# Dwarfism in cats...



## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

Is there such a thing??


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Yes. Just as it can occur in many other species. Dwarfism in all of its' forms creates its' own brands of problems for the person/animal and they are usully plagued with health and physiological problems.

..._scroll down for the section on dwarfism_...
http://www.messybeast.com/freak-size.htm


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

Thankyou. Very interesting link.

Scooter Bug looks so weird. That's why I was wondering about dwarfism in cats.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Post a piccie and we'll see if we think we're seeing what you think you're seeing?


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

Well I'll try! That little thing is FAST. Lol. I need to get a side view...that is when he looks so weird and not proportioned correctly all. But he's still my Scooter Bug and I think he's a cutie. Lol


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

Please read all of this before coming up with thoughts on him going by his photos. I'm going to tell you all what I see since these photos don't exactly show what I see every day. 

1.) When he walks around in a relaxed manner his back does slope upward as seen in these photos. His butt is quite a bit higher then his shoulders. 
2.) These photos were taken after he had a belly full of food, but that doesn't change his posture any. Even prior to eating breakfast or supper, he still looks the same, weird. lol
3.) His back paws cow hock out.
4.) His front paws are pidgeon toed or pidgeon pawed. Lol. It's hard to see it in these photos but when he's just walking around and I am not pestering him trying to get photos his front paws turn inward.
5.) His body is huge compared to his head, as you will see in some of these photos.
6.) He has big ears and big eyes to go with his small head.

He seems to not be growing much at all...if any. I thought it was because my mom and I see him daily so we just didn't noticed it. Well, both of my brothers, my sister, and my sister in law have seen him here and there and they keep asking, is he growing yet? They can't believe he hasn't grown much.

He has grown since I brougth him home. He came home when he was approx 2wks old. He is now close to 11wks.
He doesn't have fleas. And he's been wormed. So he's fine with that. He's happy healthy and spunky. He's very active and curious. And he is FAST. lol He is a mutt kitten. I know the person who had him. Very irresponsible. Didn't get the cats spayed so it's possible there's inbreeding in him. Could be malnutrition. Prior to getting him, the nutrition wasn't good. Infact I don't believe he was fed around the clock with formula....I believe that is why his two sisters didn't make it. I just didn't get them in time. *sighs*

Just curious, what age can kittens get neutered at? 

Here are two videos of him wondering around the kitchen when he was 2.5-3wks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chiREGKZOIQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2E0oIQMvl0


These are the photos I've taken today. He's close to 11wks.



















































Ok so there's the pictures and the videos. What do you think of my odd looking kitty?

**BTW-If you think he's ugly, please refrain yourself from stating that. Telling me he's ugly isn't going to help in determining if this is just the irrespondsible breeding, malnutrition, or something more serious.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

I don't think he's a dwarf. I think the medical diagnosis is KITTEN. Looks normal to me.

My 12 pound cat's butt is high relative to the body. That's common.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I think ScooterBug looks adorable! ... but I think he should be taller, too. 11-12wks old should be at least 8-9" tall at the shoulders and *look* like a teenager kitty, and he looks like he'd barely make 6" like a smaller kitten.
7wk old kitten:








12wk old kittens:


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

I'll measure him and see just how tall the brat is!  Thanks for the replies!


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

My niece came up at the right time. Measured him. He's 5 inches where his shouldblades are.

BTW- I redid the math to double check, and he is almost 11 wks old.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

whiteghost said:


> Measured him. He's 5 inches where his shouldblades are.
> ...he is almost 11 wks old.


He is too small for that age. 
By two months old, kittens are sort of 'tall and gangly looking'. By three months old, they should be even taller and more gangly looking. They keep that tall/thin/gangly look until they reall strat filling out, like around 7-10mo old, though still looking a bit immature. By a year to year-and-a-half is when they should look like fully grown cats.

Scooter Bug's legs are *very* short. 
Look at the front legs on this 11wk old kitten:









*I think you're correct in what you're seeing. I don't know how this will change his care and I'm sure you can love him just the same as every other cat. Maybe you could do a search on achondroplasia dwarfism and see what kinds of medical problems could arise...


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## chris10 (Feb 20, 2006)

There are a breed of cats called munchkins. Some, if they carry the gene, will have short legs. And are somewhat smaller in kitten stage, well at least the ones I have seen. I describe them as feline dachshunds. I have a munchkin. But he doesn't carry the gene, so he has normal legs.


