Moki the Wobbly Cat

In honor of Pefinder’s Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week I’d like to share the story of  Moki the Wobbly Cat as told by his Mommy Crystal.  I “met” Moki and his Momvirtually this past year and hope you find their story as touching and inspiring as I did.

Please note: Though called a “wobbly cat,” Moki is not kitty suffering from CH (Cerebellum Hyperplasia), and his lifestyle/treatment should not be confused as such.

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I first met Moki at a no-kill, feline only, shelter where I volunteered. While my normal duties included medicating the cats and cleaning various aspects of the free roaming shelter, I decided to make an exception and foster Moki because he was just too cute not to.

He was about 3 months old when he became extremely sick; the veterinarians gave him a poor prognoses. Since the shelter was low on funds they could not afford to try and save his life, particularly when faced with the choice of investing money in a cat they knew they could save, or one who might not make it through the night.

Moki and his duckie doing hydrotherapy

Then and there I decided to adopt Moki, whose illness left him with a both a severe neurological and orthopedic disorder.

One of the most vivid moments I can recall occurred when I transported Moki from the shelter’s regular vet who could not offer around-the-clock care, to their emergency vet By the time I got him there his body was lifeless and they told me I should say my goodbyes. Moki was my first foster and I felt that somehow I had failed the poor little guy.

I cried as I handed him over and started saying my goodbyes. At that moment Moki used all his strength to lift his paw and reach out across the table for me, as if to say don’t give up on me just yet. That’s when I insisted the vets do a blood transfusion in hopes it would keep him alive long enough for us to find some sort of treatment.

Four year old Moki relaxing at home

The first night Moki was in the ER he made such a complete turn-around that the doctor who came on shift the following morning asked me to come down and verify Moki was the same cat whose medical chart she was reading. She thought maybe somehow his medical chart had gotten mixed up in the middle of the night because his turn-around was so drastic.

Moki is four years old now and although he is still disabled he has never let his disability stop him from enjoying his life.

Relaxed Moki during an acupuncture session

The bond I share with Moki is definitely different from those with my other cats. He has always required a greater deal of care and it’s funny but the other cats seem to know this and do not mind for they to pay special attention to him. Fortunately there are three people who live in my house and I have three cats so each cat get equal amounts of attention.

Moki has served as the greatest role model I could ever ask for. For he has thought me that anything is possible, no matter how difficult you might perceive it to be, if you just believe in yourself.

Moki and Orange Boy snuggling

Be sure to check out The Wobbly Cat website (dedicated to specially-abled animals and their humans) as well as Moki’s facebook page and YouTube channel!

Here’s a sweet video that explains his condition a little and shows him in action!

Crystal Fogg, is a full-time student, part-time blogger and special needs animal advocate. For the past four years she has been helping to educate the general public about special needs pets through the sharing of Moki’s story.

She has first hand experience working with disabled animals and has studied veterinary assisting, animal biology, microbiology, virology, massage therapy, accounting and cultural and medical anthropology amongst other things.

Currently you can find her doing some consulting work for both Scout’s House Small Animal Physical Rehabilitation and Scout’s Fund, a non-profit fund dedicated to under writing the cost of physical rehabilitation for disabled shelter & service animals.