Thanks to one special cat, other cats with Cerebellar Hypoplasia have an inspiration to look to! And that particular cat is named Brutiss.
Brutiss is a disabled cat that lives in Boston, Massachusetts. When Brutiss was discovered in a garden at just a few weeks old, her mother had abandoned her. But a kind veterinarian, named Shanna Egan, bottle-fed the kitten back to health and ended up adopting her.
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Shanna shared about how Brutiss received her special name. “She was only a couple hours old when found, so we gave her a ‘tough name.’ Then, as she grew, we realized she was a girl (so we just changed the spelling and went with it).”
Born with Cerebellar Hypoplasia, Brutiss experiences tremors that make it hard to balance herself. But this disease doesn’t cause her any pain, just makes it more challenging to get around.
Shanna’s parents wanted to help out Brutiss, so they built a custom wheelchair for her using PVC pipes, wheels, and a ferret harness to secure the kitten in the walker.
“Bru took to the walker pretty quickly, within a few minutes,” Shanna shared. “We added booties to help her get better traction on the hardwood flooring.”
So with some love and ingenuity, Brutiss is thriving and enjoying her life as a disabled cat.
“Brutiss needs some extra help, but in other ways, she’s just like any other indoor cat – she naps, plays, eats, etc.,” said Shanna.
Brutiss even swims! “As long as the water is warm, she’s fine with it! She has a life jacket to help with buoyancy,” Shanna shared.
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And another thing that is surprising about Brutiss is that she is a talented artist! The cat enjoys making creative, abstract patterns on canvas. And Shanna has auctioned off some of her masterpieces and used the proceeds to help other special needs cats in Salem, MA.
What an inspiring cat that doesn’t let a disability keep her from living a great life!
h/t: Cole and Marmalade
Featured Image Credit: Facebook