3 weeks ago now my cat unfortunately broke his leg. We genuinely have no idea how it happened, some sort of freak accident. Hes a pretty happy go lucky guy and has been taking the injury better than I expected, however, he still isn’t having a great time. Right now we’re doing a splint with weekly changes but he typically rips it off before the week cycle completes. We’re already over the $2k mark with bills and its getting to a point where its hard for us to afford. His vet has recommended amputation as the most humane and comfortable option for him. I am pro-amputation but my partner is having a hard time seeing that as the best option. So I’m looking for some advice from people who may have gone through some similar, or to maybe help me show my partner this is genuinely the best option for him.
For context a big reason why I’m pro-amputation is I WFH and my partner is blue collar so I have to take on 90% of his care and it has been very emotionally draining for me. I really want my kitty to have the best outcome he possibly can.

Soph was hit by a car Oct 2 and required a hind leg amputation as well as an FHO on her other leg. Her surgeries were costly and I am on a single income. I don’t expect anything but anything helps. She is recovering well and is the sweetest little Siamese cat you ever met. She is incredibly close to my heart and I’d do anything for her. Please donate to help me get her ramps and other needs as she progresses in her recovery. We both thank you 🙏🏻 https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-sophie-7ms43/cl/o?attribution_id=sl:0ef088d0-7513-4b95-81d4-fa26c5c2512a&lang=en_CA&ts=1791224648&utm_campaign=man_ss_icons&utm_content=amp30-treatment-7&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

I’ve been really worried about my cat (2 year old, right hind limb amputated in June for bone spurs) not being quite as active or possibly having something wrong in another limb. Today she wasn’t lifting her left front paw and was acting like she was in pain. The vet who performed the amputation and did the biopsy said this was a freak situation and there was almost no chance of it happening in another limb. The X-rays today showed the same bone spurs in her front limb.

I’m devastated. There’s nothing I can do besides pain control. I feel awful for putting her through the amputation even though I know I did the best I could and made the right decisions at the time. I was so relieved it wasn’t cancer and really thought I had nothing to worry about. Now I have to just give her pain meds and plan to put her to sleep. How do I put a perfectly healthy 2 year old cat down for orthopedic issues? It’s so sad. I feel numb. I just put my 10 year old cat down for renal failure three weeks ago. I’m still grieving.

I’m so devastated and sad she’s in pain. I’m trying to be in acceptance but I so badly wanted to be a tripod success story. I am so broke. I can’t even afford to make an appointment with my primary vet this week. I had to hustle and beg my mom for money for the amputation. I’ve used all her insurance. I just spent everything I have right now on these X-rays. I don’t know what to do. I can’t believe I’m going to lose her. Advice or kind words appreciated. 😔 I feel broken.

My baby Luna had her hind leg amputated two weeks ago due to sarcoma. She was such a trooper during the first weeks of recovery ~ she was even trying to do zoomies at one point!

She had her stitches removed yesterday, and she’s delighted to no longer have to wear her dreadful cone haha. So proud of her 🥹🫶

I have a cat named Kitty, male 1yr old neutered, I adopted him a week ago and he is thriving in my big and loud house. He’s climbing up stairs and jumps from couches to floor to sink to bed and to the toilet lol. He loves rowdy playing with my siblings, showing off his voice, and especially getting love😊.
He’s 11 days post op of his left hind leg amputation, I adopted him after his surgery, and this morning he got his sutures out. The vet put an e collar on him and told me to keep it on 24/7 for 3-4 days so he does not lick or bite his incision, he bit out one of his sutures when he had them, and his behavior has drastically changed.
He has been asleep almost all hours of the day, he has had difficulty walking, balancing, and keeps bumping into things aswell as difficulty jumping even from the smallest ledges. I’ve been carrying him to his litter box, food and water otherwise he will not get up. I’ve put his food in a flat paper plate so he can eat easier. He seems like a completely different animal, he walks slow and cautiously, which is understandable, with his head down and hasn’t made any noise since this morning. I had guests over and he did not run to the door to make sure he meets everyone like he usually does, he walked away and waited by the stairs for me to take him up and put him back into my bed to sleep.
Niether of my previous cats had any disabilities/amputations/surgeries, so I feel a little lost on what to do here. If you have any advice on how I can help kitty or reassurance that this is normal please let me know because I have ugly cried a total of four times just today over his state😅. Thank you 🙏

Junie is home, she is so angry and volatile so I'm leaving her completely alone but she keeps irritating her stitches and they're bleeding (edited to add from bumping around, she does have her cone on - it's like she keeps trying to back out of her cone, with one missing leg, while high). Not a ton but I'm still just so upset. I'm leaving her completely alone so she doesn't move, growl, freak out, or anything but how long does this phase last? It's, of course, Friday and we have no after hours vet support in our area so I feel so alone. My poor sweet girl 😭

Happiest girl in the world

Hello all, in never been one to ask for help but we are now in a situation to where iv had to pull up my big pants and ask.

The last 6 weeks have been a total nightmare. Obi got attacked by something we've no idea what but it left his leg in a right mess. No skin left and a gaping hole. Every 2 days we've been back and forth to the vet to change his dressings. Hoping to save the leg. Iv sold many things, maxed my cards out and even skipped on bills and food just to sort him out. Unfortunately on Monday the vets decided that amputation was the only way forward. So on Tuesday his leg was gone. Im still heartbroken. We are back at the vet on friday. The cost of this has broken us even more. But my special boy is home and alive. That is all that matters.

