Meet MAPLE and KONA, Two Torties with Cerebellar Hypoplasia

Tortoiseshell cats have been described as tempurramental, feisty and unpurredicatable. Yet, these two special needs tortie sisters have distinctly diffurent purrsonalities, purroving there’s no one kind of tortitude.

KATNISS: Maple, you were the furst to be adopted. How did you convince your now Humom to take a risk on a special needs cat?

MAPLE: Well, when this nice lady came to the shelter, I already knew I had cute on my side. So there I was, this tiny wobbly cat and I just went over to her and threw myself on her lap and refused to get up.

KATNISS: Wow, she didn’t stand a chance. Tell me about Cerebellar Hypoplasia.

MAPLE: It’s a developmental condition that affects balance and coordination. It’s not painful, it just makes me a bit of a klutz. It’s also hard for me to get in and out of a litter box, so I use pee pads. The plus side is, I don’t jump on counters and knock stuff off, which my Meowmy is very grateful fur.

KATNISS: So then one day, your Humom decided you needed a furiend.

MAPLE: Even though I expurressly told her I did not.

KONA: You deserve a swat for that.

KATNISS: So along came Kona, who also has CH.

KONA: Yes. Our Meowmy found me at the same rescue. I was a very small 3 year-old wobbly cat who crawled into her lap and claimed her as my own. That day, I hissed at any other cat who came near her.

KATNISS: Ah, I get it. There’s some competition here. You are both very possessive of your Humom.

MAPLE: Fur sure!

KATNISS: So is “tortitude” a real thing?

MAPLE: From my purrspective, we think torties just know how amazing how we are and we refuse to compurromise. We want what we want and that’s that.

KATNISS: How are you diffurent from each other?

MAPLE: I want what I want and I will yell at you until you comply. I am fearless. I’ll chase the dog and smack Meowmy’s boyfriend. Because it should just be me and her.

KONA: I am much mellower. I’m happy just to be next to Meowmy. I don’t complain. All I ask is that the Humans turn on the fake fireplace which has a built in heater. I worship those flames.