Flip - Special Needs

Flip is an adorable 6 month old domestic shorthair. She has very special needs and is now looking for an equally special forever home!

Flip was born with a neurological condition called cerebellar hypoplasia, or CH for short. CH in cats is where the cerebellum (the part of the brain that controls fine motor skills and coordination) does not fully mature at birth. (More info and a video of Flip here - https://www.facebook.com/SquishiesRescue/videos/1983152048402565/)

Unfortunately Flip’s CH is moderate to severe which results with her falling over constantly whilst walking and generally being uncoordinated, but she is blissfully unaware that she’s not completely normal! She also has a bit of a head tilt and her head constantly bobs in all directions when she walks. Because of this she does not have the best eyesight or hearing. CH does not cause any pain and the condition will not get worse with age, if anything it can only improve and we have already seen improvements with her in the short time that she has been in care.

Due to Flip not having the best eyesight or hearing, she can at times wake in the middle of the night a bit distressed and unsure of where she is. This has improved a lot since she has been in care though and she even has a sleeping companion now (a soft toy puppy) that has a heartbeat which has made a big difference to her settling better at bed time and not waking up distressed throughout the night.

Flip is currently in care with other adult cats and in true torti fashion she does not hesitate to tell others that she is the boss! To begin with she did hiss at her foster siblings, but with time she has learnt to accept them and we have not had any issues with her. Due to her special needs though, she would rather have her humans all to herself and would do best as an only cat in a mature household, but will coexist with a calm, friendly existing cat/s.

Due to her CH, Flip is looking for a very specific home that will be able to provide her with the best possible life she can have. Flip’s forever home requires the following:

-The home must be mostly carpeted as she has trouble walking on tiles and floorboards
-She needs a few quiet places where she can doze off (she loves to sleep!)
-a dog crate set up as shown in the photo, to act as her “home base”, where she will toilet (at this stage, she can’t manage a litter tray, but will return to her crate to toilet on puppy pads/newspaper), eat and sleep over night, if required. – a suitable crate will cost around $100
-A house/ apartment that does not have stairs as she does like to explore and follow her humans around but is not able to get up and down stairs
-Someone around a lot of the time to keep her company
It is also important that her adopters understand that Flip can get messy at times (falling/standing in her food, etc), which will require giving her a quick bath (which she’s not a fan of!).
Flip is such a happy, adorable little girl and will melt your heart within minutes of meeting her. She’s very affectionate and although she can be a bit messy or a bit stinky at times, she is so worth the extra effort!

Flip is in care in Morwell, but can also be met in Wantirna South by prior arrangement. Flip is not available for interstate adoption. Please note that after a successful meet, a home visit will also need to be made by Flip’s foster mum prior to adoption.