Cat Products - Raven's Corner

Healthy Cat Products and Information

Danger Signals for a Sick Cat

It is not always easy to detect illness in your cat. You must look for subtle signs that may indicate a potential problem.

Call your veterinarian if you notice:
Constipation or diarrhea lasting for longer than 48 hours
Refusal to eat for more than 24 hours
Vomiting, gagging, sneezing, or coughing repeatedly
Gasping or shortness of breath
Looking or acting sick (red, watery eyes; dull, rough coat; sluggishness; abnormal hiding)
Progressive weight loss over a period of two to four weeks, or a slow but steady weight loss over a longer period
Reddened or swollen gums due to accumulated tartar or loose or infected teeth (usually accompanied by problems with eating)
Drinking or urinating excessively
Straining to urinate

Disabled Cats: Caring for a 3-Legged Cat or Amputee

by Sarah Hartwell

The loss of a limb sounds catastrophic but 3 legged cats adapt well and are usually as agile and active as 4 legged cats. The loss of a limb would be catastrophic to humans, but our limbs are more specialized (2 for walking, 2 for manipulating things) while a cat's limbs are all used for walking.

Three-legged cats need help grooming areas that would normally be groomed by the now-missing leg. Don't expect a recent amputee to be 'back to normal' immediately, but don't be over-protective. He must work out his new limitations and how to compensate for a missing leg. He must build up additional strength in his other limbs. He can't do this if you carry him everywhere.

After an initial adjustment period, which is sometimes painful to watch, he will probably be able to jump and climb much as before. If he has lost a hind leg, he may not be able to jump as high. If he has lost a foreleg, he may find landing more difficult, especially when jumping down from a high place. At first he will make some mistakes and you can expect some minor (hopefully) injuries, but he will quickly work out his own limitations and even find alternative routes to favorite places.

It is important that a three-legged cat is not allowed to become obese because he has fewer limbs on which to distribute his weight. It is also important that he get exercise, gentle at first to help him adapt to his condition and more active later on to strengthen his remaining limbs. Most 3 legged cats adapt well enough to become as active and energetic as they were before losing the leg - but you can't expect this to happen overnight and it may be painful to watch him adjusting.

Some kittens lose a limb very early on because the umbilical cord get tangled round it and stops it from developing, because the mother cat is inexperienced and mishandles the kitten (sometimes biting off the kitten's paw due to a fault in her grooming behavior) or through some other birth defect which caused the limb to be deformed. If the leg is amputated early in life, the kitten grows up on 3 legs and doesn't know any different. There are very many happy and healthy cats in the world whose nickname is "tripod".

A caring owner can think of other ways in which to help a disabled feline companion, but beware of being overprotective. A disabled cat still requires some semblance of independence to allow it to fulfill that inner 'catness' that we love in our feline friends. Most seem unaware of their disabilities and they do not expect life to make allowances, but a helping hand and some adjustments to their lifestyle and perhaps your own lifestyle will ensure a disabled cat has a healthy, happy and safe life.