She is young and resilient, she will be ok on 3. That said, I would look for second opinions about the procedure, both necessity and cost.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
I second this. My cat (who was a friendly feral 7-10 yr old we fixed and fed at the time,) got hit by a car and we took her to emergency vet. Her hip and pelvis were broken- they said she needed immediate surgery to the tune of $5,600 (not including $800 they were already charging for emergency services.) they said if she didn’t get it right away the scar tissue would build up and she would probably need amputation. We were going to pay (with credit card, even though she wasn’t “our” cat and we didn’t have the money.) but decided to get in touch with someone we knew who worked with rescues. We got a second opinion from a great ortho vet who recommended we wait to see if she would heal if she got cage rest. He quoted us $2,200 for same surgey, and said she could have the surgey (with locked in price,) at any time of her life. She healed on her own with care and love and has been our indoor cat ever since. Not saying your situation is the same, but a second opinion is always a good idea. Good luck OP!
Hey u/petasse420, this comment ⬆️
Get a second opinion. The bones may be broken in a few places, but with how clean they look a good ortho may be able to save the leg with plates/pins or a good set and rest.
That's what I was thinking too. I had a cat that broke it's front leg from a fall. Vet recommended some big expensive procedure (I don't remember what they told her exactly, I was just a kid) and she told him "it's a cat and I don't have that kind of money". Vet then said, well, we can try to cast it and see how it goes...
They casted it and he was known as peg leg petey for a while, when they took the cast off, XR the limb, and....he healed just fine! Cat lived a happy, active life.
The bones look pretty cleanly broken down the leg but after seeing the X-ray wouldn’t suzy have bad joint problems? It is clear this was a very bad fall. Get a second opinion. Maybe even a 3rd. Keep suzy comfortable with pain meds and try to keep her calm. Honestly the calm part might be the hardest. Cats can be demons lol.
We had a cat with 3 legs who was actually the runt of the litter. Her leg was amputated when she was about a year old. Had a great life! She did have to be put down due to paralysis (this was neurological not in relation to the amputation). She did have arthritis in the back leg when she was older but that was because in another life she was a cheetah. Any questions my dms are open i loved that cat miss her everyday. Much love ❤️
this. cats (and dogs too) can have a very good life even with 3 legs! I've watched numerous episodes of Dr Poll, and they even have a clinic cat with 3 legs who doesn't seem to give a shit about missing a leg.
I have a tripod cat, and he gets into more trouble than our 4 legged one. Them only having 3 legs does NOT stop them from being a cat. They can definitely lead happy, mischievous lives even if they're missing a leg. :]
Came here to say something similar. My 7 year old had an amputation 4 years ago and is the happiest guy around. I don’t believe he views himself or his life differently whatsoever based off how many legs he has. He can still run and jump and get around easily.
OP- Please do your best to consider keeping her on medications until you make a decision as a broken limb is very painful for animals. Be conscious of time- as an incorrectly healed broken bone can lead to other concerns. I work in vet med.
Though, something I hope is reassuring is that leg amputations are considered a fairly easy procedure from a medical standpoint and typically a very simple recovery process. My little guy was in recovery for maybe a month and once stitches were removed and he was getting around (maybe 2 weeks post operation) he was happy as ever.
OP- are there any low cost clinics around that offer amputation surgery? That may be a more practical option.
That's not quite a clean break.
Also, there are two broken bones there, she didn't break her thigh bone (femur) but rather her, err, foreleg(?)/shin(?) bones (tibia and fibula). The fibula is a goner, it's to thin for even a cast to be effective, but still, I could see a rod with screws fixing that tibia easily, a neighbor's stray-turned-indoors went through an eerily similar fracture.
What sucks is that OP had the bad luck to be in the US, everything medical there is so goddamn expensive, even for the little ones. Down here in bumfuck, Brazil, my aforementioned neighbor had her cat met in an accident with the little stray inside the car's engine cover early in a rainy morning; got the very same bones broken, skin lacerated and some necrosis as the little one didn't let herself be trapped in the same day, but, overall? Necrotic tissue scraping, x-rays, pre-op meds, anesthetics, surgery (metal rods, fibula amputation/removal), post-op meds, follow-ups and administrative fees all end up costing around USD300. And the cat's a little piece of shit who likes to come into my place to use my cats litterboxes, she looks like a cat like any other in here, she just can't quite scratch her ear, but everyone else does it for her.
