3 Legged Cat

There are many animals that either because of injury or birth have only three legs. This should not be a problem, your vet. should be able to tell you the same. Our pets are a part of our family and they need our love and care just like our children. Good luck.

I've had a 4 legged cat that had her leg caught in a chair-circulation was cut off and her leg never straightened out after that- it was more of a "kickstand" but she dragged it along and got along just fine. And in September our Golden Retriever had his back leg amputated-bone cancer- and he is SO HAPPY to have the pain gone that he gets along GREAT. I have even had people who know him see him run and actually say to me "Oh, Jake got his leg back?" even tho they know that isn't possible. He chases ducks just as fast as he used to. It is truly amazing and he was such a wonderful dog we couldn't imagine putting him down. In fact at bunko last month a friend was scratching Jake's ears and she looked at me and said "Now what happened with your dog that was having leg troubles?" I asked her if she meant the three legged dog she was patting and she was amazed. Had not (along with a couple of other women) noticed all night long that he only had three legs. Your kitty will do just fine. Good luck to both of you.

I had a good friend who had a 3-legged cat. He got along just fine and lived a long happy life.

My father is a veterinarian and during his practice we had several cats that had to have a leg removed. They got along fine as an indoor cat. They look a little funny but then, what do you expect? Loving our 3 cats as we do, we couldn't put one down either. Go for it and love the kitty for us!

I don't have experience with a 3 legged cat, but on my Aunt's ranch, they had a 3 legged dog (missing a rear leg) who fared just as well as the others. I can't speak to how you'll have to care for the cat until s/he is up and running again, but this dog had a great life.

Our 10-year-old cat had to have his back leg amputated last year. (This leg had been in bad shape since being hit by a car as a kitten, before my boyfriend adopted him, so he already had limited use of it.) He did very well with the surgery and recovery. Our only problem was trying to figure out a way to get him to take his antibiotics and pain meds! He gets around fine, is able to climb trees and fences and mostly doesn't seem to notice his leg is missing. The only sad thing is when you see him trying to scratch his ear on that side.

I also have friends who had a 3 legged cat for years who led a normal life. Animals are amazing with how they can adapt to things! Good luck!

I just had a long conversation with a tech at the Animal Emergency Hospital on FM249 this week, and we talked about just the sort of thing you are describing. She said that she's seen animals come in there and have amputations, eyes removed, all sorts of things. And that it never even slows them down. She says that they are remarkably resilient and will learn quickly to adapt to whatever changes they experience.

Don't feel like you are maiming your kitty. He/she will learn to get around just like before in no time.

A friend has a three-legged, one-eyed cat (nick-name FrankenKitty) she adopted. The cat has been doing fine for years now.

When I was growing up, our cat ran under our car as we were pulling up from church. He had to have one of his front legs removed. He adjusted just fine. He even adjusted the one leg that was left in the front over to the middle of his body and got along just fine. When he was just walking he seemed a bit slow, but he could run along pretty quickly. So, I definitely wouldn't put him to sleep just give him a bit more love!!

My husband says your cat will adapt just fine. He has seen many three legged cats in his 15 years in the Veterinary field and they don't have too much trouble getting used to it.

Many, many animals go on to lead very normal lives with only 3 legs. You can find stories of them all over the internet. I applaud you for saving his life, even though he'll be missing a leg. Many people would just have him put down. He will adapt very quickly and don't be surprised if he's up and hopping around a couple days after surgery! Animals can be amazing! Good luck and God Bless you for thinking of his welfare.

My best freind has had a 3 legged cat for over 10 years now, and he is a very happy cat. Her husband is a vet, so he gets regular check-ups and has never had a problem yet. Good luck.

My Brother in law has a 3 legged cat, her name is Calie, she was born with a deformity(sp) in her back right(?) leg and the vet took it off when she was about 6 to 10 weeks old. She uses her tail for balance it usually lays where her leg would be. she still runs, jumps, even climbs. If your cat is older he may need to adjust but he will be fine, and lead a normal cat life!