MJ is one of a litter of four young boys we’ve been referring to as the J Crew. This litter, who were born in late May of 2011, have proven something of a medical mystery. MJ and DJ had distemper when they were younger. Feline distemper can be fatal, but the boys recovered from it. If the distemper is caught when the kittens are in the womb, or very young, it can leave them with CH (cerebellar hypoplasia), a neurological condition that causes a wobbly walk. CH can range from mild to severe. It doesn’t progress, but it can’t be cured. These kittens were too old to have distemper cause CH, yet three of them seem to have mild cases of it, or something nearly identical to it, anyway. This is especially odd, considering that only two manifested symptoms of the disease.

Due to the odd presentation of the J Crew’s symptoms we were advised by their neurologist to monitor the boys for 6 months for any change in their neurological condition; so that, we could rule out any other possible causes. This period is now over and the boys’ conditions remain the same, which leads us to believe their CH-like symptoms are indeed somehow linked to having or being exposed to feline distemper as kittens. Now that we’ve come to this conclusion these sweet boys are finally up for adoption.

This is a happy, playful group, who tend to be loving when they’re not chasing/stalking/pouncing on one another or a toy; it’s not unusual for them to try to occupy your lap simultaneously. None of them seem to have any trouble galloping about, jumping, or generally carrying on.

The J Crew are a perfect example of what Tabby’s Place does. We know most shelters wouldn’t be able to keep these sweet boys for any length of time, so we’re very pleased that they’ll have a home here for as long as they need one. And, they are just about the cutest things on four feet.

Update, 2/1/12: LJ and DJ have been adopted together!