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 Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 10:00 am
My sweet little kitty Silvester, who is 13 years old, recently had his back leg amputated
because he had a huge cancerous tumor growing in his paw. Now he's back to his old
happy self. The doctor says he's doing wonderfully. And he does seem happier that his tumor
is gone. But for some reason I just am very worried about him. To me losing a limb seems
like a huge deal, but he is so happy it's like he's EUPHORIC. I just don't get it. He acts like he's
an energetic kitten again. What happened? I was expecting him to be depressed. He's way too
old to be acting like this. I'm affraid he might hurt himself trying to do the things he used to do
like jumping on high places while missing a leg. Anyone have any good advise on how to take
care of a three legged cat? Any precautions I should be taking? Or just tell me if you think I'm
worring way to much or if I'm being overprotective.
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 11:00 am
i've no advice, really. i just want to say i'm glad to hear that your cat appears to have recovered from his amputation. my guess is that the tumor probably made him feel very uncomfortable, and now that it's gone, he feels like a million bucks.
i heard of diabetic cats who come running whenever they hear the syringe wrapper being torn, perhaps because they know that the shot of insulin will make them feel better.
edit: ooh, i love the shop in your sig. i think i bought something from there once upon a time.
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 11:34 am
I don't have any experience with amputee cats, but if he's happy and not in any pain then I wouldn't worry about him too much. Just keep him inside (or supervise outdoor time) where he'll be protected from cars and predators that he might not be as adept at escaping with three legs.
Cats are really amazing creatures when it comes to overcoming problems and accepting what they can't overcome. Our Tiger has arthritis in his hips, and he still insists on defending his territory and going outside in the winter, but he knows it hurts to jump up on things, so he'll get comfy on the floor or wait for his mum to pick him up. Violet has a stubby foot (no toes on one of her back paws) which makes it harder for her to climb things and her rear end tends to slip off the side if she's trying to walk along a narrow space (like the back of the couch) but she does most of the things other cats do, and tries her best with the rest. She's never injured herself trying too hard to do things her stubby foot stops her from doing.
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 12:24 pm
Wow, I didn't know that thing about diabetic cats. At first i figured it must have been the tumor that was making him miserable, but he was not limping and it didn't seem to bother him all that much until about a week before his surgery. Although I just now think I figured it out. He doesn't walk very well (kinda falls over), but he runs like nothing happened, I'm thinking it's more comfortable for him to run...running must get his heart pumping...and maybe he just "seems" to have more energy because he's always "running".
ok i'm probably worrying too much, thank you though for the advise.
Anyone else with advise is always welcome, I will constantly be checking this post.
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 8:15 pm
Aww at least your cat is lucky that you are going to keep him no matter what. My sister's best friend rescued a kitten from streets, and whe she took her to the vet, they had to amputate the kitten's leg.
This girl became very attached to the kitten, but unfortunately she's allergic to cats and because nobody wanted to have a 3-legged cat, this girl has decided to put the kitten to sleep. sad
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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 11:54 am
He is better mentally because the pain is gone, animals adapt to amputations far easier than humans do because we see it as a loss of the whole, animals dont. The compensate easily, and go on about their lives, Cancer is painful the tumor probably limited the cats ability to do many things it wanted to do, and Now it is relived to be able to. Dont worry He will be fine even a few minor spills will be fine, he doesn't miss his leg like a human would, enjoy the fact he does feel like a kitten again, and keep an eye for places he might not need to get into is all. Yes Ive had 3 legged & even a two legged cats, One of mine lost the use of his back legs but does just fine with his cart. He plays, he chases the others & they roll him around like its natural to do so. He even gets on the furniture.
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 2:51 am
Lokis II He is better mentally because the pain is gone, animals adapt to amputations far easier than humans do because we see it as a loss of the whole, animals dont. The compensate easily, and go on about their lives, Cancer is painful the tumor probably limited the cats ability to do many things it wanted to do, and Now it is relived to be able to. Dont worry He will be fine even a few minor spills will be fine, he doesn't miss his leg like a human would, enjoy the fact he does feel like a kitten again, and keep an eye for places he might not need to get into is all. Yes Ive had 3 legged & even a two legged cats, One of mine lost the use of his back legs but does just fine with his cart. He plays, he chases the others & they roll him around like its natural to do so. He even gets on the furniture. Thank-you this is the most sweetest thing I ever heard, it made me feel so happy. Thank you again for taking the time to put my fears at easy.
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 3:57 pm
I have an new question... My kitty is much better now and he is doing the oddest thing, and this might sound a bit gross, but he no longer buries his poop in the cat litter. He only covers up his pee. At first I figured it's because of his disability, but then i find him furiously trying to cover his pee with his front paws while he balances on one back leg. When he poops though, he just jumps straight out of the litter without burying it. This is a new behavior as before his amputation he would do the opposite. He buried his poop but sometimes left his pee uncovered. ???
