Junie isn’t your average cat. The 5-year-old with striking green eyes loves tuna, demands attention with loud meows, and — instead of simply walking — she skis.
Both of Junie’s front legs curve inward at the wrists, leaving her paws facing upward. At first, her mom, Emily (who asked to keep her last name private), worried it might cause her pain.
But veterinarians reassured her that Junie isn’t uncomfortable — and watching her effortlessly glide across the floor like she’s cruising down a snowy slope makes it clear she’s thriving with her unique paws.
“She literally started doing it all by herself,” Emily told The Dodo. “It was the cutest, funniest thing we’d ever seen.”
Emily hadn’t planned on adopting a pet when she first met Junie. She and her partner were still grieving the loss of their dog when a friend introduced them to Junie, who was in foster care after being surrendered by her former family.
“I literally cried when I met her,” Emily said. “I was like, ‘Are you kidding? She’s unreal.’”
That meeting sealed the deal. Emily brought Junie home — and that’s when she discovered the skiing.
“The first time we saw her actually do a full, big ski was in our apartment,” Emily said. “We knew that she would slide on the hardwood, but we didn’t know it would look like that.”
The skiing comes so naturally to Junie that Emily wonders if someone taught her how to do it. “That's the … part that just breaks my heart,” Emily said. “I hope that someone taught her that, or like, she had love, because we just don't know what those first few years were like.”
Junie’s background remains a mystery, but what is clear, based on information from Northwest Animal Companions rescue, where Junie ended up, is that her unusual gait isn’t from an injury.
Rescuers and vets diagnosed her with a congenital bilateral front limb deformity. Her bones and ligaments are healthy, suggesting the cause may be neurological.
Whatever the reason, Junie has adapted beautifully.
Far from being limited, Junie is fearless and independent. She leaps onto beds and tables, plays with toys, and lounges on the balcony just like any other cat.
“She is always surprising me with how capable she is,” Emily said. “I just love when I catch her doing something you wouldn’t expect her to maybe be able to do.”
To make her landings softer, Emily placed their late dog’s bed beneath Junie’s favorite windowsill. Aside from that small adjustment, Junie needs no special treatment. She knows exactly what she wants — she just prefers to be the only pet in the house.
“She’s so smart,” Emily said. “And I love her for it.”
Junie’s unique “ski walk” might have been born from difference, but it’s become her trademark. Confident, sassy, and full of charm, she glides through life exactly on her own terms.
Fans can keep up with her adventures on Instagram.
