[Sethra]

Before we were married, my husband had 2 kittens, brothers. I have been around them their whole life, but we did not live together. They seemed very unintelligent as far as knowing their names, the word no, etc. Let me tell you what they look like: Meatball is very fat (hence the name) champagne colored, his tail is short and very thin (yes he looks funny, fat cat small tail), other than the pouch that dangles from his belly, he is beautiful, and still surprisingly active. He is somewhat timid but loves a few people around. Big crowds make him hide. His brother is the one I have the question about. Red is large for a cat. He is not fat in any way, just bigger than normal cats, even Meatball. He is VERY orange and is double pawed in the front with the extra claw between the "thumb" and the rest of his toes. His eyes are very round instead of slightly almond shaped and has only one small white spot on his chest, otherwise entirely orange. He seems addicted to peaople, loves strangers (with one exception at the air port, but that's a different story and completely unchartacteristic of him) and big crowds of people. Where my husband lived with his parents, they had 3 dalmations, also very unintelligent dogs (but we won't go there). While Meatball would slink around them because they hated cats, Red walked freely around them and even wove between their legs while they stared and drooled waiting for Meatball to come down stairs. Now my husband and I live together. Things changed for the better for the boys. They eat better food, their litter gets changed more often, and they get discipline... Let me explain. Instead of being allowed on the counters and table, they are sprayed with water. I treat them like I would my own children (actually, the cats would get treated better still). Meatball now knows his name and comes when I call him, I only have to say his name sternly when he does dare to go on the counter. Red on the other hand doesn't even know I am calling, doesn't acknowledge, when I yell at him, say no, spray him with water, NOTHING! Nothing with the exception that he hates getting sprayed yet will run up to the spray bottle and cuddle it. He brings meaning to the phrase "Beat you like a red-headed step-child" (I would never hit him, but you know what I mean). He doesn't have a meow either. It more of a "brrrrt" sound. Sometimes there will almost be a meow with it, but never a typical meow like Meatball (though Meatball's sounds feminine). So what I am asking is this: Is there a feline equivalent to Down's Syndrome? What's it called? And could Red have it? Also, he loves his new sister, Kichi while Meatball seems afraid of her (Kichi is a tabby).

[shygrneyzs]

I fail to see the comparison here of your cat's behavior and mannerisms and looks to someone with Down's Syndrome. My youngest son has Down's Syndrome and he does not behave like your cats. Your cats sound more like they are a product of their environment/nurture and not genetics/nature.

Your comments about the "very unintelligent", not "knowing" their name, that you get response only when you look sternly. etc. tell me you do not know much about Down's Syndrome. May you never find out in your own child.

[Wondergirl]

I too don't understand your comment about Down's Syndrome.

It sounds like you've not had much experience with cats. Cats are not like dogs. Dogs want to please you; cats couldn't care less.

Cats don't understand discipline. The spraying might work for now, this minute--say, to keep him off the countertop. Put food or something interesting on that counter, and the cat will leap up there to check it out. If he sees you coming with the spray bottle, he'll probably try to grab a hunk of food before he jumps down and runs away.

Cats feel no guilt. You can spray at the cat every time he jumps up on the counter, you go into a different room, you return to the kitchen, and guess who's on the countertop...

Also, kittens from the same litter could have different fathers (thus the difference in appearance and even temperament between your two cats). Yes, the mom could have had sex with two different males around the same time and ended up with kittens produced by either or both males.

No, there is no Down's Syndrome in cats. Cats are cats.

[Sethra]

Well, I did not expect to be attacked in the slightest. My question was serious. The comparisons made were not comparisons at all. It was meant to describe my cat. People and animals are different. I know that people with Down's Syndrome don't develop mentally past 12 (or so). I was not sure if my cat perhaps did not develop mentally as a cat should. The physical characteristics were made brought up because a person with Down's is easily distinguished by his or her facial features. I have seen many cats in my life time and unless they are a particular breed, non of which Red is, has such round eyes. The thinking was that if there is a feline equivalent to Down's, that maybe there was a physical characteristic in cats as well. Neither of you were helpful in the slightest. And you obviously don't know cats... She lives with my mom and her sister passed away, but they knew their names, and yes sometimes they didn't care, but they were the most human like cats I have ever seen. The one who is still living treated me and my siblings like we were hers and protected her sister from another cat we acquired. All we had to do was say is name when he was being mean to the one who passed away and the other one would be all over him, protecting her sister. Cats have personality just as much as people. It's a shame not many people take the time to look. And as for the discipline, Meatball, even with enticing food left out over night, and Red, too for that matter, have not jumped on the counter. Cats can be trained if you know what you are doing. It appears you do not.

[Wondergirl]

I rescue stray and feral cats from the neighborhood and know each one has its own personality and idiosyncrasies. I have always had cats, and have four now, three of them rescued and tamed. For years, I have been a volunteer at a local no-kill cat shelter.

