A lovely cat suffering from a rare disease will always be an attractive tiny ball of fluff. Despite its age, the creature has the appearance of a kitten only a few weeks old, and owing to its dwarfism, it will remain that way indefinitely.
Emily Tomlinson works in a veterinary clinic in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, where she has gained skills as well as the best gift of all: her pet.
Munchie, a kitten who had been abandoned by his previous owners, arrived in Emily’s arms looking like a pussycat of roughly 4 weeks.
Munchie has a unique kind of dwarfism, according to studies. The kitten has hypoparathyroidism, an uncommon disorder in which the body stops manufacturing parathyroid hormones (the hormone responsible for growth).
“After falling on Boxing Day and spending four nights at the vet on intravenous fluid treatment, we discovered he has hypoparathyroidism; his calcium levels were 0.52 when the usual range is at least 1.9; it was a wonder he didn’t have a seizure.” Only one other cat diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism, like our kitten, has been located outside of the UK. It’s strange.” Emily remarked.
The kitten was 7 months old when he came, but he still appeared like a newborn and weighed just 1.7 kilograms due to his condition. His eyes were also cloudy, which could have been the reason for his abandonment.
“The adorable kitten has bilateral corneal edema, which causes his clouded eyes, but it has no effect on his day-to-day existence.” “The veterinarians estimated he was 3-4 weeks old,” Emily explained.
Emily was working as a veterinarian at the time, but she couldn’t help but fall in love with the creature and chose to adopt her.
“I was employed at a veterinary clinic. He was located in a park and brought to the site by a lady. “I took him in for a week and then adopted him because no one claimed him,” the woman added.
Munchie will not develop any more, but Emily doesn’t mind; in fact, she thinks it adds to the authenticity of the character. The kitten, for the most part, is as inquisitive as any of his type.
“I consider myself really fortunate to have Munchie; he has the sweetest demeanor and enjoys receiving plenty of attention and hugs. “He enjoys playing with his toys,” the mother added.
Emily’s dedication and devotion for the kitten was evident from the start, since she opted to adopt him while still carrying a £2,500 (about $3,400) debt. But that’s not all; medical costs will be a constant in this family’s existence.
“He has a lifelong illness,” Emily continued, “so he’ll require frequent blood tests to check his calcium levels and will be on medicine for the rest of his life.”
None of this, however, bothers this woman, who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring this cat forward. Every sacrifice is worth it to Emily if she can watch Munchie living his life like the other kitties.
“We believe she will have a normal life, but because to the scarcity of knowledge and her rarity, we cannot be certain.” It’s like a regular kitten in that it can climb but not jump since it requires calcium and vitamin D supplements to be steady,” he explained.
This kitten’s nutrition is also based on its size. Munchie eats four times a day and no more than 15g each meal, according to his human. However, with that small amount of energy, the kitten is able to explore the world and play with his adopted siblings.