We spent 2 weeks with tiny Bear in Munich. Bear is a very special kitty; she suffers from congenital hydrocephalus (excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain cavities at birth), which causes her to walk unsteadily (and sometimes fall over), and go to the toilet in random places. She is however a perfectly normal cat in every other way. She is curious, active, playful, and absolutely adores affection and snoozing in sunny spots. Considering how unsteady she looked when walking, it was particularly surprising to see how fast she could run upstairs. And you should have seen her quick and nimble reactions when chasing after a fly!
She is also prone to urinary crystals, which means she is on a strict diet of specially formulated food for this condition, but this didn’t stop her from following us into the kitchen whenever we were preparing food, presumably in the hope that some might come her way! She is actually a little “hoover” and will eat anything (edible or not) she finds on the floor, so not only did we have to be diligent at immediately picking up any spillages in the kitchen, but also at keeping all the floors clean overall, to avoid any “accidental” and unwanted ingestion of random objects.
This was particularly important during our stay, as she had been quite poorly the week before our arrival and lost a considerable amount of weight, so we had to be extra vigilant and watch her closely for any sign of a relapse. Thankfully she went from strength to strength and it was especially rewarding to be able to send daily good news to our hosts about her progress. She is a such a gentle, sweet and loving kitty that it’s simply impossible not to love her!
