Published Mar 18, 2025
Rambo, a kitten with cerebellar hypoplasia, came into his parent’s lives unexpectedly and taught them about patience and unconditional love. They rescued him, but he also changed their lives for the better, and they couldn’t be happier to call him theirs.
A disabled kitten
Rambo’s mom is a hairstylist and makeup artist. She actually met Rambo because of her job!
One of her clients came in for a bridal trial run. Before her appointment, she texted to let her know that she was fostering a kitten and asked if she could bring him with her. Rambo’s mom thought it was an odd request, but said yes.
The tiny kitten was just three or four weeks old, and he slept in the client’s lap the entire time. But around halfway through her appointment, the woman began to cry.
Rambo’s mom thought she’d done something wrong. Maybe the woman absolutely hated her hair and makeup! She asked her what was wrong, and the client replied that she was crying about the kitten.
She’d found him on her grandparent’s farm, where it had taken her two days to catch him. After all of that effort, she brought him to the shelter, who wanted to put him down due to his disability. Rambo had cerebellar hypoplasia and was wobbly on his feet.
Of course, she hadn’t let that happen. She could see that Rambo wanted to fight, and she wanted to give him that chance–but she was leaving town that weekend, and had nowhere for Rambo to go until Monday.
Just for the weekend…
Rambo’s mom had the weekend off of work, so she agreed to keep the little kitten for a couple of days. Her client had a foster home lined up for him that could take him on Monday.
She herself had never fostered before, especially not a kitten so young, but she was willing to give it a try.
When Rambo’s foster fell through that Saturday, his mom decided to continue fostering him herself until she could find him a good home.
Returned and needing surgery
Eventually, Rambo’s mom thought she’d found Rambo the perfect home, but things didn’t work out. Two days later, he was back in her care.
It turned out that Rambo needed surgery. She talked to her husband, thinking it’d be best to give Rambo a stable home until he’d fully recovered. That was when her husband asked: why don’t we just keep him?
That was exactly what his mom had been wanting to hear!
Living happily in his new home
Rambo’s official diagnosis is cerebellar hypoplasia. It’s non-painful but makes him wobbly on his feet–though that doesn’t stop him from being fiercely independent. His mom says he gets upset when offered help and likes to do things on his own, even if it takes him a little longer to get from place to place.
His condition won’t worsen, but it also won’t get better. Still, his mom says, “He has a very fulfilled life.”
Rambo has a big personality. He was raised with dogs and can sometimes act like one, too, begging for treats and taking charge like he’s the leader of the pack. While he’s a big mama’s boy, he also knows just how to con extra treats out of his dad!
Rambo’s mom hopes that his story will inspire others to adopt disabled cats if they can. She says she’d do it all over again. She and her husband wouldn’t be the people they are today if they hadn’t brought Rambo into their family.
