I have posted before about animals with a big social media presence – giraffes, guinea pigs, hippos, and of course dogs have all gotten their due. But I don’t think I’ve ever come across an animal to which I responded so immediately and so strongly. I’m obsessed with this little guy. This is Phineas Tyrion Holly, the ginger cat with cerebellar hypoplasia. The condition affects his balance and his motor control. He’s not in any pain, but he has a devil of a time getting around, eating, and playing. Phin doesn’t let that slow him down, though. He has learned to use his tail and the walls to help keep him upright and moving forward.

“What makes Phin… Phin? He has a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia, which generates something called ataxia… Phin’s dad actually focuses much of his academic work on the cerebellum, the part of the brain affected in Phin’s condition. The cerebellum doesn’t generate movement, but it’s very important in enabling proper coordination. The cerebellum takes a lot of inputs and compares the desired goal for a movement to what is actually occurring. This is a challenging task, and Purkinje cells are powerhouses that integrate lots of information to create a precise output through the deep cerebellar nuclei to help the body move in a coordinated fashion. Sometimes these Purkinje cells will die, and that can cause all sorts of motor coordination issues. In Phin’s case, the entire cerebellum didn’t fully develop, so this major computational network — some aspects shown in the middle of the main image! — just isn’t able to do its job fully… [Phin] was born this way and doesn’t understand that his motor function could be any different. He just continues to be a happy cat with a great life.”

– Phin’s People

Young Phin has got a really solid following, which is not surprising, since he seems to be entirely filled with joy (and treats. He really, really loves his treats). I suspect you’ll want to follow him, too.

You can follow the lovable Phineas on Instagram, and you can also follow his similarly-afflicted friends, WobblyCats, too!

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#flashbackfriday to funky Phin throwing down some moves on the dance floor! 😻 ——————————————————————––––– For those new friends who don't know Phin very well yet, he has a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. This means that the part of his brain that coordinates movement never fully developed. He's not in any pain, and he won't get worse over time, though there also aren't any treatments that would help him. He had a difficult time getting enough food in his system as a kitten, experiencing Fading kitten syndrome, but his foster mom, @fosterkittys , nurtured him with a lot of love and care, and he was able to grow into the wonderful cat he is now. 😻 Phin adapts to his condition by walking with his paws a bit wider, leaning against the wall for support, and using claws to climb up and down things. Phin is a very happy kitty who loves playing with his siblings (Tyrion the cat, and Holly the Airedale Terrier), eating meals and treats, and cuddling with his parents. 😻 ——————————————————————––––– #phineasthecat #cerebellarhypoplasia #catsofinstagram #phinstagram #cat #gato #gatos #gatosdelmundo #貓 #Γάτα #kaķi #katter #katterpåinstagram #paka #кошка #коты #قطط #kat

A post shared by Phineas Tyrion Holly (@orangeisthenewblackandtan) on Jun 26, 2020 at 5:49pm PDT

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Phin's a really amazing little guy, and it's been awesome to watch him adapt to his condition since kittenhood. While he was born with cerebellar hypoplasia, figuring out coping strategies has been a life-long process for Phin. When he was a little kitten, he would frequently accidentally somersault or fall over sideways. As he got older, he learned that walking was easier if he leaned up against walls. He's completely changed his stance from a typical cat, keeping his balance a big back of center so he won't roll forward, and keeping his front paws quite wide to prevent falling sideways as often. In adulthood, he has gotten better and better at using his tail for balance, and he's perfected techniques such as climbing up and down furniture or lying down at meal time to absorb tremors and prevent falling while eating. He's still getting better and better adapted as he ages (can you believe he'll be 4 in a few months?!?), and it's been awesome to see him figure out how to live his best possible life! ——————————————————————––––– #phineasthecat #cerebellarhypoplasia #catsofinstagram #phinstagram #cat #gato #gatos #gatosdelmundo #貓 #Γάτα #kaķi #katter #katterpåinstagram #paka #кошка #коты #قطط #kat

A post shared by Phineas Tyrion Holly (@orangeisthenewblackandtan) on Jun 11, 2020 at 3:50pm PDT

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Happy #ThrowbackThursday to Phin's #madhops compilation. We're still surprised none of the @NBA teams decided to sign him! 🙀 ——————————————————————––––– Phin has a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. This means that the part of his brain that coordinates movement never fully developed. He's not in any pain, and he won't get worse over time, though there also aren't any treatments that would help him. He had a difficult time getting enough food in his system as a kitten, experiencing Fading kitten syndrome, but his foster mom, @fosterkittys , nurtured him with a lot of love and care, and he was able to grow into the wonderful cat he is now. 😻 Phin adapts to his condition by walking with his paws a bit wider, leaning against the wall for support, and using claws to climb up and down things. Phin is a very happy kitty who loves playing with his siblings (Tyrion the cat, and Holly the Airedale Terrier), eating meals and treats, and cuddling with his parents. 😻 ——————————————————————––––– #phineasthecat #cerebellarhypoplasia #catsofinstagram #phinstagram #cat #gato #gatos #gatosdelmundo #貓 #Γάτα #kaķi #katter #katterpåinstagram #paka #кошка #коты #قطط #kat

A post shared by Phineas Tyrion Holly (@orangeisthenewblackandtan) on Jul 9, 2020 at 2:30pm PDT

