It's True - Tripod Kitties Can Live Happy Lives

 What people assume about tripod - or three legged - kitties is similar to what they think about blind cats.  The first response is usually, "oh, the poor thing!  It must have an awful life."  And, just like those assumptions about blind cats, they are wrong!  Tripod kittes are cats and that's how they approach life - they get on with being cats.   BCR's Popcorn is a perfect example of a tripod kitty just being a cat!

There are helpful things to know about tripod cats.  Tripod literally means "a vessel resting on three legs."  Most cats get that way due to a trauamtic event like a limb break, accident or possibly due to a congenital condition.  A scientific study done on 230 tripod cats in the United Kingdom showed that most of the cats were under four years old, were mostly male and had suffered a traumatic injury involving a car that caused them to lose a leg or tail.  A majority of those cat were twice as likely to have a back leg amputated versus a front leg.  Popcorn broke her leg twice in 2012, initially by taking a big leap and miscalculating the distance a little bit.  You can read her full story here.

Whatever the cause, cats who need an amputation have very serious surgery and will require significant recovery time. How fast and to what degree cats will recover can depend on their age at the time of the amputation.  Kittens recover the quickest both mentally and physically, but it gets longer and tougher the older a cat is - sounds a lot like people!  What do owners need to know?  There are lots of resources out there to find out.

Cats who experience amputation may show signs of depression, especially if they've lost a back leg instead of a front leg.  This may be because a cat's back legs are key to a lot of their activities, running, jumping and using the litter box, for instance. As with people, suddenly not being able to do the things you used to do so easily is depressing.  It's the same for front leg amputees, but their list of things harder to do is shorter.  Purrfectlove.net has some interesting details on this and how owners can address them in a healthy way.

With love, patience and being observant, tripod cat parents can make sure their cats are happy and living their best lives. icatcare.org did a survey of tripod cat owners and found that 90% of them felt their cats were living normal lives after losing a leg and that being a tripod hadn't had a negative impact on their lives.  Owners should make sure they provide the tools the cat will need to adjust to being a tripod, like steps to make jumping on a cat's favorite bed or couch less necessary and a litter box with a lower entry door. They should also make sure their tripod kitty stays active after recovery from surgery is complete.  There are lots of toys for cats that don't require chasing or jumping - Popcorn is very fond of shoes!  As a cat progresses, good owners will be able to see what their tripod is comfortable doing and can make adjustments as they go. 

Like blind cats, all tripod cats need is a chance to live a happy life with people who love them!

Read more with these excellent information resources for tripod kitties!

Thefluffykitty.com
Purrectlove.net
icatcare.org