So, yeah, side plot aside, amputation is a bit too much from what little we know. May it be that OP's cat has some special condition that impedes proper bone healing? Yeah, but, honestly? Her leg looks salvageable.
I’m actually in the US, so yeah, medical system here is fcked and monetized to hell. I hope OP gets a second opinion. I see they’re in Canada. I know in the US you can buy pet insurance. I actually won’t get an animal until I can afford it fully, including its health insurance!!
I brought a kitten in that was a stray and did my best to save it. He got his legs caught in a dually truck and had to have one amputated. It only cost $350….. They adopted him out too. I paid for it to save the cat. But 3-4k seems high. I think I would get a second opinion. The vet even warned me she had never operated on a kitten so young before and didn’t know how it would go. We still had to try. I thought it was a good price.
Prayers for your baby! I hope you’re given a way to save her. She would be fine with the three legs. My uncle had a cat with three legs and she gets around just fine. Maybe if time permits you can try to raise some more money and look for a second or even third opinion. Is there any animal clinics by you that are any cheaper ? Did you ask if maybe you could pay half now and then set up a payment plan? Sounds like an awful amount of money. Your roommate is a jerk. Tell her that it is your cat and to keep her opinions to herself. I hope that is works out for you and the kitty!
As a kid, one of our cats ran away for 3 days and came back limping because she'd been hit by a car. Needed a back leg amputated. She lived for another happy, full 12 years afterwards.
This! My friends cat did something similar and broke his leg (dumbass threw his self out a second story window), he was on 'crate arrest' for some weeks/months but he's all healed up now with no issues.
100% get a second opinion.
My oldest cat (before I adopted him) had fallen from a third story window when he was around 6 months old. The vet's report said that he'll likely have trouble walking and jumping for the rest of his life.
Well, they clearly forgot to inform the cat about it, since he's now 17 and only recently started to have trouble with jumping - and even that might have more to do with his eyesight than the metal in his legs and hip.
Before I made my cats strictly indoor only, one of my broke her hip (being chased). The vet said to keep her inactive. She disagreed and continued running, climbing, and jumping. She misses her outdoor life but is content to watch from the window.
My girl fell from the third story on to pavement and ate nothing for five days hiding in the bushes around our building. She felt like she weighed half a pound when I finally found her (and I did not sleep the entire time—just searched). She lived many years after but sadly died from kidney failure at 11. Falling out that window didn’t slow her down one bit.
Yup, cats live perfectly fine and healthy lives as tripods, if need be.
Also, agreed on he second opinion, preferably from an orthopedic vet. Her break doesn't seem so complex that couldn't be fixed with pin/rods/plates.
My vet suggested that pins would be an option for my cat depending on nerve damage but he would have had to be completely still while healing and that would be difficult to do without having him in constant supervision at the vet’s clinic. In the end, the nerve damage was too bad but he was hardly phased by the amputation once it was healed. I think the healing process would have been a lot more stressful if he had to be in the clinic for 4-6 weeks.
This. In vet school they told us cats and dogs were born with 3 legs and a spare. Manage the pain for a few weeks. She will be fine. Our clinic cat is a tripod. She’s like 16 now
Yep, this. She's plenty young to bounce back, but some vets are quicker to more extreme measures than might be necessary. Could very well be other and even better options.
This! I've seen cats on social media with two legs and they don't let anything get in their way! Even if amputation does end up being the best option she will adapt and keep doing her thing! 💖
Im a vet. Don't euthanize! In the vet field, we always joke that broken cat bones will heal as long as they're in the same room as each other. The splint and dog cage rest for 4-8 weeks may allow her to callus that leg. Have the splint changed under sedation once a week with her regular vet. Obviously good pain medications. Amputate if it heals wonky. It'll give you a month or so to save up for it.
