* Shimmy and Shakes have been adopted together! Woo hoo! *

Shimmy and Shakes were found as strays and brought to Hamilton Animal Services. Both kittens have a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. “Cerebellar hypoplasia (CH) is a condition where a kitten’s brain does not finish growing and remains in an immature state due to a viral infection in the mother cat. The infection causes a pause in the unborn kitten’s brain development, specifically to the area called the cerebellum, which is responsible for coordinated movement and balance.”

Shimmy and Shakes’ wobble is significant, but doesn’t prevent them from eating, playing and doing otherwise normal kitten things. They’re actually a very sweet pair!

We are very lucky to have a foster mom who is experienced with CH kittens, and Shimmy and Shakes are now setting in at their new foster home with her. They are seemingly healthy at the moment, but we’ll know more at their upcoming vet visit.

Welcome to Ladybird, Shimmy and Shakes! We’re so happy you’re here!

May 30/24 UPDATE
Our recently rescued Cerebellar hypoplasia kittens, Shimmy & Shakes, are doing great in their foster home. They play together, eat together, and nap together. Safe to say they’re bonded, so when they’re ready, we’ll be asking they be adopted as a pair.

We love you. Shimmy and Shakes!

July 2/24 UPDATE
Shimmy and Shakes continue to thrive in their foster home. They’re the most adorable wobble kittens you’ll ever meet! Shimmy and Shakes are scheduled to be fixed next week, and they’ll be made available for adoption once they’re healed from their surgeries.
Go, Shimmy and Shakes!

July 13/24 UPDATE
Everything went great with Shimmy and Shakes’ spay and neuter surgeries. They were back to their wobbly selves almost immediately after surgery. Back in their foster home, they are eating and playing like nothing happened! Little troopers, these two.
We’ll give them a bit of time to recover, and if they heal up without issue, they’ll be available for adoption very soon!
Good job, Shimmy & Shakes!

July 19/24 UPDATE

Shimmy and Shakes are ready for their forever home!
Here’s a note from their foster mom:
“Say Hello to Shimmy and Shakes! These two Cerebellar hypoplasia kittens have been
in my foster care for a couple months now and they are wonderful! When they are not
playing with each other (or one of my 5 cats) they are sleeping in what I call a “cuddle
puddle”. I have fostered many kittens over the years and these two are a truly bonded
pair.
So, what can you expect with 2 CH kitties in your home…lots of fun, laughs and the
occasional moment that may make you cringe (you will get over that as it is just the way
they are). They will fall over when walking, they will fall over when they try to climb (and
they can do it so couch time will be abundant) they will fall over when eating. This is
just a very cute part of who they are. This condition requires no medication and will not
get any better or any worse over the years. They need maintain a slim body condition
as extra weight will make it more difficult for them to move.
Some things to consider when adopting CH kittens. They would do best on one level as
they are terrible at navigating stairs. Making sure you can close off doors to the
basement is very important. Areas with carpet are helpful as well for traction. They
may a little bit of a mess while eating (Shakes like to lay down beside the bowl, stick his
paw in and then eat). They will get kibble out of the bowl…but down worry that are very
good with cleaning up their mess! As for the litter box…don’t worry they use it no
problem. But be prepared for some minor messes. Sometimes one may fall over and
get a little something icky on them. A quick wipe with a damp cloth is all they need.
They do sometimes fall in and out of the box so keep a little broom handy. I
recommend a large size box (I use under the bed boxes, low and long) I would also
suggest cutting down one side so that they don’t have to high step into the box.
All I can say is that your house will be full of love and laughs with these two special
kitties around. They will melt your heart and love you for who you are…as long as you
love them for who they are…wobbles and all!”

Want to help the wobbly kittens? Monetary donations are always needed, and donations of canned/dry Royal Canin kitten food, and non-clumping and/or newspaper based cat litter are very much appreciated!
Options for donating items:
🐾 Dundas Pet Valu – 86 Main Street, Dundas, Ontario. Purchase items in-store and leave in the donation bin.
🐾 Amazon Wish List – Purchase items and have them delivered directly to us!