Also as a side question for Lokis II (or anyone who may have the answer), you said you had a cat in sort of a wheel chair because he had no back paws. I'm afraid because mine had cancer he his more likely to get it in the future, and I might have to amputate another one of his paws...but I'm also very curious...how does a kitty like that go do his business? *Gross, I know, but truly a valid question.
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 7:55 pm
Well if it was hard for him to do that they do have diapers for animals. http://www.handicappedpets.com/I looked around and this site has a bunch of things on it, like the diaper. Im sure looking around the internet more would help. I dont think he would need a diaper.
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 9:47 pm
Thank you for the link...and yeah he doesn't need a diaper. I was just curious as how animals with such severe diabilities cope. He's actually fine, even though he's missing a leg, he has adapted really well, it's almost like he's forgotten he even had a fourth leg.
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Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 7:31 am
Not burying poop can be a sign of making territory - it's a very visible and smelly indicator that the area belongs to the cat. Is he perhaps feeling insecure since the amputation, or are there other cats/animals that he feels the need to assert himself to?
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Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 9:57 am
As long as he's still going in the litter box, I wouldn't worry about it too much. It does sound like a territory marking behaviour, perhaps it is his way of saying "although I lost a leg, I am still a force to be reckoned with!".
As long as he is happy and playful I would not worry.
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Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 7:23 am
I agree with the territory idea, My broken kitty is a Tom, altered now, so he doesnt have the need to leave any droppings in the open. When he started using his cart we added a ramp to the automatic litter box he favors, and he simply rolls in scratches and does his business at first he'd howl until someone came and got him, but he soon became strong enough to get in & out w/o assistance that in itself I think was a major accomplishment for him. I just leave the box Off and as I walk by during the day Ill plug it in and let it clean then shut it off again so his ramp was fashioned to sit on the lip of the side. Its easy to tell when he wants to move about, he has always been a very vocal cat, Tonkinese and proud im thinking. He lost the use of his legs but not his flexibility they cannot bear weight or carry him But he can Move them his mind sends the signal but it never reaches the legs, he can still bathe normally he just moves his offending leg aside now instead of raising it. They are like a humans legs when they have lost the use of them, he still bathes them, and I will flex the joints, its hard to explain they move but dont bear weight. The nerves just dont get the proper signals. My other cats dont seem to notice any difference in him he isnt treated any differently and he still smacks the same ones he always did when he says NO means NO. There were messes to clean up in the beginning but hes adjusting well. Hes put on weight, and aside from his cart I dont notice alot of difference now.
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Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 3:36 pm
Anlina Not burying poop can be a sign of making territory - it's a very visible and smelly indicator that the area belongs to the cat. Is he perhaps feeling insecure since the amputation, or are there other cats/animals that he feels the need to assert himself to? Yes, very visible and smelly. It's by the door where I take off my shoes when I come home from work, It's the first thing I see. It really bugs me, That's why I posted, I'm looking for answers. There are no other animals in the house. My baby girl fifi lives with my mom now, when I was moving out my mom cried for her and just refused to let her go. I was unwilling to give up Sylvester though. So they are seperated now. I have tried putting a roof on the cat litter, but then the smell builds up inside even though I got charcol filters in the vents. eww. Scraped that idea. Maybe this will help explain...He jumps into the litter, turns around, squats, does his business, and when he's almost done, his eye's go big and black ( Just like they do when they hunt something) then, he get's excitable, jumps out and runs away really fast. And the back of his fur start twitching. I figured it might have something to do with the fact he's missing a leg. Maybe going to the bathroom just doesn't "feel" the same back there anymore. But all his other activities have returned to normal, and I know he's capable of burying it. I just don't get it. Sometimes, I even wake up in the middle of the night because it reeks, I go quickly to cover it up and dash back to bed until I can clean it in the morning. Help me please, before I just die* lol* from the toxic fumes. And thank you LokisII, that was very helpful. I thought about a ramp too. But then I saw how much better he got, he doesn't need one. You were so right before. They adapt so very well. It's practically the end of the world when it happens to a human, but to them it's like nothing happened. He acts like he has had only 3 legs for his whole life. He does everything he did before with only the smallest of stumbles once in a while.
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Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 6:47 pm
Hmm... that sucks. Smelly litterboxes are awful.
I'm not sure what you can do to get him to start covering it up himself. If he won't do that maybe you could consider switching to a better odour control litter? I found clay litter to get really stinky really fast, and I tried mixing in the crystal stuff and lots of baking soda, which helped a bit, but not much. Swheat Scoop wasn't bad for odour control, though the faint smell of wheat and cat pee wasn't overly pleasant. Feline Pine is my favourite though - it seems to kill the smell really fast. We have two covered litterboxes and one of my girls will occasionally poop and not cover it up, but the smell only lasts for a few minutes and then isn't noticeable any more.
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