# Anyone Have Any Advice For Looking After a Three Legged Cat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2010, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936 "2010-07-25T11:30:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/21 "2010-07-29T12:05:09Z")
Dogs are not supposed to run loose here. The Council rules dictate they are restrained. That some irresponsible owner can’t be bothered to ensure the dogs are adequately fenced has partially caused this problem. My cat was “running loose” on my property. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/22 "2010-07-29T12:10:34Z")
I take your point about snoozing a lot as well. He has slept mostly since being home and hopefully will until he has his balance adjusted. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/23 "2010-07-29T13:18:04Z")
When he wakes up lets see his picture 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/24 "2010-07-29T13:46:52Z")
[Here](http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2855053420098000304JXrtqW) he was a few days before the attack. [Here](http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2261450310098000304JLdGtG) he is tonight. A bit lighter. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/25 "2010-07-29T14:33:46Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > Cats are pretty adaptable, and I suspect it won’t take him long to adjust to walking on three legs. [Amazingly adaptable](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y97z-8xeTJw). ---
**Author:** ![Cinebar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Cinebar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinebar)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/26 "2010-07-29T14:57:56Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Thanks folks for the reassurance. He will get the best treatment but it just seems so unfair for him. I’m so sorry about your cat. It is unfair but I think it’s harder on the people who love them than it is on the animal. I have a three-legged Border collie. A former neighbor shot him - said he thought my big black and white dog was a coyote! Anyway, Panda had to have his right front leg amputated. This happened almost six years ago and he does great. He will still retrieve sticks and balls for hours. Loves to be told, “Get the goats in, Panda!” He loves to swim and the first time I took him swimming after the amputation, I was afraid he would go around in circles (he didn’t). He adjusted extremely well - much better than I did - and most people, when they first see him, don’t even realize he’s three-legged. He does have a bit of a problem lifting his leg (balancing) but he pees really quickly, before he can fall over. He usually tries to find something to lean against when he goes pooh (Border collies are so smart). The hardest part for me was right after the amputation, before his hair grew back, and I could see that shoulder joint moving. I’ve never had a cat who had to have an amputation but I’m pretty sure they adjust well, too. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/27 "2010-08-10T13:15:01Z")
Folks, just an update for anyone who is interested. Keyser has done really well, and as has been suggested, adapted better than us. He did sleep an awful lot and is now starting to get more mobile. Last Friday he had a bit of a setback. He had to have another operation as some skin was not surviving due to no blood supply. The vets warned us that could be the case. During the op they found an infection despite him being on antibiotics. He was in overnight again and on more medication. Now he is back again and his mobility has improved dramatically. Tonight he was able to jump from the floor onto the pool table from a sitting position so he could be groomed. Seems like a small thing- to us it is a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/28 "2010-08-10T13:26:58Z")
Just wondering out loud if it would benefit him to raise his food and water bowls just a bit as he might have more difficulty bending low. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/29 "2010-08-10T13:33:59Z")
Lieu, I wish I had thought of that earlier. We fed him while he was lying down and placed water bowls in front of him, but didn’t think to raise them so he could feel comfortable eating standing up. Thanks very much, although it is probably a moot point now as he has become very flexible. We did have some difficulty getting him a kitty litter tray to use initially- he is large and had difficulty hopping over the edges of the larger trays. We ended up getting some dog thing which was quite spacious and we took the top off it and it worked fine. ---
**Author:** ![Cinebar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Cinebar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinebar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/30 "2010-08-10T14:30:03Z")
I’m glad he’s doing so well. He’s lucky to have a family who loves him - so many cats are neglected and/or abused. Thanks for the update. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@LilyoftheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheField)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/31 "2010-08-10T14:49:38Z")
Years ago I had a cat that had lost a front leg to a trap when he was just a kitten. He never seemed to realize that the leg was gone and was pretty much just as mobile as our other cat, who was his inseparable companion. Whenever he used the litter box, he would attempt to bury his ‘business’ as cats do. It was fascinating to watch him standing on his three legs while ‘using’ his missing leg to scratch up the litter. Nothing happened of course, but that shoulder would move vigorously for a minute or so before he was satisfied that he had completed his task and would jump out of the box and stroll away. At that point his buddy would go into the litter box and cover things up for his pal! teamwork…! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/32 "2010-09-04T13:09:20Z")
Keyser has that difficulty as well. My SO dug some holes for him in the back yard yesterday- good grief! The cat winders why she was digging holes. Anyway, [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIvBL513UZI) is a short clip of him motoring around. His eyes are a bit messy as with spring there are a lot of allergens around. Plus a squished in face. He has had all his stitches out so he just does happy cat stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/33 "2010-09-04T15:11:03Z")
What Motorgirl said. My 3-legged cat had no problems getting up onto things, but smacked her face lots of times jumping down from the bed. It was really sad as she got older (She lived to be about 14 years old and I got her when she was 7 weeks old), she just had a hard time gimping around in her last year. Damn, she was a good cat. Anyway, I would place objects around for the kitty to use as stairs. Maybe a chair by the bed, or a chest at the foot of the bed, for her to use to get down. The cat will just beat the crap out of itself if it has to jump down from the bed every day, especially if it is older. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/34 "2010-09-04T15:14:39Z")
Oh, one more thing. My kitty once hurt her front paw, I don’t know how. Anyway, for a day or so she walked around on her hind legs like a little velociraptor. It was the cutest thing, though probably pretty uncomfortable for her. Damn cute. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/35 "2010-09-06T12:04:01Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Keyser has that difficulty as well. My SO dug some holes for him in the back yard yesterday- good grief! The cat winders why she was digging holes. > > Anyway, [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIvBL513UZI) is a short clip of him motoring around. His eyes are a bit messy as with spring there are a lot of allergens around. > > Plus a squished in face. > > He has had all his stitches out so he just does happy cat stuff. Oh, that is a fine kitty! Btw, I think he looks like Orson Welles. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/36 "2010-09-06T14:17:43Z")
He’s a handsome kitty! He looks like he’s adapting just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/37 "2010-09-06T14:43:51Z")
Cute cat, how much does he weigh, in other words how much of that cat is fluff. Must be a minor nightmare to comb him ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/38 "2010-09-06T15:06:02Z")
Hooray for the kitty. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936/39 "2010-09-06T18:37:06Z")
Keyser needs a little pirate hat for Halloween, I think. Not many cats have the character to really pull off the look, but he’s got it to spare. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-any-advice-for-looking-after-a-three-legged-cat/547936.md?page=1)