‘Adorable’ dwarf kitten gets new home

A black and white kitten who captured hearts with her tiny stature – believed to be caused by a rare form of dwarfism – has found a new home.

Mowzer arrived at Cats Protection’s Cornwall Adoption Centre in Carnon Downs with her litter-mates after being born to a feral mother on a farm near Penzance.

Covered in fleas and suffering from an eye infection, she was seven weeks old but, unlike her siblings, appeared closer to the size of a three-week-old.

Staff at the centre also noticed she also looked out of proportion, with shorter legs than usual.

During her admittance health check, it was noted that she still had very blue eyes and had not yet grown teeth.

As appearances inspired names for the whole litter, she was originally called Toothless, from the film How to Train Your Dragon, and her litter-mates were named after fellow characters Astrid, Rough Nut and Velkra.

Now she has been renamed after another famous feline, Mowzer from The Mousehole Cat, by Antonia Barber.

Cat care assistant Kirsty Balcombe said: “Mowzer very quickly enchanted everyone at the centre. For such a little cat, she has a massive personality.

“Mowzer could only be described as adorable. It was impossible not to stop and watch when we went past her pen.

“She was extremely affectionate and loved rolling around and nuzzling people’s feet.

“She was also very entertaining when she ran around her pen as her legs didn’t really match up with her body, but she never let it hold her back, she was just extremely lively and cute.”

At 12 weeks old and 22cm long, Mowzer weighed 750g when she went to her new home in Carbis Bay with Dawn Eddy – the weight she should have been when she arrived at the centre.

She had also just begun to meow.

Ms Eddy said: “Mowzer has now been with us for just over three weeks and my daughter chose to change her name from Toothless to Mowzer because, like The Mousehole Cat, she’s so strong and very special.

“Mowzer is still under a kilo in weight but certainly has the heart of a lion. She likes to protect the top of the stairs, like a gatekeeper, and she still chases our feet but luckily her paws are very soft and her front teeth are yet to emerge.

“Her latest challenge is trying to master the feeling of grass under paw, and when she’s finished exploring for the day she loves to fall asleep on people’s shoulders at the base of your neck.”

Osteochondrodysplasia, or feline dwarfism, is extremely rare and tests for it are often inconclusive, although famous cats Lil BUB and Grumpy Cat were both diagnosed with the condition.