 months old tabby male and he and his brother, Ike, came in to the care of the RSPCA South Cotswolds Branch when they were 9 weeks old.

Claire McGill, Branch Development Manager, explains why Franklin is so special: “Franklin and Ike’s owner had been told by the vet that Franklin had a condition called Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH, for short) which would affect him for all of his life, basically making him wobbly and fall over quite a lot. This diagnosis contained a very large couple of words that the owner didn’t fully understand and even after an explanation, the owner decided that she did not want a kitten that was not 100% healthy.

“It seems that CH occurs when the cerebellum, that portion of the brain responsible for movement control, is underdeveloped or damaged. This is caused through an infection from an unvaccinated mother cat before the kitten is born. Obviously, not all the kittens in Franklin’s litter were affected, since his brother is fine. The symptoms of CH start to show up as soon as the kittens start to move.

“The term ‘wobbly kitten’ or ‘bendy kitten’ is also used to describe kittens with CH. In Franklin’s case, he just falls over every now and again. There is no cure for CH and there are varying degrees of seriousness of CH. From observing Franklin, his CH is not severe and he can move quite well though he will always fall over here and there.”

However, Franklin has a personality that far outweighs his disability – and besides, Franklin has no idea he even has a disability. For him, falling over is just part of life and he just gets up again and starts where he left off.

Claire says: “Franklin is a most affectionate little lad and the RSPCA South Cotswolds Branch would love for Franklin to have a home of his own. He will need a little more care than an ordinary kitten in that he will be better in a home without stairs – he goes up the stairs beautifully, but does have a bit of trouble on the way down! He can be an ‘outdoor’ cat but will have to have someone with him as he shouldn’t really be up a tree without a hand to get down. We would love for him to be rehomed with his brother, Ike, who is perfectly normal. Franklin and Ike have always been together and are great companions.”

Franklin’s condition is not a health problem – just a little hiccup in his coordination. He will be a wonderful member for any family who can give him just a little extra boost at times. Is there that perfect someone out there willing to offer him, and Ike, a home in return for many years of love and companionship?

Franklin truly is a special lad looking for that special home.