08/05/2026
Another Foster Story...
P.S. Lestat is officially available for adoption as of today!
Meet Lestat. He has Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH), also known as Wobbly Cat Syndrome. (More about CH at the end of this post.)
Lestat came from a home with about 15 cats. The owner posted that they all needed to be gone within a few days, and some experienced rescuers stepped in.
Among them were three CH siblings, about a year old, unaltered, and—most concerning of all—living outside. That's a risky lifestyle for a cat whose coordination isn't exactly Olympic caliber. That detail becomes important...
Lestat came to my house for treatment of diarrhea. When she dropped him off, his foster put him in a room and closed the door.
When I got home from work, the door was open.
Lestat was gone.
I searched every inch of the house for two days. I even put out an APB with the neighborhood cat people!
Then, around 2:00 a.m., my dog Charlotte and I were out walking when we both spotted a cat crossing the street. I looked closer...
"Lestat?!"
I picked him up, carried him home, and immediately accused my husband of accidentally letting him outside.
Case closed.
..Or so I thought.
A couple of days later, I let Lestat out of his room. Twenty minutes later...
Gone.
This time I blamed Charlotte. (She can open the storm door and frequently lets herself in and out. Who needs a doggy door?
A few days later I found him asleep in the corner of my deck. He was hungry, had lost a little weight, and looked completely unbothered by the emotional damage he'd caused.
Then came neuter day.
Guess who disappeared the night before surgery?
At 3:00 a.m. Charlotte started barking. I went outside with a hunch.
There was Lestat.
Apparently Charlotte had switched careers from accomplice to bounty hunter.
He was successfully apprehended and neutered.
I brought him home after surgery.
Within an hour...
Gone.
By now I wasn't even surprised. I checked my usual hiding spots and found him snoozing on the deck like he had simply stepped out for some fresh air.
At this point I've stopped blaming the husband. I've stopped blaming the dog. I'm pretty sure Lestat has figured out how to push open the storm door.
But, he always comes back.
Remember, this cat spent most of his life outdoors. He clearly enjoys exploring, but he also knows where home is. He likes sleeping on my bed, eating indoor food, and accepting room service.
So here's my question...
If you adopted Lestat, would you let him continue to safely enjoy outdoor time since he clearly knows where home is? Or would you keep him strictly indoors?
I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts.
We've always been able to find wonderful homes for our CH cats, and I'm not worried about Lestat finding his people. He's incredibly sweet. He'll just need an adopter who understands that he's a little... unconventional.
What is Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH)?
CH is a neurological condition that develops when a mother cat is exposed to feline panleukopenia (parvovirus) during pregnancy. Cats with CH are wobbly and often walk with what looks like a "drunken" gait.
The good news is that CH is not painful, not contagious, and not progressive. These cats don't get worse with age, and they don't know they're different. They simply adapt. They may benefit from accommodations like low-sided litter boxes or rugs for traction, but otherwise they live happy, normal lives.
Lestat certainly seems convinced he's perfectly capable of running his own outdoor adventure club... even if his staff disagrees.