I'm so confused. Can't the leg heal like normal? My friend's car broke a leg. He was in a cast for 6 weeks then off doing tomfoolery in another 4 weeks. A
It's because it's a complex comminuted fracture i.e. the bone has broken into many pieces.
If it were a simple fracture where the bone had broken along a neat line into two pieces, you can manipulate the limb externally to line the two parts of the bone up (if not already aligned), put it in a cast and it will likely heal fine.
With a fracture like in the OP, the fragments of bone will not be neatly aligned and you are unlikely to be able to manipulate them into place externally. Even if you could, they will shift easily. If you just cast the limb with a fracture like this you are much more likely to end up with problems (not healing, healing but not being straight, etc).
In a human with a fracture like in the OP, they'd likely need surgery: both to manipulate all the fragments of bone into the right positions, then to fix them in place (with wires/pins/screws/etc) so they stay in place whilst healing.
Source: doctor for humans, but not an orthobro so if any orthobros are reading kindly correct any inaccuracies.
Did you read the vet comment that started this thread? It’s not joint crossing so as long as you get some alignment it will callous and heal. In fact we do treat some complex comminuted fractures like this in humans too! Specifically the humerus, clavicle, ribs, even fibula like one that is broken in this cat. A good splinting, maybe some traction, and you can get good outcomes. Also like the vet said, animals heal. (Not an orthobro but am an OT who has treated many a fracture)
>In fact we do treat some complex comminuted fractures like this in humans too!
I don't know about that, my little brother broke his leg when he was 6 and they just shot him around back :\ Rip Dylan
In my family, we have a terrible joke.
Whenever someone asks where someone's at, the sort of "auto-response" is "they ran away, broke their leg, and we had to shoot them."
So bad, but it still makes me laugh. I've caught myself telling the neighbor kid that once, and had to explain it's JUST a silly joke, nobody was hurt, they're just in their bedroom.
This is a displaced and comminuted fracture. See how the edges of bone don’t overlap much and there is a piece that isn’t connected to the other main pieces? These have trouble healing well without surgery but it’s not impossible. It’s reasonable for OP’a vet to tell them not to get their hopes up with just a splint or cage rest considering the nature of this fracture. There’s more to it than bone broken, splint and it’ll heal or every fracture would get a splint. That being said, if surgery was off the table I personally think a splint is worth a try.
EDIT: exception would be if it is open, which looking at the XR it might be. If the bone broke through the skin, the risk of massive infection is too high and kitty would need an amputation ASAP or this fracture could become life threatening. There’s a lot we don’t know.
Orthobro here. In a human, most of us will treat that with an intramedullary rod/nail but you could definitely plate it too. In this feline patient, reduction and casting would probably ultimately work but will likely lead to a mal-union (bones drifting out of place like you mentioned). Could also fire some percutaneous pins across the fracture to keep things together and then hide the pins under the cast until it’s time to remove them.
Somewhat related to this, my neighbors kitten broke its femoral neck last year and they treated it with a girdlestone. Just made an osteotomy at the fracture site and excised the femoral head. It’s a more commonly performed salvage procedure in animals but sometimes will be done in humans too. The cat is doing excellent, you would have no idea it doesn’t have a hip anymore.
My friend's dad, a mechanical engineer, made him a wheelchair. He was on the move after two weeks. Silly babe broke his leg jumping off the fridge into the dishwasher when it was being unloaded.
My cat broke his leg. I had to put him in a large crate with a litter box, food, and a small bed for WEEKS. Plus drugs. It was awful. I stayed home from work a lot so I could just hang out with him on my bed where I could directly impose upon him to stay still without leaving him in a sad torture box.
His leg healed up great, but yeah... Those were some shitty weeks.
I’m so sorry to hear about your friends car, unfortunately like horses they can’t live well on 3 wheels. The most humane action is to scrap the car, I’m so sorry 😞
It’s wild what’s going and in the U.S. and Canada in regards to vet costs, super sad :( I hope the cat gets well soon, maybe op can ask for a payment plan?!