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Phin here! Hope you're sprinting through your week just as well as I am!!! 😺 ——————————————————————––––– Phin has a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. This means that the part of his brain that coordinates movement never fully developed. He's not in any pain, and he won't get worse over time, though there also aren't any treatments that would help him. He had a difficult time getting enough food in his system as a kitten, experiencing Fading kitten syndrome, but his foster mom, @fosterkittys , nurtured him with a lot of love and care, and he was able to grow into the wonderful cat he is now. 😻 Phin adapts to his condition by walking with his paws a bit wider, leaning against the wall for support, and using claws to climb up and down things. Phin is a very happy kitty who loves playing with his siblings (Tyrion the cat, and Holly the Airedale Terrier), eating meals and treats, and cuddling with his parents. 😻 ——————————————————————––––– #phineasthecat #cerebellarhypoplasia #catsofinstagram #phinstagram #cat #gato #gatos #gatosdelmundo #貓 #Γάτα #kaķi #katter #katterpåinstagram #paka #кошка #коты #قطط #kat

A post shared by Phineas Tyrion Holly (@orangeisthenewblackandtan) on Jul 7, 2020 at 4:04pm PDT

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Treat time is a very serious time. You have to sprint over while licking your chops and then grip on tight, whether it's the tube or dad's hands. 😸 ——————————————————————––––– For those new friends who don't know Phin very well yet, he has a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. This means that the part of his brain that coordinates movement never fully developed. He's not in any pain, and he won't get worse over time, though there also aren't any treatments that would help him. He had a difficult time getting enough food in his system as a kitten, experiencing Fading kitten syndrome, but his foster mom, @fosterkittys , nurtured him with a lot of love and care, and he was able to grow into the wonderful cat he is now. 😻 Phin adapts to his condition by walking with his paws a bit wider, leaning against the wall for support, and using claws to climb up and down things. Phin is a very happy kitty who loves playing with his siblings (Tyrion the cat, and Holly the Airedale Terrier), eating meals and treats, and cuddling with his parents. 😻 ——————————————————————––––– #phineasthecat #cerebellarhypoplasia #catsofinstagram #phinstagram #cat #gato #gatos #gatosdelmundo #貓 #Γάτα #kaķi #katter #katterpåinstagram #paka #кошка #коты #قطط #kat

A post shared by Phineas Tyrion Holly (@orangeisthenewblackandtan) on Jun 12, 2020 at 3:30pm PDT

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🔊⬆️❗️ Phin must have built-in, ultra-precise GPS tracking! If we step into the kitchen completely silently, he somehow still knows! He can be on our bed a few rooms away and he instantly starts yelling about food, even if he just ate 2 hours beforehand. 🤦‍♂️ ——————————————————————––––– For those new friends who don't know Phin very well yet, he has a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. This means that the part of his brain that coordinates movement never fully developed. He's not in any pain, and he won't get worse over time, though there also aren't any treatments that would help him. He had a difficult time getting enough food in his system as a kitten, experiencing Fading kitten syndrome, but his foster mom, @fosterkittys , nurtured him with a lot of love and care, and he was able to grow into the wonderful cat he is now. 😻 Phin adapts to his condition by walking with his paws a bit wider, leaning against the wall for support, and using claws to climb up and down things. Phin is a very happy kitty who loves playing with his siblings (Tyrion the cat, and Holly the Airedale Terrier), eating meals and treats, and cuddling with his parents. 😻 ——————————————————————––––– #phineasthecat #balamsays #cerebellarhypoplasia #catsofinstagram #phinstagram #cat #gato #gatos #gatosdelmundo #貓 #Γάτα #kaķi #katter #katterpåinstagram #paka #кошка #коты #قطط #kat

A post shared by Phineas Tyrion Holly (@orangeisthenewblackandtan) on May 30, 2020 at 4:33pm PDT

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You've heard about the most interesting man in the world, but how about the most interesting cat in the world? The birds fly to Phin out of pure respect. Mice would consider it an honor to be hunted by Phin. If opportunity knocks and Phin isn't home, opportunity waits. Phin is the life of parties he has never attended. Phin doesn't always drink fluids, but when he does, it's tuna juice. Stay wobbly, my friends. ——————————————————————––––– For those new friends who don't know Phin very well yet, he has a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. This means that the part of his brain that coordinates movement never fully developed. He's not in any pain, and he won't get worse over time, though there also aren't any treatments that would help him. He had a difficult time getting enough food in his system as a kitten, experiencing Fading kitten syndrome, but his foster mom, @fosterkittys , nurtured him with a lot of love and care, and he was able to grow into the wonderful cat he is now. 😻 Phin adapts to his condition by walking with his paws a bit wider, leaning against the wall for support, and using claws to climb up and down things. Phin is a very happy kitty who loves playing with his siblings (Tyrion the cat, and Holly the Airedale Terrier), eating meals and treats, and cuddling with his parents. 😻 ——————————————————————––––– #phineasthecat #cerebellarhypoplasia #catsofinstagram #phinstagram #cat #gato #gatos #gatosdelmundo #貓 #Γάτα #kaķi #katter #katterpåinstagram #paka #кошка #коты #قطط #kat

A post shared by Phineas Tyrion Holly (@orangeisthenewblackandtan) on May 23, 2020 at 9:29am PDT