# Does anyone have a 3 legged cat?



## CatAholic (May 19, 2004)

I know that probably sounds like a silly question but......... My very best friend runs a Vet Clinic, it is a small community of about 15,000. Because of lack of funding they have also made themselves the countys animal shelter, their hearts are HUGE! And praise the Lord they are no kill. Added advantage is that these small animals get fantastic care being a Vet Clinic. Okay back to my subject(me, of many words :roll: ) I adopted Kizie and Journey from them. 
They have a 6 week old kitten coming in next week, she will be removed from her farm family siblings because of a birth defect a stub back leg. The family is afraid she will be unable to defend herself against preditors (I'm soooo glad they came to that  She was born in a barn (I know it's difficult to understand the outdoor cats but this is Southern Iowa and for most, sadly so, cats are for mice control not for pets  . Of course, my opinion is different and of course I don't speak for everyone but in the country sometimes their purpose is so sadly menial.  
Her stub limb is a nuisance to her and she hasn't quite adapted to it so, she drags it, it becomes raw and then infected. So they have already started her on antibiotics and when the infection is cleared and she is good and strong the plan is to amputate the infected stub by the hip. I was told that cats do fine on three legs, I had a cat that I had to amputate his tail but I was wondering if anyone else heard or had a three legged baby? I already have her named  Pray the surgery goes well. I know Maleke is going to have a two legged sweet kitty but I was curious as to three.


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## Ianthe (Jun 7, 2004)

Yes, I have met many happy 3 legged cats. I personally, have never owned one, but I have seen many at the vet hospital. Animals adjust to handicaps much better than people, and especially since she is so young, I am sure she will be fine. Bless you for taking her in  What's her name?


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## kristi (Sep 19, 2003)

I have a 3-legged boy, but it's one of his front legs missing. He does just fine. My best friend has a boy with a back leg missing; he does fine, too. They can even jump--although perhaps not as high as a 4-legged cat.


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## CatAholic (May 19, 2004)

Wow, how neat is that!!! Jumping, huh!! :lol: I know tres(don't know how to spell it in EsSpanol, don't even know how to spell EsSpanol, I got C's in the class, over 25 years ago, no excuse but I'm making one :lol: :lol: means three in Spanish) and I thought I would name her Tressie! What do you think or can you think of other good names? Kristi can your three legged baby boy go up and down steps?


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## Ianthe (Jun 7, 2004)

I think Tressie is a perfect name! How cute


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## Maleke (Jul 2, 2003)

I have a 2 legged cat....does that count?


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## catobsessed4 (Mar 23, 2004)

I don't have one personally, but I've met two in the past... both were soooo sweet. One had a missing front leg and one a missing back leg. Both were kinda lazy and didn't want to come out of their cages (they were at the place where i clean cages). I guess that's because it's harder to get around with just 3 legs.


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## lapchern (Jun 9, 2004)

i woudlnt mind owning a 3 legged cat... nail trimming gets done faster.


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## faile (Sep 14, 2003)

all 3 legged cats i have heard of are named tripod. i love it.


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## CatAholic (May 19, 2004)

Catobseesed4, what you wrote about the two cats one with a missing front and one with a missing back. I was again talking to my Vet friend and...... Well, today the police brought a young male cat in that was rescued from a trap. He had been in there they are guessing for quite some time, he is seriously dehydrated and started eating his own flesh away to free himself from the trap, his front leg is only bone, his paw is gone. They will attempt to remove his front leg. Right now their greatest fear is how the amputation and blood loss will affect him, he is deathly ill. The first 48 hours will be crucial. Poor,poor baby.  They aren't sure of this lit'l guy because he needs the surgery now but his body is fighting to just live. Please pray for him. Dare we adopt another? (the house is Big,we've restored a over 100 year old farmhouse, so you betcha :wink: ) I've named him Jonah.  Lord willing he will survive.( Faile, do I dare have duo tripods? you are so sassy and funny Faile,(Lapchern, you might as well pull up a chair next to Faile,too!) I enjoy 8O the humor, THANX! :lol:


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## ForJazz (Dec 30, 2003)

In my experience, tripods (all in fun) can do everything that four-legged cats can do. Perhaps they run a bit slower, perhaps they can't jump as high, but their spirit is the same. I think laziness depends on the cat -- lots of four-legged cats are lazy too.  I think tripods can live just as full a life as a typical cat, and be just as happy, again of course depending on the cat itself. I think you're an angel for thinking of adopting two -- and I think you should go for it, because I absolutely ADORE the name Jonah. You could also name him Job, I'm sure you know why.  But Jonah melts my heart, and Tres is a funny name too. You have to find a way to laugh in times of trial, and life's hardships become beautiful when you find a way to smile.