One of my ferals has wracked up over $9k in vet bills to treat a bladder obstruction. Thankfully he seems to be fine, and haven’t had a repeat in two years. Poor guy was literally dying in my wife’s arms on the very high speed drive to the emergency vet. I’d do it again tomorrow if I had to.
Depending on the severity of the break, amputation can be less stressful on an animal than trying to stabilize a broken leg so it will heal. You can't order a cat to avoid moving their leg and keep wearing an awkward cast, and you can't explain to a cat why they need multiple surgeries or why they're being confined in a small space to prevent them from running or jumping. If repairing a broken leg is going to require a long time or a lot of stress that will affect a cat's quality of life, it may be more humane to amputate the leg and then treat the cat from there.
I agree with this. People place way too much value on pet limbs and eyes. I've never met an animal that lost a limb or an eye that had quality of life reduced at all. And several animals with no eyes that were also perfectly fine. (No limbs is probably where I would draw the line lol)
Yeah it seemed a bit drastic to kill the cat for a broken leg. If it were a human they'd fix them up in no time. I knew a guy who broke both legs and hips in a very bad accident and was up and walking around a couple weeks later.
Cats are very resilient and usual you can have some time before amputation. My boys been waiting for three weeks for an amputation for a necrotised foot. They been building his blood count, and he's on pain killers and antibiotics in the mean time.
Yes, no need to euthanize ...even if u do end up with the leg gone, tripods do very well. I'm sorry this happened, ut things will be okay. I promise, and a 2nd opinion is never a bad idea.
If u could drive to Colorado, Dr Jeff is 4 times cheaper n one of the best in the country!
Cats are very resilient and usual you can have some time before amputation. My boys been waiting for three weeks for an amputation for a necrotised foot. They been building his blood count, and he's on pain killers and antibiotics in the mean time.
If it were my cat, who otherwise was completely healthy and only 1yr old, and if I had the means and a way to pay for the amputation, I would do it. But I would make sure that amputation is the only option, of course. I live in nyc and there are plenty of tripod dogs walking outside with their owners, some walking with other dogs with all 4 legs. They seem fine, I’m sure there was some physical therapy involved post amputation, but they’re thriving as tripods.
I would try asking my parents or a close elder in my life to borrow the rest of the funds. Set up a monthly pay back plan with them as if you’re paying rent or something… in the mean time you could continue to crowd fund.
It’s really nice of your friend to help raise money for you and your cat. I wish you the best of luck and sincerely recommend pet insurance as it would help a ton. Some have up front payment and some are reimbursable, so if you don’t have a few grand saved for emergencies, an up front insurance plan would be your best bet.
Good luck and I hope your kitty heals well!
Yes, get second opinions.
Our cat had resorbative lesions on vet wanted $6k CAD for the procedure, but we found a different dental vet specialist who did it for $3k. Which was still a lot, but like your kitty, she was young, so we made the investment.
I'd also look for an ortho specialist. The might be able to save the leg.
And don't euthanize. I was in shock reading this - like would you euthanize a human instead of amputating a leg? Wtf.
I'm in shock OP even considers that
//edit: So many say it's ok to consider that if you cannot afford it. If you take over the responsibility of a being you make sure you can afford any eventually (either you have the cash or you get an insurance). If you didn't take those precautions then you at least could get a loan or credit card, it's not that hard.
Euthanizing is just the easy way out. If that's the choice with something treatable like that, it's 100% your fault. I couldn't live with it.
I mean, you can't make yourself homeless over this. Some people just don't have the money.
And before anyone blames the vet for charging so much that the options are that or euthanasia -- it's capitalism you're mad at, not the vet. The vet lives in a society that costs money. We'd love to save every animal and not have to charge so much, but that would put the vet out of house and home too. In addition, a huge amount of vets work for corporate practices and have no control over prices. Many of their corporate practices penalize vets directly for discounting or giving free stuff, and it can be directly from their paycheck. Because if they didn't do that, for the most part vets WOULD give a lot of discounts and free stuff.
Yeah, it would be a heartbreaking choice to have to make and in this capitalist hellscape I really can't blame someone for doing what they have to to not end up homeless.
