Dwarf kitten with 'massive personality' rescued in Cornwall

Mowzer was named after The Mousehole Cat by Antonia Barber

A neglected kitten with a rare form of dwarfism has been rescued.

"Enchanting" Mowzer, who was found aged seven weeks on a farm in Cornwall, was about half the weight she should be and looked out-of-proportion, rescue centre staff said.

Facilities had to be altered at Cats Protection's Cornwall Adoption Centre as she was too small to use the usual steps and ramps when she arrived.

She has since been successfully re-homed with a family in Carbis Bay.

When she came to the centre, she was much smaller than the others in her litter and had shorter legs.

A health check found she did not have any teeth, when she should have a full set.

At 12 weeks old Mowzer was 22cm long and weighed 750g

Cat care assistant Kirsty Balcombe said the kitten could "only be described as adorable"

"Mowzer very quickly enchanted everyone at the centre. For such a little cat, she has a massive personality," she said.

"Her tiny legs couldn't reach the ramp to move between levels of the pen or the cat flap, so extra steps were put in so she could do everything herself."

Her new owner Dawn Eddy said: Mowzer, who was re-homed at 12 weeks old, was "still under a kilo in weight but certainly has the heart of a lion".

"When she's finished exploring for the day she loves to fall asleep on people's shoulders at the base of your neck," she said.

Mowzer is much smaller than the others in her litter

Osteochondrodysplasia, or feline dwarfism, is extremely rare, a Cats Protection spokesperson said.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) said the condition was a disorder of the development of bone and cartilage which leads to arthritis ranging from mild to debilitating.

Cats Protection said Mowzer's owner was advised she would also need to be monitored in case she develops any mobility issues, although it was likely that simple adjustments to help her use steps or make jumps were likely to be all she would need.