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Parsley began life as a small, shy barn kitten who hid from people. But because of coyotes and feral cats in the area, Ott was worried Parsley might not survive on his own.
She remembers taking a friend to pick out a kitten from the litter — her friend chose a social and outgoing kitten — but it was timid little Parsley who stayed on her mind.
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Ott’s instincts were right. Parsley turned out to be a great companion.
"Adopting him is truly was the best decision I've ever made, even if it was semi-impulsive," she told Adventure Cats.
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But soon it was apparent that Parsley wasn’t growing like other kittens.
Ott says he'd always been a bit clumsy, but she also noticed he was walking differently than his litter mates.
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So she took him to the veterinary teaching hospital at Washington State University to get a specialized orthopedic consultation.
After a thorough evaluation, the veterinary students determined Parsley has metaphyseal chondrodystrophy, an extremely rare condition that gives him very short and stubby legs. In fact, this condition is so rare that there is only one case study identical to Parsley's in the feline archives.
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While the condition can be painful or even prevent a cat from being able to use his legs, Ott says Parsley isn’t showing any of these symptoms.
In fact, at just 5 months old, he's already been on quite a few adventures as a leash-trained kitty, a notion he took to almost instantly.
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Right now he most enjoys going to Boyer Park in eastern Washington. Ott says it’s a quaint little place on the Snake River for swimming and tree climbing. Parsley also loves camping.
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“Parsley is always open for new adventures,” Ott said. “We’ve taken him to a few awesome spots in Idaho and Washington, and our personal favorite, Lake Wallowa in Oregon, where he went kayaking.”
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Ott says there are so many more adventures on their bucket list and that "there’s a beauty to a well-rounded individual that can adapt to new situations, whether it’s a cat or a human".
We couldn't agree more!
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