# A Very Special (and lucky) Girl



## struckers (Oct 2, 2013)

Long story short: my friends and I are currently trapping and fixing all the cats at my university, and adopting the ones out through different rescue organizations that are friendly enough. Well, in the middle of transporting these guys to and from the vet, my friend stumbled across a lonesome gray tomcat at a gas station in a rural area, who we dubbed Tommy. She kept feeding him as we figured out what to do about him, and suddenly, one day she goes there and there is a Mama cat and two kittens, who look suspiciously like Tommy.

They're near a highway and we knew we had to get them out instantly. It wasn't until my friend texted me that *one of the kittens didn't have hind legs* that I realized just how dire it was. I wasn't able to be with them when they captured the brother and sister (we'll be getting Tommy and mama cat ASAP as well), but luckily, and with lots of time, they got them.

And I wanted to share the special sister. My friend might actually keep her herself, because she's fallen in love with her (how could you not??) She was evaluated by a vet, tested negative for everything, and is apparently really healthy considering her situation. I wasn't at the vet with her, but of course complications COULD arise. It's just amazing how resilient this little girl is! In the middle of no where at a gas station, and she survived so long! The vet it's 99% just a birth defect, but at first, we were kinda horrified because from far away you can't really tell if she's severely injured or not. Gave us quite the scare! I'm just so glad my friend stopped at that gas station.


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

Aww, she is beautiful! So glad your friend is going to keep her. A lucky baby, indeed. She probably has no clue she is any different from other kitties and will be a rowdy, mischievous little one. What a great story!


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I hope your friend does adopt her because she will have a special bond with her. I agree that the kitty will make due and be a miracle to watch every day.


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

I can't post links to Facebook, but check out Anakin the Two Legged Miracle Cat when you get a chance. He was born to a feral cat and the only one with this birth defect. Awesome story, awesome cat and awesome people for taking him in.


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## struckers (Oct 2, 2013)

I hope she does too! Either way, she will make an amazing cat.  I'm hoping to meet her in person soon, as I've only met Tommy. I just thought the story was too amazing not to share. My friend has video of her walking, and it kinda looks like how Anakin walks (amazing story, by the way, my5kitties! Thanks for telling me!!) 

She's already so sure-footed from the video I've seen, and from what my friend says she doesn't even seem to know she only has two paws. Her brother is SO handsome too, I'll get a pic of him soon. Deep, blue-gray like his dad. We decided to call him Cyclone, and the little girl doesn't have a name quite yet. My friend's waiting on the perfect one for her! They are both so full of personality, even in just pics. 

How rare is a birth defect like this, I wonder? It's just so weird that we happened upon this little cat family, because it was a random gas station off of an interstate. Fate works in strange ways, but then again, I think every cat I meet is fate!


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

Anakin's people think that his mother was very malnourished while pregnant with him and his siblings and that may have contributed to his defect, though I don't think Anakin knows that there's anything wrong with him. lol!


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## Cheddar (Jul 11, 2014)

my5kitties said:


> I can't post links to Facebook, but check out Anakin the Two Legged Miracle Cat when you get a chance. He was born to a feral cat and the only one with this birth defect. Awesome story, awesome cat and awesome people for taking him in.


Wow!! That is incredible!! He is so lucky to be found and now living the life he deserves. What you are doing is amazing, kudos to you.


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## struckers (Oct 2, 2013)

I went and saw her today, and let me just say -- she is SO TINY in person. To the point where we briefly contemplated if maybe she and her brother were from different litters. Her brother looks like a 9-10 week old, and she looks like a 5 week old. I'm also VERY happy that she is much more socialized than her brother. It's sad that he's not, but it would have been much worse if she had been terrified. Plus, I think he will come around.

I swear when she walks it looks like she has back legs! Since it cuts off at her "knee" she is able to sorta walk. She can actually move pretty darn fast! This kitty has no idea how loved she is. She is sleeping on my friend's chest right now!! 

