FlipBoardCharlie (the striped one) and Spike (the tuxedo cat) have myotonia congenita, also known as fainting goat syndrome. The genetic disorder can affect many animals (including humans) but is most common in goats and very rare in cats. As the video below shows:
At the slightest sound, the kittens respond by collapsing and falling into a rigid paralysis, which lasts about a minute before they return to normal. The kittens are able to walk, but they cannot run or jump. Aside from this they are normal. [Arbroath]
Normal and freakin’ adorable. I haven’t dawwwed this much at a sad kitty video since I saw Charley, the cat with cerebellar hypoplasia. There isn’t a cure for their condition, but earlier this week the cats started a medication regimen (that hasn’t been tried on cats before) at the Royal Veterinary College to try to get their symptoms under control. The drug has worked on goats, but, as my kindergarten teacher once told me, “Cats aren’t goats you f–king idiot.”
UPDATE: Get ready to bake some frownies. The tuxedo cat (Spike) succombed to respiratory failure earlier today. I has a sad. R.I.P. Mister Spike H. Ledger. . . . too soon?
UPDATE 2: Of course there’s a
![[avatar]](https://profilecdn-woven.netdna-ssl.com/photo/72/profile)
Oh god, now I’m depressed forever. Why do bad things have to happen to adorable things?
Are you sure there isn’t someone off camera pointing their finger and saying “Bang”? They’re so sweet! If I ever owned a cat I suspect he too would be a cat that has no idea how to land on his feet.
I could only watch for 30 seconds.
I think it makes them all the more cuter. I’m not sure how but a person could make some money off of two cats they know will do something every time they make a loud noise. Like dip their side in paint and make a loud noise every 4 inches. Unveil it at a press conference and call it a Meowski. That’s money in your pocket, dude. Come on. Exploit your addled kitties.
“Cats aren’t goats you f–king idiot.” +1
RE UPDATE: It’s not an entree until they’re both fricasseed.