Mandy was working at a rescue in Kansas City, Missouri, when she noticed a black special needs kitten at the organization was having trouble finding a forever home. “He was with another foster at the time,” remembers Mandy. “I kept seeing posts about him and noticed he was having a hard time getting any adoption interest.”

She knew it was most likely because of the color of his fur, as black cats often have difficulty finding homes, and because he was born with cerebellar hypoplasia (CH), a nonprogressive neurological condition that affects balance and coordination. CH occurs in utero, usually when a pregnant cat is exposed to a virus, such as feline panleukopenia, causing her kittens to be born with underdeveloped cerebellums. “The cerebellum is responsible for motor skills and coordination, so — as you can imagine — if it’s undeveloped, it causes them to wobble,” explains Mandy. “Luckily, it does not cause any pain or dizziness and they can live a long, normal life.”

Confident she would be able to give the adorable special needs kitten a great life, Mandy adopted him on November 3, 2020, when he was approximately three months old. “I have always wanted to open my home and heart to a special needs animal,” says Mandy, “and I knew it was time.”

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