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

I doubt he has that breed of cat in him. Those cats that were at that house were just the typical mix breeds that kept reproducing b/c their owner didnt get them fixed.


So you think he has achondroplasia dwarfism?


Thanks


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

whiteghost said:


> So you think he has achondroplasia dwarfism?
> Thanks


I don't know. AD tends to shorten the limbs and that was the first thing I thought of. BTW, anything I know about AD comes from watching the TV show "Little People, Big World", so don't think of me as an expert in the field! My skills lie more towards socializing feral cats.


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

OMG I love that TV show!!!!


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## chris10 (Feb 20, 2006)

may or may not. They are only a breed now since people are breeding cats that specifically have the naturally occurring genetic mutation. Before that, and I am sure still today, any normal cats could be born with short legs. Meaning they got the luck of the draw with genes.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

IMO, the "Munchkin" cat is a genetic and medical abnormality and should not be deliberately bred, so I am in agreement with the fore-runners of cat breed registration associations. Yes, '_naturally occuring genetic mutations_' do occur naturally, I mean, _of course_, it's *nature*, after all ... but that does not mean it is a mutation that is _beneficial_ for the animal and *in nature*, _without man's intervention_, this genetic mutation would not have been allowed to propagate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchkin_(cat)


> While a few cat registries have recognized the breed, others have not, including the Fédération Internationale Féline, which refuses to recognise what they consider a breed based on a "genetic disease", achondroplasia.[1] The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy likewise refuses to recognise the breed, considering this breed and others like it to be "unacceptable" because they are based on an "abnormal structure or development".[4] The breed is also not recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association.[5]


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

He definitely looks small and underdeveloped to me. How much does he weigh? At 11 weeks he should be about 2.5-3 lbs. There's a lot of info in this article:

http://www.messybeast.com/dwarfcats.html


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

> **BTW-If you think he's ugly, please refrain yourself from stating that.


OMG! I think he's so cute! Have people told you he's ugly???  

If it is dwarfism, he's probably going to have medical issues that come with that condition, but I think he's absolutely adorable. Of course, I always think the "runts" are the cutest. Cali was the runt of her litter.


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

Thankyou! 
I was on another forum and posted pictures of my horse, just to share, and I had people tell me he was ugly. That's why I added that tidbit in there because I know he's not the most attractive lookin' kitty. And since I am looking for information, not opinions if people thinks he's cute or ugly, I decided to just go ahead and put that in there. :wink: So far no one has said he's ugly but I haven't post photos of the brat....its been a while since I posted photos of him on here!! lol 8O I have been busy! 



Is there any information on medical issues that could arise? I've been digging around and cant find what I'm looking for. 


Thanks again!


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

Oops, sorry, I forgot about the weight question. I weighed him and he came in at 2lbs. But I'm going to reweigh him with the fish scales & see if that weight is wrong.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I'm not sure if you would be able to find enough cat information about health problems related to dwarfism, but maybe you could check out a couple people-medical sites and see what their common problems are...


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

Okie dokie!  I'll give that a try. Thanks!


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

> Health Problems Associated With Achondroplasia Dwarfism
> Health problems commonly associated with achondroplasia dwarfism include:
> 
> •Breathing disorders (apnea)
> ...


http://bones.emedtv.com/achondroplasia/ ... sm-p3.html


That is all I came up with so far.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

...well, that isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be... _I'm hoping that's a good thing._


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Did you read the entire article that I posted the link to? There's a ton of info on various types and causes of dwarfism. I wouldn't assume that it's Achondroplasia Dwarfism based on what I read. There are many hormonal deficiencies that can cause growth issues....


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

doodlebug said:


> Did you read the entire article that I posted the link to? There's a ton of info on various types and causes of dwarfism. I wouldn't assume that it's Achondroplasia Dwarfism based on what I read. There are many hormonal deficiencies that can cause growth issues....



I didn't scroll all the way down. Silly me. Thanks!


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Thought that might have been the case when I looked back and there were yahoo ads between the intro and the main part of the article.


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

Yes he does look like he is not "normal" for his age, smaller. His posture is also strange like you said, there is a very 90 degree angle look between his back and neck, like he has super straight posture. Could be poor early nutrition, or not, probably won't know until he's grown. Legs abnormalities like walking with toes turned in are common problems for malnourished dogs, perhaps cats as well, and they tend to go away over time.


