I was outside on the porch when I heard an odd sound, it was raining and it could’ve been anything, I thought a cat, or a bird making a similar sound to a distressed cat. I grabbed my flashlight and started to search and the sound stopped I finished looking around and didn’t see anything so I went back in.

A couple hours pass and I’m back out in the porch hearing the noise again so I decide to dedicate myself to listening for exactly where the sound is coming from. I realize it’s somewhere to the left fence line and I decide it’s probably something trapped inside the compost bin. I looked inside and didn’t see anything I peeked behind it and there was a terrified little kitten, no older than 4-6 weeks. She darted to the corner of the fence and I knew I didn’t want her to get away it wasn’t safe, it was rainy, she was visibly cold, and she was so small in an area where there are many predators I knew I had to catch her. She hissed, and growled, and tried to scratch and bite. I took off my t-shirt, I distracted her with my other hand and then threw the t-shirt over her like a cast net. I quickly wrapped her up into a tight burrito with her little face poking out the end, I scratched her chin for awhile, and then her ear, it didn’t take her long to realize I wasn’t a threat and she enjoyed the scratches.

About 2-3 weeks later while I was playing a video game, she let curiosity worsen both of our days tremendously, she had decided to play with the Ethernet cable connected to my Xbox, I noticed the cord moving and stood up to shoo her away, she must have sensed my displeasure and she shot underfoot literally. I knew immediately she was in pain and that it was a pretty severe injury, I had broken the bottom of the two bones connected to the elbow, I didn’t know that but I had splinted it and had to work(I’d rather have attended to her but some workplaces like mine at the time are not sympathetic).

When I got home I could tell the splint would not hold so I took her to an emergency veterinary hospital in my area, I explained I didn’t have much money, and needed to know how I could help her. I told them about the splint and the veterinarian came out to speak with me, he explained that just trying things when the damage hasn’t been assessed, would only lead to further cause pain for her and that X-rays would be necessary.

Upon the examination of her X-rays it was explained that because of the location of the break, there’s no way to splint it, you can’t cast or wrap it, I couldn’t hope it healed on it own, simply put surgical procedures would need to be taken because the forearm will continue to dangle and roll and wouldn’t heal properly or at all, risking the possibility of internal damage with nerves and infection. I asked what options I had I wasn’t in a financial situation that would allow me to pay for expensive surgical costs. He told me I had two options realistically and that one of them was an EXTREMELY expensive surgery that involved pins, rods, and plates, that would need readjusted frequently because she was a growing kitten which would cost even more money each time. The quote I got for it was somewhere around $3500+, it required more time which meant anesthesia, which meant more money, it also required a lot more aftercare, which being a 20-25 year old I couldn’t afford missing any work to do.

I asked what the other option was and the veterinarian looked at me and told me a few things before specifying what the procedure was. He said the cat would have a completely normal life as an indoor cat, and that it would almost immediately eliminate the extreme pain, he explained that it’s much less expensive and that other than a routine post op visit she wouldn’t need to come back to the veterinary office again. He specified it as such “the procedure would be the complete and total removal of the limb, that means all bone, tendons, joints, and muscles relative to that limb” he went on to say because of her age she likely won’t even remember the presence of that limb and that 98% of indoor cats that receive and amputation of a forelimb live completely unaffected by the amputation.

He was very reassuring as the large teddy bear of a man in front of him cried for this poor kitten, how could I not be sad, I felt I had mutilated her, and potentially altered her lifestyle so severely that she may not come to love me as she had previous. I got an estimate for the surgery, and made an appointment for the next morning. They told me at the counter that typically they keep the cat after surgery for a while and likely I could expect to pick her up the day following because it often takes awhile for them to come all the way back from the anesthesia. I left the veterinarian after saying some tearful farewells to her, and leaving her in there care.

I was not expecting a call 5hrs later, with them telling me “yes her surgery finished up about 2 hrs ago, if you want to come pick her up, she’s ready!” I was a bit confused because of the warning I was given beforehand about recovering from anesthesia. I showed up and they knew who I was there for without asking, and the tech behind the counter chimed in saying “she’s so lively, you’ve got a little spitfire there” I kinda chuckled and just went with it, the vet brought her out wrapped up in a blankie, she saw me and instantly started crying and trying to wriggle free to get to me, the vet handed her over to me and she nestled in between my chest and chin. She acted as if she had genuinely missed me and I had been so afraid of her detesting me afterwards that I was overwhelmed that she wanted to be with me so badly.

The vet said that he’d never seen a cat let alone such a tiny kitten wake up from being anesthetized and return to a normal state so quickly, he said about an hour after surgery she woke up and within a few minutes and was trying to play and eat, although a bit hobbled and we both chuckled. Everyone there seemed genuinely surprised/impressed with how quick she just got up and went.

Now my little bobtailed 3-legged cat is stranger than ever and just as adorable, she runs like a rabbit hops, I’d swear the loss of the limb made her even faster, she still has a tendency for high places despite not being able to make it down super effectively. She had an older adopted sibling I owned when I found her (Hazelnut, she passed from leukemia seemingly out of nowhere) who she learned some quirks and tricks from, she loves just lounging in the porch and picked up an awful ability to literally scream after her first heat cycle. She much like my dog seemingly has some anxiety about being away from me and coming home from work is always a bombardment of my fur babies.

I love my little tripawd Stromboli!