This is good of you to adopt this cat.
i'm just trying to keep the claws trimmed back but i think she'd be better off without those useless limbs.
Why would you say this? Why "useless"? Maybe there is enough there to provide her with some balance and support.. It just seems to me that this is a question for the vet who has examined her and knows exactly what's going on.
At a minimum i need to declaw those back feet.
Again, why? Seems to me that trimming back the nails is all that is necessary. Unless of course it is a health issue for her.

Anne-Marie (who simply can't think of any good reasons for declawing a cat!)

Meghane or Laurie need to weigh in here.

The problem with dragging limbs is the limbs get worn in places (ankles, knees) not made for walking.

I also would just trim the claws. I do not see a cat with amputated back legs living a quality life.

She sounds like a wheelchair candidate to me. As mentioned previously, lots of wear and tear will occur with many years of dragging the limbs. Is this a recent problem or was she born this way? How old is she?

I'd spare her the declawing and see if a wheelchair or other option is more appropriate. I know of many animals who do great in a wheelchair and have excellent quality of life.

My personal opinion is that she was crushed early in life but the rescue people thought she was born deformed.Â
Young adult. Very sweet.

Oddly enough, i don't see ANY wear marks anywhere and neither did the rescue people. Partly this is probably because she isn't as active as a regular cat though she definitely does not sit in one place all day.

A wheelchair would knock into furniture all the time. I have a small house. She's fine as a 2-legged cat and i don't want to get into all that a wheelchair for her would entail - cost and fitting and all that. Maybe if i saw a good role model for that but for a dog  sure - but not a small cat that is indoors all the time. Cats sleep over 50% of their lives - i'm sure ya'll know that.

I'm taking her to a vet in the next week or two to see what they say.

As far as balance and support - i'm paying attention to that but at this point i think they are absolutely limp.

The wheelchair would only knock into furniture if the cat is a really bad driver!

But the cost can be significant. Glad she is getting around well. Is she getting worse or is she stable?

And since I forgot to mention earlier, thank you for taking this poor kitty into your loving home.

With a cat like this quality of life should come first. Instinctively she knows she isn't "Normal" so in a multicat home- which isn't wise,she would be without a doubt the lowest ranked member.

I wouldn't do more then is already done- de clawing is like cutting off your first digets so it pretty major surgery..

just enjoy her as is.

Luvdogs,

You might want to look at some of the videos on the link I posted below (I just ordered a cart for my dog from here, and it's the best thing I could've done). Wheelchairs are not for everyone or every animal, but just take a look at the LAST section of videos (that's where they show cats using wheelchairs). Oh, and you take the measurements yourself..it's actually pretty simple to order. And a cat can actually sleep while in the wheelchair...they are small enough where they can lay on a raised surface (a cat bed), and the wheels would stay on the floor.

Best of luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Wheelchairs for cats

Please do a google (or other) search on "Good Mews" +tricky. The first few entries are about Tricky. Tricky is a kitty that is a resident of a local rescue (Good Mews) - she is a happy healthy girl, with both back legs being useless. She also wears a diaper. This cat is totally at home, confident, and happy. When we went to visit the facility, she was zooming around (she pulls herself around w/her front legs - moves fast, too). She knows no fear - goes up to the other kitties, tries to get into the kitten room and other rooms when someone opens the door, and loves to be petted. I know she has a wheel chair, but when we visited, she was happily pulling herself around w/out it. As far as multi-cat home issues, she is definitly not "low cat". She is not submissive, and she fits in equally well w/the other cats at the shelter (it is a cage-free shelter) - she interacted w/them on an equal cat level, and none of the kitties treated her differently. I think that sometimes she uses the wheelchair and sometimes is allowed to pull herself around - I can't remember for sure, but I think it was pretty much equal time.

Since she gets around fine, she thinks she is completely normal and there is no need to change anything.

I think keeping her nails trimmed or using Softpaws on the claws is all that is needed, but regular trips to the vet to keep an eye on possible sores or atrophy will lead you to the right decisions on future procedures if necessary.

Congrats on your new furbaby!

I wouldn't even think of amputation. What she'd have to endure after the surgery would be animal cruelty IMO. I can't imagine how, or even if, she could move around after the surgery, plus I think the pain and frustration she'd go thru while the stumps heal would be so traumatic for her that she'd never be the same.

Does the cat have feeling in her feet? Have you considered buying some infant booties and putting them on her back feet? You could use velcro to hold them on since tying them may cut off circulation.

Yeh, guess my thought is be very very cautious and why mess with success. However she's done it she's adapted and quite well I might add. Declawing and amputation are both extremely painful and not only that she would be totally immoblized and not even able to drag herself around at least until healed. And the consequences of that? Quite likely behavior problems, litter box problems, personality changes. Maybe improvise some pads or stockings to go over the back legs out of something smooth that would glide over the carpet. I don't see what is gained by amputating exactly - could you elaborate on that? The drag and wear would just happen to another part of her legs instead so what do you gain?