No one dissed you. No one attacked you. Each of us said there is no Down's in cats. Rasputin and Kuro have big round eyes; Thomas Jefferson (probably part Aby) has slanted eyes, and Little Debbie has something in between.

I love my cats to pieces, especially my soulmate cat Thomas Jefferson, but he has no shame or feelings of guilt. He is my heart's delight, but he is a cat. He leaps up from cat tree to computer tabletop to top of drapery rods and with his tail dusts cobwebs out of the corners. He also leaps up on the countertop even though he's been removed from it a thousand times. Rasputin and Kuro don't leap onto the countertop and never have. Their bodies are somehow not made for leaping that high, but they are very good at pulling down the Christmas ornaments and even the tree itself a couple of times. We love them all anyway.

[shygrneyzs]

I had cats when I was growing up and when I was grown up. Yes, I know a few things about cats. Each one is as different as night and day. There are certainly genetic defects that can manifest itself in any animal - perhaps something is wrong with your cats.

Also, to correct you about the mental development in Down's Syndrome - there are various forms of Down Syndrome. Some people with Down's Syndrome drive cars, have full time jobs, get married, and get past the mental age of 12.

[shygrneyzs]

There are other places where people have asked the similar queastion about Down's Syndrome in cats. Here is one from Yahoo!

Yahoo! Answers - Can cats have Downs Syndrome?

[mooncelt]

Hi I don't know any of you. I realize that this may even be a bit late, however, I was looking up feline down's syndrome and found this page. I was appaled to see that people would be so mean about a question posed such as cats and down's.
To those who chose torant and rave about it being rude to talk about a "cat" who might have down's as if it were some sort of this on children or adults with down's is preposterous.
It was a perfectly good question with a perfectly good description of behavior.
And for your further information. Had you further researched this question before blasting this person for their honest and decent question, you would have found that while it is very rare, cats are diagnosed with a form of down's and for all intents and purposes it is called the same thing...
To you who wrote the question, I hope that though late, you are happy with your answer!



<a href="http://www.itchmo.com/taking-care-of-a-cat-diagnosed-with-down-syndrome-1523">News for cats and dogs - Taking Care Of A Cat Diagnosed With Down Syndrome</a>

Before we were married, my husband had 2 kittens, brothers. I have been around them their whole life, but we did not live together. They seemed very unintelligent as far as knowing their names, the word no, etc. Let me tell you what they look like: Meatball is very fat (hence the name) champagne colored, his tail is short and very thin (yes he looks funny, fat cat small tail), other than the pouch that dangles from his belly, he is beautiful, and still surprisingly active. He is somewhat timid but loves a few people around. Big crowds make him hide. His brother is the one I have the question about. Red is large for a cat. He is not fat in any way, just bigger than normal cats, even Meatball. He is VERY orange and is double pawed in the front with the extra claw between the "thumb" and the rest of his toes. His eyes are very round instead of slightly almond shaped and has only one small white spot on his chest, otherwise entirely orange. He seems addicted to peaople, loves strangers (with one exception at the air port, but that's a different story and completely unchartacteristic of him) and big crowds of people. Where my husband lived with his parents, they had 3 dalmations, also very unintelligent dogs (but we won't go there). While Meatball would slink around them because they hated cats, Red walked freely around them and even wove between their legs while they stared and drooled waiting for Meatball to come down stairs. Now my husband and I live together. Things changed for the better for the boys. They eat better food, their litter gets changed more often, and they get discipline... Let me explain. Instead of being allowed on the counters and table, they are sprayed with water. I treat them like I would my own children (actually, the cats would get treated better still). Meatball now knows his name and comes when I call him, I only have to say his name sternly when he does dare to go on the counter. Red on the other hand doesn't even know I am calling, doesn't acknowledge, when I yell at him, say no, spray him with water, NOTHING! Nothing with the exception that he hates getting sprayed yet will run up to the spray bottle and cuddle it. He brings meaning to the phrase "Beat you like a red-headed step-child" (I would never hit him, but you know what I mean). He doesn't have a meow either. It more of a "brrrrt" sound. Sometimes there will almost be a meow with it, but never a typical meow like Meatball (though Meatball's sounds feminine). So what I am asking is this: Is there a feline equivalent to Down's Syndrome? What's it called? And could Red have it? Also, he loves his new sister, Kichi while Meatball seems afraid of her (Kichi is a tabby).

:p :p :p :p :p

[mskayleah]

Ops, sorry for the double post.

[mskayleah]

Ops sorry for the double post.

[Fr_Chuck]

mskayleah, please look at the date of the post, this is a three year old thread, no one has read or posted here for that long.

And you posted here the same answer twice, I am closing the thread so no future answswers can be posted since you brought this old thread to life