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

There was a 6 wk old kitten at the vet office today....Scooter Bug is so much smaller then that kitten! They feel about the same weight but size wise, big difference!! Thanks!!


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## chris10 (Feb 20, 2006)

Heidi n Q said:


> IMO, the "Munchkin" cat is a genetic and medical abnormality and should not be deliberately bred, so I am in agreement with the fore-runners of cat breed registration associations. Yes, '_naturally occuring genetic mutations_' do occur naturally, I mean, _of course_, it's *nature*, after all ... but that does not mean it is a mutation that is _beneficial_ for the animal and *in nature*, _without man's intervention_, this genetic mutation would not have been allowed to propagate.


I agree. when I went looking for my last furry one I answered an ad on craigslist for orange kittens. Showed up and found a short legged mom and dad. Half the kittens were zipping around on half legs the others were on normal legs. We grabbed a kitten, who had normal legs, and left.

I showed the pics to my wife and she also says very good chance the kitten may have the mutation. But in this case only time will tell.

Good luck with your cutie.


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

Thank you for all the replies. When we take Macy to the vet, I'll let the brat tag along and see what the vet thinks!


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

He is 14 wks on Saturday and is only 6 inches tall at the withers. Measured him again today.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I checked with my vet and she said the weather in San Diego would be best for him.

I'll PM you my address.


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

Boy you're trying your hardest aren't you? lol


:luv Hes MINE. :luv 


Check out my signature. :lol:


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

:lol: :lol: :lol: Your signature is great! Okay, I give up. But you can't blame a girl for trying. He's just soooo adorable! :luv


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

LOL He's adorable, cute, & cuddly.  :luv :luv :luv Oh and still tiny! 8O


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Marie, lets tag-team this. We'll go up together, taking seperate vehicles and rendezvous at a nearby park to get our game-plan worked out. Initially, I thought I'd distract Amy at the door with photos of my kitties and you could do a Commando (_as in war movie, not a no-panties thing_) run around back to secure the Scooter Bug. I'll keep Amy occupied at the door long enough for you to make a successful getaway. _Oh, and NO running around to the front yard, waving Scooter Bug in the air and calling "Yoo-hoo, look what I've got!"_ You'll blow our cover. After you have made it to San Diego with the prize, you get to keep Scooter Bug for 6mo and then you will ship him to me for my 6mo of visitation. At the end of that 6mo, I'll ship him back to you. Rinse and repeat.
Please respond ASAP to this Private Message so we may coordinate.

*_had to fix some spelling mistakes_*


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Shoot! 8O I thought I was in the PM function. I think this posted in the *forums*! :yikes Um. Oh! Carp! Um. April Fool's! Hahaha, I was just kidding! :wink You know, a joke, right?


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

LOL. I don't think that'll work. I often answer the door holding him...and a grab and run wouldn't work either cuz he clings to my clothes and you'd hurt is little paws. :wink: Nice try though!!!  

:luv Scooter Bug :luv


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

17 wks on Saturday & he's at 7 inches tall. Although he didn't want to be kept in place so that height might be a bit off...lol :roll:


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

No picture?

That's just wrong. So, so wrong.


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

Sorry. Here you go.










He's abused. Can you tell...


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## chris10 (Feb 20, 2006)

Yours has slightly longer legs than a munchkin I physically saw. You probably just have a petite kitty. Good luck with him.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Scooter!!!!! :heart

Thank you for the pics!


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

He's adorable! And much more attractive than that munchkin pic. WHY do people do that??!!?! <sigh>


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

He is at 7inches at the shoulders and 5 lbs. He really packed on the weight after we wormed everyone!!  

oh and he's 20 wks.


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## Bluemitted (Nov 4, 2009)

Never even heard of midget cats before. Thats pretty cool.


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

5 and a 1/2 months. And he is 8inches at the shoulders.


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## KittyMonster (Nov 8, 2009)

He looks _a lot_ of a family friend's cat Pinky (RIP 6 months ago). She was a tiny little thing, she only weighed 5-6 pounds and her legs looked about the same proportion as your Scooter. 

This was just the stature of the cat, though. No real genetic difference AFAIK.


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

It's amazing how tiny he is...still! 
Especially when comparing him to the other cats. LOL He's full of energy to. Zips around the room...and usually under estimates his jumping ability when trying to get on the desk/bed/dresser/windows...lol :roll:


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