Cat owners can tell you that on any given day, felines perform a symphony of gentle purrs, pleading mews, alien-like chirps…all of which play like music to our ears. Okay, maybe not all, but most.
If you’re in the mood for some of the best kitty ASMR ever, look no further than Bambi, the feisty feline “diva” who got mic’d up for the day (thanks to her mom Emily) and didn’t hesitate to step into the spotlight.
In a now-viral video with the caption, “Warning: sass levels dangerously high ,” viewers got up close and personal not only with the cat sounds you might expect (including some hissing and growling at the foster kitty named Walter, who Bambi hasn’t quite taken to yet), but also Bambi’s signature stomp, stomp, stomp. Dear God, it’s adorable.
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Bambi was quickly dubbed the “professional upstairs neighbor,” referring to an Internet meme that often uses the phrase sarcastically to describe a lead-footed person living above, and got a lot of praise for her main character stomps.
“She’s got places to be,” joked one viewer.
Another wrote, “that stompy walk is model material.””
Still another pleaded, “A two hour long ASMR video of this so that I can listen to it when I’m stressed? Please?”
That stomp is more than just Bambi having a flair for the dramatic—it’s a symptom of Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH), also known as wobbly cat syndrome. CH happens most often when mamma cats contract the Panleukopenia virus while pregnant, then pass it to their offspring, leaving the part of their brain that governs balance and coordination underdeveloped. The result can be jerky movement, tremors, or, as in Bambi’s case, stompy walks.
While many might think this condition involves pain or a low quality of life, Bethany Hsia, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Co-Founder at CodaPet, tells Upworthy that their unique neurological makeup often makes them “happy and affectionate pets” that can “thrive” when pet parents give them a safe environment, such as providing low-sided litter boxes, elevated food and water bowls, soft surfaces to cushion falls, and keep them indoors is crucial to prevent accidents.
Similarly, pet expert and CEO/Founder at Boxiecat Josh Wiesenfeld notes that besides their “peculiar gait,” most CH cats are “otherwise very healthy,” and so long as pet owners provide a bit of safety measures, can live just as long as regular cats.
“In fact, their willfulness and tenacity make them very endearing friends, and many owners comment that their CH cat’s personality contributes to their lives in special ways,” he says.
Bambi herself seems to be proof of that. It’s certainly done nothing to quell her cat-titude. And people wouldn’t have it any other way. She currently boasts a following of 246,000 on Instagram, and even recently launched her own plushie! That’s how you know you’ve made it to the big time.
Keep stomping, queen.
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