Anyone with a Three-Legged-Cat? I am a wreck deciding what to do with my boy....

[Baby Chick]

This past summer we lost one of ours cats. Her name was Kiwi & she was 17 years old. We found out she had a cancer tumor on one of her back legs. We eventually had to amputate it. She did great with only 3 legs for 2 months until she passed away for other reasons. She didn't mind not having a leg & actually did better with out it!

 

[Fly 2006]

Im am so sorry that you find yourself in this situation

Having read what you say about just wanting the best for your cat and the money not being an issue proves that you truely love your cat, soooo, I think that if you were so worried about the outcome and made the decision to have him put to sleep that you would end up regreting it wondering if you should have just given it a go with the 3 legs, at least if you go with it you will know the answer and if he doesn't cope ( which I am sure won't be the case) then you don't have a decision to make, your cat kinda makes it for you. Best wishes to you and your cat, look forward to hearing what you decide and how things go X

 

[oesdog]

There are cats that do very well on three legs and others that don;t adjust quite as well. There are also cats that do incredibly well on just two legs. What would concern me is the reason why this can needs the amputation. You will need to talk that over with the vet.
However having three legs is way better than being dead - honestly cats do do fine but you are right about some having a bit of a ballance struggle. They do adjust!!!!!

Oes - try looking up two and three legged cats on youtube!

 

[TheIvoryKitty]

My sister's cat was hit by a car and her front leg would just not heal. She eventually had to amputate it. This cat also managed to do just fine. She had an odd hoppy gait to her but she managed to get up on the roof of the house each evening for the remainder of her very happy life just as she had before the accident. If I had a vote, I would say go for it. He looks like he has a strong personality and spirit and will make the best of what he has.

Thank you so much for sharing that - especially about getting out onto the roof. Those types of stories... they really help me believe that he will be okay. A hoppy gait is just fine if it's not painful, and if they can go on being cat-like (I.E. getting onto the roof, going outside, etc.. you know.. the stuff that makes cats happy and people nervous).

 

[TheIvoryKitty]

This past summer we lost one of ours cats. Her name was Kiwi & she was 17 years old. We found out she had a cancer tumor on one of her back legs. We eventually had to amputate it. She did great with only 3 legs for 2 months until she passed away for other reasons. She didn't mind not having a leg & actually did better with out it!

And at 17 years old - that is amazing. I constantly worry that Fang (10) is too old to adapt to this disability so late in life, but stories like this prove that maybe it's okay for these older kitties. Your baby was a whole lifetime ahead of Fang, and if she took it so well, then maybe it's okay.

 

[TheIvoryKitty]

Im am so sorry that you find yourself in this situation

Having read what you say about just wanting the best for your cat and the money not being an issue proves that you truely love your cat, soooo, I think that if you were so worried about the outcome and made the decision to have him put to sleep that you would end up regreting it wondering if you should have just given it a go with the 3 legs, at least if you go with it you will know the answer and if he doesn't cope ( which I am sure won't be the case) then you don't have a decision to make, your cat kinda makes it for you. Best wishes to you and your cat, look forward to hearing what you decide and how things go X

Thank you for your support. My hubby also says that he thinks I would truly regret not giving him the chance to try at life with three legs, and I think you two are right. I also, however, don't want to make the decision to make myself feel better - I want him to feel better. As difficult as it would be to put him to sleep now, when he's had a happy and pretty long life, I think it might be even harder if I know that the last part of his life had been harder than it needed to be - and that is was MY fault! But, people have told me, "You're not doing this TO him, you're doing it FOR him." I think that giving him a chance.. I think that's the moral thing. I don't know if it's the right thing, but I think it's the moral thing... If you know what I mean.

I will be sure to update as I go through this process, whichever way it goes. I only have 1 to 2 more days to decide. Ugh...

 

[TheIvoryKitty]

There are cats that do very well on three legs and others that don;t adjust quite as well. There are also cats that do incredibly well on just two legs. What would concern me is the reason why this can needs the amputation. You will need to talk that over with the vet.
However having three legs is way better than being dead - honestly cats do do fine but you are right about some having a bit of a ballance struggle. They do adjust!!!!!

Oes - try looking up two and three legged cats on youtube!

Yes, and what worries me is I don't seem to hear about those kitties that don't adjust as well. What is life like for him? I wish I knew the range of potential for life-difficulty resulting from this surgery, but I only mostly hear of the good cases. Of course, this helps me believe that maybe they are almost always good cases, but I don't know if that's a false belief. I don't know if people that have had good outcomes are more likely to post about it online. I wish I had even MET a three legged cat in my life, but I've not even seen one. I'm doing all of this on imagination, and it's very hard.

I have definitely talked to the vet about whether there were any other alternatives to amputation, and she assures me that there are not. I have, however, also contacted the nearby UC Davis Veterinary school for a second opinion about both the need for amputation, and also about phantom limb pain and what can be done to stop it from occurring, or at least lessen the chances. I do know, though, in my heart that this is the only option besides amputation. In this week since I first felt the lump on Monday, it has already definitely grown... so it's pretty alarmingly fast. and while there aren't many cases of this type of cancer in cats, it happens to dogs very very often and the only option is to amputate. I am, of course, extremely hopeful that this second opinion will be different, but I don't think that it will be. However, I feel like getting a second opinion, like you said, will really put my mind at ease - at least about this PART of the issue. I don't think my mind will really be at ease for a long long time.

I have been watching some on youtube - It sort of helps, and sort of hurts, but makes me more realistic.... I think. It's hard to imagine Fang that way... and it's hard to tell from a little clip whether or not these cats are happy, ya know? It seems hard for front-leg amputees to walk.. but I don't know if it really is, or if I just think so because it's such an unusual way to see a cat walk.

 

[RHRanch]

Why not just do it and see if he adjusts. If he doesn't, you can euthanize then. Most likely he will adjust, animals are resilient and cats are survivors. If it were me, I would want to give him a chance to try out a life with 3 legs and improved health.

 

[Kaitie09]

Nancy has been an amputee for about 2 years now. It is hard to see them differently, but you get used to it. Every once in a while when she is snuggled up to my in bed and I see her paw, I do feel bad and wish it could have been different. However, for the most part she just seems normal to me. She is extremely friendly and will talk to you. With her missing leg, she has now become the star of the house. Every time someone comes over, they always ask where she is. I think she gets more attention now than she ever did when she had a paw. She used to never be allowed inside either, but now she gets spoiled and pampered all winter long.

 

[bgelber]

Cats are very adaptive, you just have to give him time to adjust and that may be more than a couple of months. He will do just fine inside.