Stunted cat growth 6mo old and only the size of a 2-3 mo old

[BamaLady1957]

My daughter has a cat ( " Buggie" )that is 6 months old and has not grown since around the age of 2-3 months old. We are taking her to the vet this week. She seems to be physically challenged to some extent and mental developmentally challenged as well. She was one of 6 kittens born in May 2007. One of them died, leaving 5.. 4 of which grew normally and are over twice as large as little "Buggie". She is proportioned properly to her size but just very very tiny . the only thing different is her big big eyes

Buggie has these huge eyes and a very petite almost fragile looking little body with a fat pot belly. She has been dewormed. She eats like a little demon. She is probably not more than a little over one pound in weight.

She did not learn to purr until she was almost 4 months old and does not yet meow at all. She only this past month learned to actually be playful in the sense of chasing a string or a ribbon, but she only does it very minimally. She has behaved almost like a new born kitten for the better part of her first three months of life wanting to only stay and snuggle with the mother cat constantly.

She is not physically deformed at all,but just has a somewhat odd look about her. She almost waddles when she walks and she doesnt scamper around like a 6 month old would. Her little back feet turn outward when she walks. She is such a sweet little kitty, and definitely a " special kitty" in every sense of the word.

Has any one ever had or seen or experienced a somewhat dwarfed cat, that is developmentally challenged physically and mentally?

What could cause this and how likely is it that she is healthy?

We are definitely taking her to the vet to get her checked out. SHould have done it long ago, but my daughter has been dealing with some personal life issues and just had not had the chance to take little Buggie to the Dr yet...... we are doing that this week though........ thanks for any thoughts or opinions you can give us..........CS

[Traci]

Yes, she should have been thoroughly examed when you first had her.

This could be anything from nutritional deficiency, cerebellar hypoplasia (as a result of distemper), liver shunting, to congenital defects. My guess is possibly a combination of poor nutrition and possibly CH, although liver shunting is a strong possibility. There could also still be a worm burden, and if a vet didn't deworm properly (or if you didn't), worms/coccidia/bacterial overgrowth could still be a problem. (NEVER use over-the-counter deworming products, they are worthless and could be dangerous). The "pot-belly" appearance should also be addressed immediately, since this could be accumulation of fluid or air (rule out FIP and GI tract problem, malabsorption due to nutritional deficiencies and worms). If vomiting/diarrhea was or is present, rule out diaphragmatic hernia as well as liver shunting.

Get her to a vet immediately for a comprehensive exam, xrays to determine bone development problems, bloodwork to determine nutritional deficiencies, test for FELV/FIV, fecal exam to rule out worms, and liver profile to rule out liver shunting. The ataxia in the limbs needs to be addressed, if it is congential or a bone formation problem, a qualified vet surgeon should be consulted to see if surgery is an option (in some cases, the younger the kitten, the more successful surgery can be). This also applies to liver shunting, if there is an extra-hepatic liver shunt present, and if kitten is otherwise healthy, surgery to correct the shunt at an early age can be successful (although you need to see a board-certified vet surgeon for this).


Do not wait, kitten needs to be seen NOW. See a qualified feline-only vet or a veterinary specialist IMMEDIATELY.