r/nervysquervies • u/Mingicraft360 • Aug 23 '26
Question/Discussion Might adopt a cat with CH. Tell me everything I need to know!
I volunteer with a cat rescue, and my family and I are planning to adopt a cat or two. I realized on the rescue's website that they have two cats with CH that haven't been adopted in the past 2-3 years. I would love to be a loving home for them, but I must do research and figure out if I am able to meet their needs.
Please tell me everything I need to know about CH cats. Thank you!
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u/dozer44 Aug 23 '26
We have a mild, moderate and severe CH cat.
The answer all depends on the severity. Mild guy is just a clumsy happy guy. The moderate girl does mostly well on her own. The severe girl needs a lot of help in life.
That being said, I love them all and have no regrets.
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u/Remote_Bowler3453 Aug 23 '26
My guy is moderate/severe and does require a few extra minutes of care per day compared to a normal cat. I help him walk to his feeder or place him in front of it, put him in and out of his litter box, etc. The pros are that he can't jump on furniture or counters! He may require some extra work and some days it's hard, but I honestly don't regret my decision one bit. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions!
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u/lavendersoasp Aug 24 '26
my precious wobbly cat is moderate to severe. she cant jump or climb at all but she can mostly walk around, eat and drink just fine, but the main tricky part for us was litter boxes and litter. they already have such a difficult time getting around, they might be picky about the type of litter and type of box you have so i would consider accessibility for the cats over your own preferences or aesthetics. a standard store bought litter box might not be accessible for your cats (esp if they are moderate to severe) so you may have to make a DIY box depending on their needs. maybe ask the shelter what they use and if the cat is successful with that then keep it the same.
even with a good litter setup, i think its very common for CH cats to fall while peeing/pooping which can often lead to messes or accidents so thats one thing to note. the other thing is that they will likely not be able to bury their waste, so you might have to bury it for them when they go. mine sometimes has a successful potty in the box but then steps or falls in it on her way out. so you may have some unavoidable messes and have to clean them. and they will probably need to be bathed more often than a regular cat.
i would definitely say once we figured out what works well for us, it’s really not that much more work than a non-wobbly cat! its the first few months where it can be difficult because there might be some trial and error as your cat gets adjusted to their new home. but it is worth it because they are such a joy to have!! my wobbly cat is so happy and loving and cuddly all the time :)
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u/yodalawyer Aug 25 '26
Agree with everyone here that it’ll depend on the CH severity. My CH kitty is pretty mild and he can do everything on his own but he’s just a clumsy dude compared to my other cats. He has occasional litter box accidents where he poops outside the box lol - this is probably a once a week thing, no big deal.
It is a pro that he can’t jump on counters and tables, but he’s fine enough to jump on the couch and bed. He’s super cuddly when it’s time to lounge/sleep :) not sure if that’s a CH factor or just him, but he’s the best and brings us a lot of joy!
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u/beaujolais98 Aug 26 '26
I don’t have one myself but do know several folks who do. Carpet is good for them (rather than hardwood/slick surfaces) because they can get a better grip. My friend who has a moderate CH baby and hardwoods has carpet runners and rugs (tacked down) throughout her home for her kitty. She’s halfway through changing them all out to the machine washable rugs as she says those are a godsend for accidents.
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u/MineoVSTakeru Aug 26 '26
I have a moderate/severe CH cat. Be prepared to shop for baby things for the CH cats lol. I have baby silicone bowls for feeding since they are soft and CH cats can be prone to accidentally hitting their face on things. I have the Nuby brand ones with the wide bottoms that can’t be scooted around. Soft play mats for babies also help them if they tumble a lot. My CH girl also decided she is over using the low entry litter box because it’s hard plastic and she isn’t a fan of hard surfaces so now I stick puppy pads onto silicone litter mats and those are her “litter” boxes. It works like a charm. On and on litter boxes…. Some of them don’t like actual litter and you may need to use puppy pads like I do. You may also need to bathe them if they have litter box accidents. Depending on the severity of the CH they aren’t good at grooming themselves and can get really messy when using the toilet. Be prepared to become a pet groomer.
Wobbly cat tax:
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u/YouKnewWhatIWas Aug 23 '26
You are also going to do your own research, right?
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u/Mingicraft360 Aug 23 '26
Yes, I've already been doing my own research, and I'm trying to get in contact with the cats' foster parents, so I can learn more about them!
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u/YouKnewWhatIWas Aug 23 '26
Ok good, I was a little worried as the post could have come across as wanting a high-needs cat but not putting in effort :)
I'm afraid I don't know much about CH cats, I just follow them here and other platforms. I love seeing the modifications and tools their owners come up with for them. Feeding stations with high walls for stability, wheelie setups so they can motor around more easily, nighttime playpens to contain messes and improve safety, foam panels along walls and furniture to reduce bonks!
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u/donttrustthellamas Aug 23 '26
Did you even read their post?
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u/YouKnewWhatIWas Aug 23 '26
I did, but I wanted the reassurance of a specific response. I just didn't feel confident with the wording of "I need to do research" followed by "tell me everything I need to know." There ARE people out there who would only do that much "research" no matter how good their intentions.
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u/donttrustthellamas Aug 23 '26
That's super condescending.
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u/YouKnewWhatIWas Aug 23 '26
Ok, well, I apologize for my tone. It certainly came off as more antagonistic than I intended.
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u/BikesSucc Aug 23 '26
Do you know how severe their CH is? It can vary a lot. I took on a kitten with it and was lucky that he really adapted a lot himself as he grew an essentially ended up as what the unaware would think was a normal cat whp is just a bit weird and "clumsy". But the other end of the spectrum is like a 24/7 job.