Hi and welcome to the Tripawds community! Bless your big heart Mum for adopting such a special boy!

We don’t have any tripawd kitty’s in this house, but we do have a large Tripawd Dawg and his four, four legged feline companions! (Say that four times really quickly!) 

I agree with Karen and Kerren (the kool k’s!). Your kitty has just arrived in a new environment for one and this may be his first time in a home. (That was the case with our most recent adoptee, Ted) Your boy has had a very traumatic accident, he was thrown into a shelter and has undergone a major, major surgery, so the fact that he is eating, using his litter box, coming to you for some loving... these are all EXCELLENT indicators that you and your boy are well on your way to a successful recovery and a super hoppy life together! It sounds like he is already very hoppy to be with you!!!

Two to three weeks post amputation is not very long. It is brilliant that his stitches are out and he is well on his way to getting lots of energy and spunk back. I’m sure in a couple of months, you will be telling us stories of the little monkey you now have living with you! The most important thing for your boy now and any Tripawd through out their life, is lots of traction and ramps or stairs to the regular places he likes to go. Tripawd kitty Mums have devised all sorts of funky ways to keep their kittens safe!

Our boy Stewie uses yoga mats and rugs in all areas where there are no carpets. He is far more confident in everything that he does, when he has good traction underneath him. 

For Stewie, and I’m sure this goes for Tripawd kitty’s too, his endurance started to really build after his stitches came out. Until that point, he was focusing on his recovery. After his stitches came out, we had to remind each other as to how far he could go or play. It takes time for their muscles to adapt to three legs. I know for myself that if I am overcompensating for one side, I get super achy on the other side and just tired from the excursion.

Like Kerren said, try introducing toys that grasp your boys attention and ask him to move around in different directions to get used to the movement. I’m not sure how to add the links, but there are quite a few interactive toys for tripawd kitty’s, (& dawgs) so that they can build up their core muscles. Maybe someone else can add those links for you to check out.

We’d love to know your boys name and pictures too please. Keep us posted on his progress.

All the best from Petra, Stewie and his Pride Of kittens 

Welcome!  You are an angel on earth for doing everything you have already.  I wouldn't worry about your furbaby.  As everyone  has said already, there are so many positive things already going on.

Rusty is a rear amputee who has become more of a cuddle bug since his Sept surgery.  He sleeps alot but is also playing again.  

I am one of those crazy moms who has pet stairs going to our bed, his favorite window, his favorite chair, our couch... you get the idea.  We also used those foam tiles they have and area rugs.

Everyone on this forum have been extremely helpful to me.  If you have any questions, just ask.  One of us has probably been through it! 

Hi there,

How lucky that he is in his forever home! My cat was 14 when he needed his right front leg amputation, and he really didn't take too long (maybe a couple weeks) to be 100% back to his normal self (with some added itching). Yours is in a new home though, so it may take a bit longer. I agree with others that have stated that if kitty is eating, using the litter box and seeking times to be social, he is definitely headed in the right direction. As for sleeping, my cat was older, so he did sleep most of the day during the last year or two; however, he was still playful and the amputation did not hinder his ability to jump and run, etc...

I recently adopted a 2 year old cat, and she sleeps a lot more than I thought she would! But it has only been 4 weeks. Like yours, she eats, uses her litter box, and will want to play with us with her toys several times per day. I think it really just depends on the cat. I am personally not worried at this point, but if she stopped doing any of the basics, I would definitely take her in to see the vet. Hopefully your guy is just taking advantage of having a caring home in which he can recover from his trauma and surgery. I think it is a good sign that he feels he CAN relax and sleep comfortably in his new home. 

I mentioned the sleeping thing to my new cat's foster mom and she is also not worried one bit. She knows a ton about cat behavior, etc...and let me know that my cat (Stella) would be hiding under the bed or somewhere else and perhaps not eating much if she was unhappy with us or stressed. And that is not the case, thankfully.

If you continue to feel uneasy about your cat's sleeping or recovery, you could always phone the vet for a quick well check. I did that too, just to ease my mind.

Good luck and welcome!

Hattie