Munchie is only seven months old, and is about the size you’d expect for a small kitten.
However, he won’t ever get any bigger due to a condition so rare it’s only been diagnosed in one other kitten worldwide.
His owner Emily Tomlinson first saw Munchie when he was brought into the Wolverhampton vet practice she worked at, at just a few weeks old.
Emily spoke to LadBible, saying she believes he had been abandoned due to his cloudy eyes from bilateral corneal oedema, despite the fact this doesn’t affect his vision at all.
29-year-old Emily only found out about Munchie’s condition – called hypoparathyroidism – back in December, after the little kitten collapsed on Boxing Day.
She told the outlet: ‘His calcium levels were 0.52 when normal range is at least 1.9, it was a miracle he didn’t have a seizure.
‘We have found only one other cat diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism as a kitten, which isn’t in the UK. It’s so rare.
‘We believe he will have a normal life span but due to there being so little information available, due to it being so rare, we don’t know for sure.’
Despite his uncertain future, Munchie (who is about as big as a bottle of milk and weighs just 1.7 kilos) still climbs around the house like any other cat, and loves playing with his big brother Aslan.
He does have to be careful when jumping, due to the fact he needs extra supplements for vitamin D and calcium, and he has to be fed small amounts of food multiple times a day as if he were a tiny kitten.
Munchie’s vet care so far has added up to over £2,500, but for Emily this is a small price to pay for such a special cat.
Emily says: ‘When he was really poorly I would feed him 6-8 times per day – including getting up several times through the night for weeks on end.
‘It was exhausting but worthwhile as, after a few close calls and being close to losing him, he’s pulled through and is on the road to recovery.
‘He has a lifelong condition so will need regular blood tests to check his calcium levels and will be on medication for the rest of his life.’
However, she adds: ‘I feel very lucky to have Munchie, he’s got the cheekiest little character and loves having lots of attention and cuddles. He loves to play with his kitten toys.’
Do you have an amazing pet? Share their story with us at MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/12/tiny-kitten-sized-cat-will-never-get-bigger-due-rare-genetic-condition-12387025/?ITO=squid
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