What a good kitty! Give her a little scritch under the chin for me!

I've been watching her and she pulls herself around with her front legs - not using the back stuff at all. The limp limbs also get in the way because they dont' stay flat behind her and will end up in front of her thigh so she has to wiggle to get it back behind her. Frustrating i'm sure. Imagine if your feet didn't work - they wouldn't always be where you could drag them - they would flop around and impede your movement. Know what i mean?

if she had not those limbs she would move very fast. yes, she has feelings in her back limbs.

i'm going to look at those videos thanks

That video of the cat in the wheelchair is appalling!

That poor animal looks terrified and is desperately trying to get back into the cat carrier and those idiot people keep carrying it further away so they can film the cat trying to scramble back into it. What part of THAT isn't animal cruelty?

Alexa

What a wonderful thing you did by adopting this kitty and giving her a chance to live happily!

I would never go with amputation. I have a tripod kitty - he was a stray. I think he got hit by a car - we trapped him and had to amputate the leg with the shoulder. It is a major surgery, a painful surgery. In my case, Bruno had to get rid of the leg, as the bone was shattered in many places, and the injury was so old, there was nothing else that could be done...
The recovery time is long, and requires pain meds...My poor guy went through a bout of infections, but with love and care, he is looking wonderful now.

Bruno after amputation...notice a bulge on his head - he had infections under his skin all over the place, and had to be placed on antibiotics, along with the pain meds he was already taking...
{{!gwi}}From Bruno

He looks good today, but sure could have gone without the painful experience!
{{gwi:970704}}From Bruno living the life

My other kitty (I have 10 total...or is it 11...)Miah...We found her with a broken/partially severed tail. The tail was amputated, and it is not as nearly of a drastic surgery, but she did suffer from Phantom pains...She would cry and try to hide away from her invisible tail. Of course, she adjusted, but it is quite an experience for a cat to go through :/
Miah after surgery:
{{!gwi}}From My Kitties

i don't know if this is kinder, or putting them to sleep ( both are bad, esspeically if one lets the vet take care of the body) I guess its up to the owners beliefs and budget. Keep in mind that animals feel very differently about handicaps the we do, it probably puts them through more fear and stress, we know its all to help, but who knows what they think?.

Also it is expensive.

It has been my experience that handicapped cats are the happiest creatures, who often have no idea they are different! I think people go through a lot more stress when handicapped - while animals are somewhat oblivious about it

I have a tripod cat - he is faster than anyone else in the house, and jumps on things so high you will never believe
I have a cat with cerebellar hypoplasia - had him for 6 years since he was a few weeks old. Watching these animals adjust and go on with their lives is amazing - what spirits!

I have a cat that got hit by a car. I was going to recover him and put him back (feral cat from a colony). But the vet thinks he has some permanent brain damage - he is a bit wobbly, weird at times, but runs around the house, plays and loves life
(I do cat rescue, and end up with a lot of crazy cases)

Majority of cat rescue people have blind cats - they adjust beautifully..

Unless the animal is in pain or great discomfort, I would not euthanize. Animals are good at adapting!

Animals are not vain, nor are they cruel like people. They do not mock each other for being different. They do not look in the mirror and wonder if they are beautiful enough. They adjust, adapt, and move on. In the wild, she might be food for a predator because she probably can't outrun them. But in a loving home she will be just fine, with or without the legs.

I don't think the kitten in the field was scared of the cart. He tried to get back into the carrier even before he was placed in the cart. I think he has agoraphobia- a fear of wide open spaces!

Oh, I can see that, Bindi was afraid of an open place I took him, while on harness and leash (mine are both indoor now) Its a field by a train track, basically an open stretch of land that falls down to railroad, sometimes they allowed the grass to grow really long, I always kept an eye as he explored and open spaces were not one of his passions, he liked the woods.

However taking your cat on walks makes them more wild and hard to control. Cats will be cats, and though an outdoor life is a fun one it is short. We gave up because he would dash outside and then we'd have to go running after him. he cried to be let out and so we made him indoor.

Runsnwalken, we had the same problem. In St. Louis we had a second story deck with no stairs that the cats loved to be on. It was outdoors but there was no way for them to escape. When we moved to Phoenix, we would let them outside with us when we were in the backyard, but they wanted to be outside all the time and we had to do the yard chase too. Then they started howling to be let out, we decided to make them 100% indoor cats, not even outside for a few minutes.

When I found a bunny tail, bunny entrails and one bunny ear in the corner of our yard one morning I knew my decision was right on. If a rabbit couldn't get away from a coyote (they are everywhere around our house) then Fat Boy Frank wouldn't have a prayer.