An adorably clumsy kitten who literally falls over a whopping 30 times a day thanks to a rare neurological condition is quickly stealing the hearts of every person he meets, thanks to his determination and grit, which means he hops right back up every time he takes a tumble.
Trooper was born with Wobbly Cat Syndrome, which is a unique illness that means he has absolutely no balance.
The disabled feline was rejected by his own mother at birth and abandoned in a barn where he was found by a farm owner in Victoria, British Columbia.
He was then lovingly taken in by the Victoria Humane Society and adopted by animal lover Charla Stromkins when he was four months old.
Charla, who is 41, documents two-year-old Trooper’s daily struggle in hilarious videos which show her determined pet trying – and failing – to run.
The condition also makes it quite difficult for him to enjoy in classic cat pastimes like chasing squirrels and using the litter tray – because he topples over.
Many kittens who have Wobbly Cat Syndrome are euthanized shortly after birth because their owners fear they will be in pain or not be able to lead normal lives.
However, Charla claims that loveable Trooper – who has amassed an army of nearly 10k followers on his Instagram page wobblycats – is not in pain at all and is ‘the happiest cat I’ve ever had’.
The Canadian government worker stated: ‘When Trooper came to me I had to figure out how he functions and what he needed.
‘My home was completely wood and laminate floor so I had to get rug after rug after rug to help him get around.
‘I also got a ramp made so he could get up onto the bed.
‘But in the day to day, he doesn’t know he is different to any other cat.
‘He used to try and walk down the centre of the hallway but he soon learned he needed to walk against the wall instead.
‘He can’t go outside by himself because where we live there are eagles and if they saw him they would think he was injured prey, but he goes away with me.
‘When people see him walk they feel sorry for him and say, “What is wrong with him?”
‘But I just say, “He has a condition and he doesn’t know he is any different.”
‘Most people don’t know what the condition is so a lot of wobbly kittens are euthanized.
‘My mission is to show that these cats live full lives.’
Wobbly Cat Syndrome, or Cerebellar Hypoplasia, is a disorder through which the cerebellum of the brain is not fully formed, giving sufferers an unsteady gait.
It is not degenerative at all, which means that if Trooper does a lot of exercise it strengthens his muscles and can help him get from A to B.
Even so, Charla, who actually has two other cats, Digger and Sampson, says that he can fall over as many as six times when trying to walk a 10-meter stretch.
‘Another thing that happens is when he gets excited he has involuntary triggers and he will start to shake,’ she went on to add.
‘Whenever he gets excited or scared he will shake and you know he’s about to pounce or run.
‘He likes to fancy himself as a squirrel hunter so when he sees a squirrel he absolutely is like, “Oh my God, I’m going to get this.”
‘He will stand still and stare and then his head will shake.
‘It’s hysterical.
‘He does a little hop and then when he starts to walk he falls over.
‘Sometimes when he is leaving the litter box he will fall over as well, but he is 100 per cent determined.
‘There is this disconnect between his mind and his body, but he always picks himself back up again.
‘He is the happiest cat I’ve ever had.’
What an amazing kitty you are, Trooper!
