Hi Melinda and Kender.  I'm so sorry for why you are here but you've come to the right place.  Everyone here is very supportive and happy to provide any information you need.  My cat, Sebastian, had an osteochondrosarcoma in his left shoulder.  With him everything happened very quickly - from diagnosis to surgery in under a week - so it was quite the whirlwind.  I read EVERY cat blog on this website, no joke, and lots of dog blogs.  Now there are even more (including Sebastian's) to read!

Cats (and dogs) are incredibly resilient.  It was amazing to see how well Sebastian did.  Sure, there were a few days where he was in obvious pain and discomfort, but for the most part he just wanted to get back to normal activity.  And once he was allowed after 4 weeks, most everything went back to normal.  Also, the 4 weeks was vet/mom mandated - Sebastian thought he was ready much sooner!

I had the same fear you do, about putting her through this surgery and maybe still having cancer.  I was especially afraid because I didn't have Sebastian's biopsy results until after the amputation so it really could have been anything.  Somewhere on this website, I wish I remembered where, a very good point was made: If your cat or dog could decide for themselves, wouldn't they want to fight?  I think all of them would choose to fight!  So why not give them the chance, you know?  That made me feel a lot better about the decision.

Let us know what you find out and remember we're all here for you!

P.S. Check out Misty's blog.  She is an older cat that is doing great!

Hey Kender and Human! Welcome to the furry tripawd family - we are glad you found us too!

My Vinny boy is a new tripawd - 10 days now. I felt the same as you did… not knowing what the next little while would bring and unsure if putting my fur baby through a big surgery like that was the right thing to do. In the worst case scenario, I didn't want him to spend his last days miserably recovering from surgery.

Vinny's diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma was very shocking to us - especially since he seemed his normal self for so long before the discovery. I always knew that I would do whatever it would take to keep Vinny healthy and happy, so when the doctor recommended that Vinny was indeed a good candidate for the amputation, there was no doubt in my mind what had to be done. Next was coming to terms with it. And that's where Tripawds really helped us! We spent lots of time - just like you - reading all the experiences of other tripawd kitties here on the site, and it gave us so much hope!

It really didn't phase Vinny much at all. He was walking around as soon as he got home from the surgery. He was eating, drinking, and amazing me more and more with every hour that passed. It's really been a great experience so far, seeing his resilience, bonding with him, nursing him back to health. 

One thing I came across on the site that I found really useful was a reminder about how cats and humans are really such different species. When we think about an amputation, we tend to put ourselves in our animals’ shoes (or paws) and consider how we would feel about it – but it’s really incomparable. Our pets are so instinctual and they don’t think about things the same things as we do. We overanalyze everything – they just live, and do whatever it is they need to do to live. It's probably harder on us than it is on them.

Also, since animals hide their pain so well, it’s likely that your kitty was feeling pain in her leg for a long time before she started limping and showing actual signs of pain (especially if she went outdoors – she can't show any sign of weakness). So, the pain of the actual amputation will be minor, in comparison to the relief she will feel of having the pain of whatever was in her leg gone finally!

Vinny's doctor also reminded me that because of the previous ongoing pain, often cats adapt easily to walking on three legs because they were already practicing doing it, since they were likely shifting weight away from the sore leg and onto the other three.

We’re all here to help, offer advice and encouragement. Give Kinder big kisses from Vinny and I. We are sending wishes of good heath and happiness.

I don't have kids so I certainly can't give you an actual experience, but Sebastian really did not require constant care.  He slept a lot.  He laid in his bed awake a lot.  He didn't play because I gave him no option to play.  He was in a dog crate for two weeks and then in his own room without toys, furniture, or room to get up speed.  I know not everyone can spare a whole room for their animal so maybe consider getting a large dog crate for her to stay in when unsupervised.  It also depends on if she's the type to take off running...Sebastian is.

I only watched Sebastian a lot because it was convenient for me (work from home), but it was totally not necessary.  He appreciated the socialization but that's all it was.  You can leave Kender in her "safe area", wherever that may be, and check in on her throughout the day.  And definitely keep the e-collar on the entire time.  A lot of pet parents hate seeing their dog or cat in it but they will get over it...it's not worth risking ripped stitches. 

The only complication I see with kids is that the kids will want to see her, right?  Is the older one able to understand to not touch her too much?  To know when to back off if she's not feeling well? 

There are definitely some tripawd dog parents on here that have young children.  Also remember that plenty of people on here have to leave their tripawd home alone for 8+ hours a day, maybe even soon after surgery, so those people can probably offer lots of advice.

Regarding her weight - Sebastian was a little chunky before surgery and he ended up losing a lot because the antibiotics made him not want to eat.  Plus even if she does want to eat, you'll have a solid couple weeks where she will be eating by herself and you can ration.  You definitely have to keep the other cat away during recovery. 

I hope that helps and hopefully others will chime in too!

Jenn and Sebastian