Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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i am recently a mummy to a 3 legged kitty called Cato, She had her amputation on Thursday and is doing really quite well.
Does anyone else have a 3 legged kitty? How did your kitty adapt and how long did it take for him/her to adapt?
Hi Rainy & Cato, welcome to Tripawds! We're so glad you joined us! There are quite a few active kitty Tripawd members here including Jill, Fang, Honey and Little Man. I'm sorry if I forgot anyone else but I hope they chime in!
Meanwhile, tell us how you lost your leg, we'd love to hear more about your story.
Your future posts will be instantly approved, so post away!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Rainy! So glad you came over to join us! My Jill is a tripawd. She is going on 4 months now - her surgery was on December 12th. I'm glad Cato is doing well! Is it a front or rear leg?
Jill adapted REALLY quickly! She is a rear leg amputee, so being a rear leg, she has trouble jumping UP (for front legs, they have trouble jumping down). The only change we've had to make is she has a step to get up on the bed and onto the couch. The doggy people may get offended when I say this, but the kitties adapt a tad bit quicker on three legs 
Jill's recovery was really amazing to me and she was getting around in basically no time! Do you have any specific questions? I'm happy to answer ANY questions for you. If you want to read alll about Jill's recovery, it's ALL in her blog, just go back to the beginning (http://jillsjou.....pawds.com/)
and here are some videos for you to see how quickly she adapted:
3 days post surgery:
1 week post surgery:
3 months post surgery:
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
YAY FOR THREE LEGGED CATS!!! You have a great mentor in Jill! Jill is making cat tripawd history as I'm sure Cato will:-)
The very best to you and we are ALL here for you! No species bias here ....we are all one!!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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! As you've read there are other tripawd cats around here. Jilly's mom is often in chat so you may want to stop by.
We'd love to hear more about Cato
Topher
Vet Assistant (in school to be a licensed vet technician)
1.5 years Oncology department, moved to rehab & sportsmed December 2024
Tripawd Angel, Cora the Determined <3
Aw thankyou so much for our warm welcome aw this site is fab. Jill btw is a sweetheart, look at her go wOW! I hope Cato gets around that well. She is a left hind amputee bless her so yes she struggles with jumping up but i will give the cushions a go to help her up the bed etc. She is doing quite well so far, eating well and drinking, using her newly adapted disabled kitty litter i made from an old cat carrier. We don't know what happened to her, she went missing for 3 days and we found her lame and unable to use the leg! Turns out it had been trapped and she hadn't been able to free it in time before it became necrosed, so sad! She is content and pain free just struggling a bit getting about and gets a bit ratty with herself when things don't work out as she plans .
oh by the way i am very unsavvy re making blogs, can't figure out how to start one! lol
Wow she is such a fighter and a survivor! How wonderful you found her.
We can help you start a blog. Stop by the chat during the evenings or Private Message us (see the button on the upper right of this post) and we can set up a time to help you with the first steps.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
What a beautiful kitty Cato is. She is a fighter. I am so glad you found our group and there are a bunch of us (mostly doggies) that hang out in the chat. But come keep Jill's mom Erica company The more the merrier we say.
Michelle & Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
Cato - you sound like a tough kitty. Welcome to the fold. Most of the dogs here are closet kitty lovers (they just don't say it out loud 
)!
So glad she is doing well and she is beautiful!
Spirit Shooter was a Miniature Australian Shepherd who was diagnosed with a MCT and had a LF amp 1/28/13 at 13-1/2 years old.
Shooter crossed the Bridge on 8/28/13, his 7 month ampuversary and two weeks from his 14th birthday.
Aw she is doing so well guys i am so proud of her. Not yet tried to jump up she has always been a softy really, think that is how she wound up in such a mess in the first place, I have made her a little obstacle course with various sizes of boxes to climb on so she can reach her fave places but she just looks at them, is that normal for her to be frightened to have a go?
Have to try to blog about her later, just had a busy few days as you can prob remember your first few days nursing your new tri paws! Did a few vids of her too, she is getting great hopping around on her 3 little tootsies bless her, I think she is just a bit scared to give the jumping a go yet. But cats being cats and knowing especially how stubborn Cato can be, she prob wants to do it without me watching first time so she can show off when she finally shows me. LOL
See you all later, will be on to see if i can get a blog going, now when i say i am tech noob i really mean it guys, so you'd have to tell me like you're telling a 2 year old. ha ha
Aww you're doing great, don't worry, lots of folks here started out like you and now they are tech geeks! 
Don't be surprised if she is hesitant to do a lot of her old activities at first, that is totally normal. Try to put yourself in her paws and imagine trying to do even the smallest things with one less leg. It's a lot for a Tripawd kitty to re-learn but it's not impossible and within 2 to 3 weeks you'll wonder why you were ever so worried.
The obstacle course you built sounds fun! Remember all of those things are new in her environment so she'll probably study them very carefully before she realizes what they're there for. Try putting treats on each one to give her some hints.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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