Sun. Jul 6th, 2025

Their foster mom refused to give up on them.

When Macy Lyle signed up to foster a stray cat and her five kittens through A Catโ€™s Life Rescue in Maryland, she braced herself for the usual kitten chaos โ€” sharp little claws, endless meows, and those infamous midnight zoomies.

What she didnโ€™t expect was a heartbreaking mystery unfolding before her eyes.

โ€œAt first, they seemed like any other wobbly kittens,โ€ Lyle told The Dodo. But within days, three of the kittens โ€” Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto โ€” went from shaky walking to complete loss of mobility, flopping around unable to walk at all.

What followed was a whirlwind of emergency vet visits, endless tests, and treatments โ€” antibiotics for toxoplasmosis, meds for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), tests for parvovirus โ€” but nothing worked. The kittens kept deteriorating, struggling to eat, drink, or even use the litter box.

Then came the hardest call: while Lyle was away for a family emergency, the vet asked if she wanted to be present for euthanasia. โ€œI said yes, of course,โ€ she said. โ€œBut I also told them I wanted answers. I wasnโ€™t ready to give up.โ€

After exhausting every possible diagnosis, the vets pinpointed cerebellar hypoplasia โ€” a brain condition caused by exposure to feline panleukopenia virus in the womb. It affects balance and coordination, but isnโ€™t painful or contagious.

Faced with no cure but a hopeful prognosis, Lyle made a bold choice: โ€œI took on this burden. I told them if euthanasia was the only option, weโ€™d revisit it in a few months โ€” I wanted to see if they could improve.โ€

She and the rescue dug into physical therapy options for cats. Their first attempt? Water therapy in Lyleโ€™s bathtub. โ€œI hated it. I felt like I was traumatizing them,โ€ she laughed. So, she switched gears to play therapy. โ€œWe just played, all day long.โ€

Slowly, those little fighters showed signs of strength and spirit. Sasuke and Naruto blossomed into relaxed lap cats, while Sakura took to climbing her cat tree and exploring like a fearless adventurer.

โ€œThey can now sit up, stand to drink water, and use the litter box by themselves,โ€ Lyle shared. โ€œThey donโ€™t know any different โ€” this is their world, and theyโ€™re perfectly happy in it. Theyโ€™re so much more than their mobility issues or cerebellar hypoplasia.โ€

By late June, Lyle posted a bittersweet update: โ€œIโ€™ve been ignoring the reality that my Wobbles have been adopted. The best part? They were adopted by a close group of friends, so theyโ€™ll have plenty of playdates! I couldnโ€™t imagine a better outcome. Theyโ€™re clearly loved โ€” although they could definitely act like theyโ€™ll miss me… Happy ever afters all around!โ€

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