What is the name of your cat?
Nala
Photo (above): Nala having cuddles with her human. This portrait was taken by @shaky.nala
Where is your cat family located in?
We are in Ontario, Canada.
What is the breed of your cat?
A Cerebellar Hypoplasia Miracle Rescue Cat ... with maybe a bit of himalayan??
How old is your cat?
She is 4 years old.
Where can we find your cat on social media?
On Instagram @shaky.nala
In a few short words/sentences, tell us about your cat's personalities.
Nala has Cerebellar Hypoplasia, which means she has funky coordination and a bit of trouble with 'normal' cat things, but the best part about her and the condition is that she thinks she is a normal cat and is in no pain at all! It makes all of her hilarious dance moves even more endearing. She is one happy kitty.
How has your cat transformed your life from the moment you've met him/her till now?
Nala has opened our eyes to the magic of a CH kitty, and she has helped us become very creative in cat-accessibility thinking. For example, for nearly a year she simply would not use the litter box, choosing instead to pee in places like down the vents, much to our despair. We finally realized that the litter was too small for her awkward legs, and so she now happily uses a "litter box" that is nearly 4 square feet!
She has also made us love her in a way we didn't expect. She is charismatic, hilarious, snuggly, and full of joy, and she brings genuine laughter to our lives at least a couple of times every day.
What does your cat mean to you?
From the moment we brought Nala home, she had our hearts. That girl is a bundle of kooky fun and purring snuggles. She was adopted with Basil, her best feline friend, and they both make us giggle and warm our hearts (and our laps, the second we sit on the couch).
Photo (above): Nala and Basil having a snooze together. Photo taken by @shaky.nala
How did you and your cat first meet? Tell it to us in the form of a short story.
We had talked about getting cats for a while and decided on a whim to take a peek at the local shelter. This, mind you, was with our 2-month-old daughter in our arms, as we had just become new parents. JUST A PEEK!, we said.
We met Nala and her buddy Basil. They were about the same age as our daughter, and cute as buttons. Basil climbed all over us like we were jungle gyms, but Nala shyly shook in a corner. "Shaky Cat Syndrome", they told us (we learned about CH much later), and they requested that Basil and she get adopted together because he helped calm her down. The magic of it was: they aren't related.
They were likely barn cats and had been found together out in a field, shivering and near-death at about 2 weeks old. The vets think Basil is about a week older than Nala, but nobody knows how they found each other. Either way, we filled out an application form ("why not?" we thought ... it would be days or weeks before we heard back) ... and by the time we had buckled our daughter into her car seat, they let us know that we were now the proud new parents of Nala and Basil!
Surprised and elated, we started our new life with these two fuzzballs and brought them home to meet Gloria, our Sheppard/ Husky mix.
What do you think your cat thinks of you?
Nala definitely thinks of us as her best buds (after Basil and Gloria, of course). She loves going on property walks with us and purrs impressively loudly when we settle into the couch and she can flop down across our bellies.
Your cat is part of your family. What are some things they do that make you think that she considers you part of theirs?
We nearly lost Nala this past winter to a mystery illness. It swept in like a hurricane and had the vets convinced we needed to put her down. After nearly a week of round-the-clock syringe feeding, diapers (yes diapers - she became too weak to walk), and medicines, Nala miraculously came back to life, slowly coming back to her funky spunky self. Those moments made us realize how much she was a part of the family. Holding that vulnerable little fuzz and hoping that she pulled through was harder than I could have imagined it would be.
What are some accounts your cats like to follow on Instagram?
@atchoumthecat
@boopmynose
@arlo_ans_lily_are_bestfriends
@slightlycowardlylion
@helminem
@purrasicduck
Why do you feel that it is important to show the world that Cats are Family?
Cats have a reputation. Nala defies that reputation at every turn, and the girl lights up our days. If anyone thinks that cats can't be a part of the family, I dare them not to fall in love with Nala.
Over to you...
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