Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello friends.
We just adopted a kitty from the humane society. He is roughly two years old and he was brought in after being hit by a car. They amputated his leg and we fell in love with him about two weeks after surgery. The day after his stitches were removed, we brought him home.
He is adjusting to his new home, but all he does is sleep. He is eating well, uses his litter box, and he enjoys being pet and comes out to see us briefly then finds a new place to sleep.
Is this exhaustion from the amputation? It has been about three weeks by my guess. Or is it a combination of that and a new home? We want to make sure he's happy here.
Does anyone have any advice?
Thank you!
Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
Congrats on your new addition, what's his name? Did he lose a front or back leg?
Three weeks in from surgery is still early- and since he was hit by a car he might be more sore than most kitties after amp surgery. I'm thinking the new home is a factor as well- my dogs were very quiet when I first adopted them, it took a while for them to feel comfortable in their new home.
It's a good sign that he is moving, eating, using his litterbox and being at least a little social with you.
Stay tuned for some great input from our kitty members!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Congratulations on your new family member!
Cats sleep a lot. If you google it, generally 12-20 hours a day, depending on age. I have a 14-year old male, Eli, who tends to sleep less than my 12-year old female tripawd Mona. They tend to sleep less in the summer.
In the summer Mona is always on the front porch waiting to great me when I come home. In the winter, Eli is waiting inside at the door for me, while Mona is in bed.
Petting and brushing is important, along with interative play. Cats will play with just about anything (expect really expensive toys). Some like chasing a laser light on the floor, a feather on a string, a hair tie on the floor.
I think Karen is correct saying your cat has a few things to adapt to with losing a leg and gaining a new home.
Another suggestion I have is to feed some of your cat's kibble to him by hand. I don't give my cats treats but give them a few extra kibbles by hand having them stand up on their hind legs or to sit up like a meerkat. Here's when Mona learned to sit up:
Here she is playing with her ribbon after running to chase it:
I even had a cat who like to play hide and seek before I went to bed. Sometimes they will guide you with how they want to play.
I'm sure your cat will become stronger and more confident in his new home from playing with you.
Hugs,
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
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
Remember...“live in the moment!“ 
Thank yiu for giving this sweet kitty such a loving home. He certainly won the Kitty Lottery!
You've gotten great insight from Petra and,as she called them, "the two kool K's"
Let us know how things are going when you can.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Hello and welcome!
It sure sounds like your baby found a great new home. I am sure he will thrive and constantly do things which both amaze you and scare you as he adjusts to his new life. And he has quite an adjustment to make too, with both losing a leg and gaining a nrw forever home.
Tuxedo, lost his rear leg and partial pelvis due to being attacked by a dog back in May. He had other injuries to heal from as well. Then to make things more interesting (NOT), his incision got infected requiring over a month of addional follow up care. So by no means is his recovery typical, if such a thing exists. He also refused to follow most every recommendation, despite my best efforts to make him comply. He still does if truth be told. Tuxedo is one stubborn ornery 10 year old cat. Imagine an aggressibe Garfield crossed with a teddy bear and you might be close. But in hopes it can help a bit as a guide, hete is how his activity level progressed.
After about 6 days Tuxedo slowed down on the sleeping and started trying to resume some of his activities, minor jumping but mostly cuddling. However, it was not until around 5 weeks that he started really taking an interest in moving around and trying things. At this point his incision still had not fully healed and he was going to the vet several times a week or dressing changes. He was also still wearing a cone when I could keep it on him. As soon as that cone came off ~7-8 weeks, he became a wild cat. Racing through the house, and where possible jumping from furniture piece to furniture piece. I assume this was both part of a normal adjustment progression coupled with celebrating no more cone. About 3-4 months post op he seemed to stabilize in his activity level. Since then, his activity level has been pretty constant. He sleeps about the same amount as Dazzle his brother, ~12 hours a day. He has learned a few new things (like how to scratch his ear/chin on the side of his missing leg) but most improvements have been in his balance and as I call it grace. When he races through the house he still sounds like a herd of elephants, but he can stop instantly, jump ~ 4 feet straight up with no running start, hop over objects easily, consistently land on perches approximately 4" wide, wak along the back of the couch without wobbling, stand up on his one rear leg to beg, etc, and of course manage to make everyone want to cuddle and love on him.
Please keep us informed on how he progresses and of course with pictures!
Hugs,
-Dawna, Tuxedo, & Dazzle
HEY DAWNA! So glad to hear how well Tuxedo is doing#0!! And thanks for taking the time to chronicle the nuances of his recovery! Very helpful!
Hugs to all!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
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! 
Rusty "The Bunnyman" adopted us in 2014. Aug/Sept 2017, back left leg amputated (HSA cancer). He remained cancer free over 900 days. Cancer returned as of emergency visit on day 931. 15 days later, he gained his wings 04/18/2020 due to congestive heart failure. He will always watch over his fellow tripawds and their hoomins with Head Scritches and Sand Paper Kisses.
Hello and Welcome,
I agree with everyone 3 weeks isn’t long for such a major surgery. Whats the new kitties name? Which leg did they lose? As Kerren mentioned cats can sleep a lot of hours a day. That is an average, some cats will snooze less and others more. Age and sometimes too much weight can make the difference in sleeping more.
I also agree with Traction Purrkins is a front leg amputee he is a year a half post amputation and traction gave Purrkins the confidence to run not hop. It made Purrkins thrive and gave him confidence.
If you would like kitty out where you are more maybe find what kitty likes best to sleep in or on and put it in the area you guys are most frequent , Some cats like to be in a den like bed some do not.
I think time for kitty to get used to his new body and new home and he will be hopping on and happy !
As Dawna said
I am sure he will thrive and constantly do things which both amaze you and scare you as he adjusts to his new life.
If kitty is eating, drinking & using litter box, engaging with you then I do not believe you need to be concerned. If your ever in doubt you can always phone the Vet.
This is a forum with Feline Rehab ideas for you to do at home.
Hugs
Holly & Purrkins
We are also glad to hear Tux is doing so well❣️
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
Hugs,
Hattie and Jerry Cat (right front leg and scapula amputation due to chondrosarcoma at age 14, lived 2 1/2 years post amputation, succumbed suddenly to suspected lymphoma at age 16)
10/2001 - 10/9/2017 R.I.P ~ Love you always
Hi there and welcome!
You have just gotten awesome advice from some pretty fabulous cat owners, and just awesome furbaby owners in total! Just the adoption all by itself is enough for them to need to rest up. Shelters are so stressful no matter how good they are, you have just given your new furbaby a piece of heaven in a new home. The injuries all by themselves are going to make him need to sleep. In people and animals as well, the majority of the healing process happens during sleep. Add the amputation to the car injury and the new home... you got a happy tired kitty lol. Yes, they can sleep up to 20 hours a day even when they are happy healthy and normal 🙂 They have to build up the energy to race around the house like wild men when we are sleeping lol.
Good luck with your new baby and thank you for saving his life!
Hugs,
Jackie and Huckleberry
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
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