(Also, my friend has 13 feral to semi-feral cats at her house right now... she is an angel. I would love to help, but I live close to 4 hours away from the place they are getting spayed/neutered, and my mom would NEVER let me. She says she enjoys it, but that's a lot!!! We caught 4 more today.)


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Wow your friend and this kitten are equally amazing. fate must have played a hand here. 
I am sure there is a CF memeber who has a cat with the exact same birth defect and her cat is several yrs old and has lived a full and happy life like this.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Struckers, keep on doing what you're doing. You're making SUCH a difference in the lives of these cats and the people that take em in!


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh my gosh what a little sweetie pie!! She deserves a really special home - I hope your friend will keep her. Your friend sounds like a pretty amazing person. All the kitties on campus (and apparently the ones in random places along highways too) are really lucky that you and your friend care so much about them!


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

Did you get more pictures of the little cutie?


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## struckers (Oct 2, 2013)

Thank you guys for the comments!! I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself and everyone I work with.  

Here's two more pics!


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

GAHHHH.....CUTENESS Overload Warning!! What a Precious little girl!


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

So beautiful! Those little ears and eyes!


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Oooh, I love her coloring too. Look at those eyes! 

I'm trying to visualize how she could possibly be getting around. I wonder if a vet (or someone else) would be able to make some kind of protective covering for the part of her hind legs that she's using?


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## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

So sweet!!


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## struckers (Oct 2, 2013)

Oops, with so much going on with Pumpkin I forgot to reply back to this thread! So, officially, her name is Liza. My friend went back and forth for a while, but there it is. 

I do believe she'll be seeing a specialist soon. I know the vet my friend took her to was super interested in her situation. I also couldn't believe how she could get around before I saw it myself -- she just walks! When she's lying down or tenses up, it's very strange. Her bone sort of goes inside of her? But when she's walking she uses her legs like any other cat, she just doesn't have paws. She goes pretty darn quick. I'm thinking they'll eventually put some sort of protective covering on the nubs.

Her brother, Cyclone, will likely be fostered by my other friend since the one currently fostering all of them is getting a bit overloaded. Luckily, my other friends' family is okay with it! I'm really happy, because this little guy needs the socialization. He's very scared, but has been making baby steps. He's just far too little to ever make it out on his own, so he'll definitely need to be socialized.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Wow, this is a VERY lucky kitty - your friend's going to take her to a specialist? 

Amazing. But I guess if she was born that way, getting around the way she does is just normal to her. Huh, interesting. Like the bone retracts?

Have we seen pics of Cyclone? (hint....)


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## struckers (Oct 2, 2013)

Liza now has an instagram -- lizafootlesskitten, if anyone's interested. She already has quite a few followers!  I have a feeling she'll be keeping it updated with all sorts of cute pics.

I think she posted this pic there already, but oh well. Might as well repost here. Look at this!!! 









I need to check to see if I have any other pics of Cyclone on my phone other than the one she posted on Instagam. Anyway, here he is:









He really is SO cute, too. And he's making lots of progress!! He's still very scared and doesn't let people touch him, but he'll eat off your finger if you have something yummy enough. And he was bouncing around his cage and playing the other day when I was over there.

My friend also found another baby by the church that's across the street from my Uni. No other siblings that were in sight and no Mama that we could see, probably about 5 weeks old. Completely weaned, though, so that's good. We keep checking back to see if we see any more siblings, but haven't found anything. She's precious, and is named Button because although very tiny she kinda has an old man meow (Benjamin Button, lol).


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## sasasola (Apr 5, 2013)

Liza has the most precious face!! I love the pic with her little sweater on. Too cute!


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Ooh he's a little cutie too! But look at Liza's eyes by comparison! Goodness, huge round eyes!  

I don't do instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. so any pics you post here wouldn't be redundant, at least for me. 

Geez, another kitten! Now they're crawling out of the woodwork!


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

Such cute babies! Liza with the little sweater is super adorable! Your friend should do a Facebook page too!


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Oh so adorable little ones, love the sweater on her


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