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## CatAholic (May 19, 2004)

Update, I didn't realize that their was already a family willing to take three legged little Tressie girl, I guess my friend said they already have a little three legged older cat, who they think would enjoy a lively playmate, nothing definite so we'll see. It's so funny because now they named little Jonah or Job ( I like the suggestion For Jazz) they named him, Tres. I'm going to the Clinic tomorrow to visit Jonah/Job and I already told my friend he has a home, I don't care what this little trooper looks like. My huband named our home Camp Kitty Hope Hospice  , he's a gem,my husband that is!!!!  
Here's the letter from my friend about Jonah/Job or how about the name J.J.?!!! I'm soooooooo excited he made it so far    
--------------------------------------------------
I spoke with the lady who
may adopt my little 3 legged girl and at this point she seems pretty
excited. But, of course it doesn't take long before another arrives that
has a sad deal. We have a young male who was trapped under a house
(literally trapped) and was chewing off his own leg in an effort to escape.
He was brought in by the city and they asked the people to never use a trap
like that again. He is a doll and we finished amputating his leg. He was
very, very dehydrated and starving. They caught him by feeding him hot dogs
as he drug his leg with the trap behind him trying to get to them. He is a
doll. He made it through surgery and appears to want to live. He even ate
within hours of his leg amputation. Please come and look at him. He needs
a home without ever worrying about a struggle for his life again. I will be
gone Friday afternoon and not back until Wednesday afternoon. I'm going to
Ohio with Lisa and her kids to see an old friend of mine. Please come see
our boy his name is Tres (3 in Spanish!). Take good care my friend and I'll
see you soon.

Love
Krissy


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## kristi (Sep 19, 2003)

Oh, go get Jonah/Tres/Whateveryouwant to call him! Xander is perfectly fine and can do anything a 4-legged cat can do, and then some. He is the most active of our bunch. He can't jump all the way up to the counter in one leap, but he knows how to go from chair to table to counter... :roll: 

He is sprightly, can jump up on the bed, and doesn't seem to mind not having a leg. We don't have steps, but I'm sure he would do just fine on them. Really, most of the time we don't even notice he only has 3 legs...

There is some adjustment at first. You have to be careful how you set him down and allow him to get his legs under him well--or he'll topple on his face. I felt pretty bad the first time I did that! Also, when playing with strings, etc., you shouldn't pull it all the way over his head--if he's anything like Xander, he'll just topple over backwards without the leg counterweight...

LOL Go for it! The other cats don't discriminate, either. Xander has learned how to use his body weight like a wrestler when tussling with them...


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## CatAholic (May 19, 2004)

Oh Kristi, Xander sounds so sweet and sounds like he has a cute funny side about him :lol: He sounds absolutely adorable, give him a Big Fat hug for me. I'll take my camera tomorrow to the clinic and we'll see if we can't capture the progress of this little hotdog  . Jonah/Job/JJ. I'll know when I see him what he shall be called. He made it this far, what an amazing sweetheart!


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## CatAholic (May 19, 2004)

Hooray, the three-legged wonder gets to come home next Wednesday! He is adorable and about 2-3 yrs old. I took pics but I don't know how to post them? :? He is yellow and white. I was surprised when I saw him I thought it was his front leg caught in the trap it is his back(the people had placed the trap under their porch with the intent of capturing them) :x The police confiscated the trap and my friend is waiting to hear what further action the police have taken. The people have not been home for awhile. The amputation/neuter went well He was purring and eating up a storm yesterday when I went to visit him!! They want to keep him a while, when he was brought in fleas were just jumpin from him  My friend at the clinic told me that fleas love sick and dying things) so he was being eaten alive by them. He also had a bad case of earmites and lots of worms. So praise the Lord he is on the way to recovery. He did have a old rope collar on him with no identification. He's been given a new life and a new identity, His name is Jonah!


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## butterfly (Jun 25, 2004)

I have a 3 legged cat he was a stray and was found in my car one morning. He was found in my car with one leg all mangled and so I took him to the vet and he said put him to sleep or he may survive surgery, I could not tell him to put him to sleep so I paid to have surgery and he is fine now. He runs just as fast as the others if not faster. He jumps to the top bunk of my kids bed, from the floor! I didn't think that he would be happy because he is an older cat, vet said about 4 years atleast and he does just fine, though he has to go outside because he was a stray. I kept him in after surgery for about a 2 months and he was just the most unhappiest cat. I thought if I let him use the cat door he would leave and never come back and there was a waste of time and money, though I enjoyed helping him so not really a waste, but I let him go outside now and he comes in when he wants some love and he knows where the food and water is. He leaves for a couple of days and comes home, and he is very lovey dovey then, he loves his new home and really wierd he loves my big rottwieler sometimes I think he loves the dog more than me. But 3 legged cats are just as good as a 4 legged. I would put a picture up of him but can't figure out how to do it. His name isn't tripod though my step dad wanted me to name him that. lol I named him Lucky!!! :lol:


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