I hope iv done this right cause I was struggling to find the info I needed. If not can someone please point me in the right direction. Many thanks.

I am sitting at the vet waiting for her meds, but I just saw her incision and felt a HUGE wave of guilt which is intensely overwhelming. Is this normal?

Hello, I'm considering adopting a tripod cat. Is there anything I should know? Anything to do differently with them? I don't want to mess this up, she's already been thru so much reading through her bio on the foster website.

Also, can tripod kitties handle stairs?

We adopted the absolute sweetest girl a few weeks ago. Giving the humane society the benefit of the doubt, with the chaos of kitten season, she came in as a stray and was spayed and immediately sent to ringworm isolation for over 3 weeks, then put up for adoption. I don't think anyone looked at her close enough to notice a slight limp when she walks.

When we brought her home it was more obvious something wasn't right, so they gladly offered a complimentary vet exam where her X-rays showed a broken femur - like in half - an old injury that she has actually adapted to really well. She currently jumps up and down off the bed, walks almost normally, snuggles all night, and is really the best cat I've ever had. The humane society vet is covering the cost of amputation as it's clear it was an old injury that they missed, which we are so grateful for.

She's 10 months old and having adapted to a worthless hind leg already, I'm hopeful she adapts well again with the dead weight removed. I have a giant dog crate, yoga mat, litter box and her food all set up already so she knows the space ahead of time, cameras to watch her, and several cone options although I'll probably just stick with what the vet gives her unless I am actively supervising her. Wish us luck as we navigate this new tripod cat life. ☺️

My cat Lily was hit by a car back in April and had her front left leg amputated as a result of her injuries. She's doing so well now and has completely adjusted to her new tripod lifestyle. Sometimes, especially when using her litter tray, she tries to use her phantom limb.

I can't help but feel completely guilty that she may be confused about why her leg is missing and why she now hobbles when she walks. I'm also now extremely paranoid about her health as she seems so much more fragile to me now.

Lily has also just been diagnosed with resorptive lesions on her gums and will likely lose most, if not all, of her teeth. She's only 6 years old and I don't want this to be another setback for her.

I love her wholeheartedly and want her to be healthy and happy. Any advice on dealing with pet health anxiety and reassurance that she'll be okay is much appreciated 😊

hi! my cat pepper is about 1.5 years old. she’s super independent but also generally loves to be around me and people (she snuggles with me every night while she sleeps). she’s healing super well and has been very mobile around my apartment. she sleeps most of the day with the occasional zoomies.

before her amputation I would leave her alone overnight and have someone come check on her when I was out of town. she has auto food and water. I haven’t yet left her overnight since her amputation (I brought her home about 10 days ago, and the amputation was over a month ago. do we think it’s ok to leave her for an overnight?

Pippin says happy spooky season!!

I shared a few days ago that my cat has had her left hind amputated. She’s 14 days post op and she’ll be having her stitches removed tomorrow.

I was just wondering if anyone has observed a behavior change in their tripod cats? Again, my cat was attacked by a dog.

She’s been hiding most of the time and she would have sudden loud meows or she’d suddenly run off. There was one time that she was sitting on my partner’s lap and she just meowed very loudly (which is unusual for her) and she ran away. These are all unusual for her except for the hiding as she’s always liked to hide underneath the couch, inside her sleeping bed etc.

Thanks all for your inputs :)

my tripod got her leg amputated a month ago and has been healing great! she’s barely messed with her incision. but today when she was licking it I noticed a small part that hasn’t had fur grow back over was getting a little raw. any tips to have her not do this / irritate it? has anyone experienced this?

I shared a few days ago that my cat has had her left hind amputated. She’s 14 days post op and she’ll be having her stitches removed tomorrow.

I was just wondering if anyone has observed a behavior change in their tripod cats? Again, my cat was attacked by a dog.

She’s been hiding most of the time and she would have sudden loud meows or she’d suddenly run off. There was one time that she was sitting on my partner’s lap and she just meowed very loudly (which is unusual for her) and she ran away. These are all unusual for her except for the hiding as she’s always liked to hide underneath the couch, inside her sleeping bed etc.

Thanks all for your inputs :)

My boy is the king of loafing.

Hello there! It’s our first time posting in this sub, as it’s also our first time caring for a tripod kitty!

This is Jeremy. We met him a few weeks ago in one of the colonies of community cats we care for. He had a severe leg injury, and by the time we found him, his leg was only being held on by a small portion of skin. Our vet recommended a full limb amputation, which he underwent successfully three days ago.

He’s still admitted to the hospital as they have a minimum 3-day hospitalization policy after major surgeries, but he’s doing well and is finally ready to go home tomorrow! The only problem is that we currently have over $270 remaining on his hospital bill, which we need to settle before he can be released. We’ll be attaching his updated invoice in the comments below for transparency.

We’re small-time rescuers and fosterers based in Manila, Philippines, and we’d really appreciate any help getting this sweet boy home. We’ve been approved by the mod here to fundraise, and we’re also approved in two other fundraising subs on the platform, so we’ve been vetted multiple times.

If you’d like to help Jeremy, our donation channels are below:

📩 Donate via PayPal 
📩 Donate via Debit or Credit

Thank you so much! And we'll share updates as this boy adjusts to being a tripod and to the indoor life. ☺️