Greed breeders’ disregard for animal welfare
Discovered in a tied-up carrier bag at the gates of RSPCA Woodside estimated to be just nine weeks old, Wilson had a very shaky start in life. When staff at the centre found the beautiful black and white kitten, he was suffering from a noticeable lack of coordination.
The vets at Woodside examined Wilson and diagnosed him with cerebellar hypoplasia, or ‘wobbly cat syndrome’, a condition that affects the part of the brain in charge of controlling movement and coordination. It can develop in the womb, so it’s a condition that Wilson will have suffered from since birth. It’s also something he will have to live with, as it cannot be treated.
‘Wobbly cat syndrome’ can look dramatic and even distressing, as cats that have the condition move with sudden, jerky movements and struggle with their depth perception, which can make eating and drinking difficult. Staff at RSPCA Woodside suspect that Wilson was dumped because of his condition. It’s likely his breeders feared he would require expensive veterinary treatment and would be difficult to sell.
But, despite alarming-looking symptoms, cats who suffer from cerebellar hypoplasia can actually live relatively normal lives and enjoy the things that other cats do. Had his breeders taken him to the vets, they would have known this. But instead of acting responsibly, they decided to dump him.
Greed breeders are people who breed animals purely for profit and without any regard for animal welfare. They prioritise making money over the well-being of the animals they breed, which can lead to animals being born with genetic health problems, just like Wilson.
Wilson’s story is sadly not unique – we’ve heard of countless examples of illegal pet breeders dumping animals with health issues when they realise they won’t make them any money.
A tail with a happy ending
Thankfully Wilson was quickly adopted and is now in a loving home with other feline friends. In his new home, Wilson has had the chance to learn how to walk on his own and took his first proper, albeit wobbly steps, in a sunny back garden with the support of his new adopters, who adore him. Wilson’s adopter, John, shared with us a bit about Wilson and what it is like to rescue a cat like him: “Don’t feel sorry for him. Wilson doesn’t need that. He just needs a lot of attention and for us to be prepared to give Wilson that attention. And we love Wilson. He gets on well with our other cats and he gets on well with the rabbit in the garden. He loves it out there in the summer and can spend all day out there. We feed him out there and we play with him too. And that’s why we love him, and he will never go anywhere while we’ve got him.”
Since finding his forever home, Wilson hasn’t let much get in his way. He now spends lots of time being active outside with the other cats and his adopters’ free-roaming rabbit!
With special thanks to Woodside Animal Centre.
We need your help!
Since 2018 we’ve been carrying out investigations and helping the authorities to bring people to justice for animal crimes. If you suspect that someone is involved in illegal pet breeding you can report it to us using our online reporting tool and we will investigate.
To find out more about the work we do to stop illegal pet breeders please visit our companion animal pages.