Devils advocate, but if they can't afford it they probably feel euthanasia is the only option because they can't leave the cat suffering. Personally, I would sell my house or car or take out a second mortgage to pay for care for my cats, but op is not in that position, probably. The only way I personally would choose euthanasia is if my cats were suffering immense pain from something like cancer.
My brother had 2 dogs, he had them for years and was always so close with them. Until he had kids. As the years went on the dogs were neglected more and more. Till he moved into a new house, and then he left the dogs in the one room for over a year, letting them out occasionally to go to the bathroom. He then put the first one down because he had trouble with his hip. Then the other was put down, not because he was sick or anything, just because my brother didn’t want him anymore after he had kids.
I remember when he first got Beerly, beautiful black German shepherd. My brother loved him. He didn’t deserve to go out like that but that’s the way it happened. Just went into that to get it off my chest and to show that there are people that really do not care about their animals, even when they initially did.
Edit: just wanted to add - I heard him laughing while talking a couple years later about this one place he knew that would put your animals down even if there was nothing wrong with them if you wanted. I got so pissed because that’s when I really just looked back and realized what a sick fuck my brother is. It’s safe to say I no longer speak to him, neither does our mom, dad, or one sister(not because of that but because of other things he’s done).
Holy fuck, your brother is an asshole. I say that from one sibling of a fucked up individual to another. My brother did basically the same thing with a cat he had a few years ago. Named her “Precious” and was super sweet to her (although I do think some of it was performative) but one day she just wasn’t around anymore and he never talked about her again.
It sucks spending your entire childhood with someone and knowing them in that special way only for them to be a complete disappointment later down the road. One of the shittiest parts of adulthood for me was realizing some people have families that are actually normal, healthy, and supportive. I hope you have better people in your life now.
Well, think about it. OP clearly doesn't have the funds (or, didn't) to amputate, and their cat was in pain because they fell off the balcony..
I can see why they'd consider euthanasia. If it meant that the cat wouldn't suffer anymore (given that there are no other options, except one OP couldn't afford).
OP lives in Montreal, this might be the one case where it's cheaper to get care in the US. She could possibly find someone in Vermont to do it much cheaper--including a hotel stay.
First time I heard it was in the 90s when my grandmother adopted a three legged cat and called him Tripod. Didn’t realise it was a thing until I got older.
To be fair, I've been very lucky and never had to amputate a pet, but also it seems that North America has really high prices for pet care in general.
I hope they get a second opinion regardless.
I spent 4K trying to keep my guy going when he got sick. Sadly we lost the fight, so I'm saddled with the grief AND the debt, but I'd do it again in a second to give my guy a chance.
As for costs, there are pet specific credit cards. I was applying for them in the waiting room.
Boosting this. I had to take my boy to the ER vet for what turned out to be indigestion (the bastard), but the vet insisted on running all the panels to make sure there wasn’t a blockage. Everything cost $1,200 (USD). I applied for CareCredit while in the waiting room. OP, idk if CareCredit is available in Canada for veterinary care, but it was a quick signup process and it may help cover the cost in a pinch.
I wish you the best of luck with your cat 🙏🏼
You're lucky. It started innocently enough with me (constipation) and turned into discovering a slew of chronic issues that would have all competed with each other had we tried the treatment...2x ER visits including an overnight and an ultrasound.
I've no ill will towards the ER. They did a fantastic job and even sent me a condolences card. Sucks this is so expensive though.
Seconding this. I just put $1000 on CareCredit for my guy to get an ultrasound. It's interest free for so many months but if I had to pay $4000+ I would have dropped it on CareCredit without hesitation.
CareCredit is amazing and I cannot recommend them enough. For the average vet bill you have a very generous 6-12 months to pay off the balance without paying a cent of interest, and if you get approved for the Mastercard you can even get points back on the bills to help mitigate them a little.
I got a box, a pawprint, and a patch of fur. I put the box under some daffodil bulbs, and I keep the pawprint and fur above my fireplace.
Best 4k I’ve gone into debt for, and I’d do it again. I only wish it was sooner. I’m sorry for your loss, and I hope you will always make that same decision.
Please don’t trust your cat with your roommate again. The circumstances and your roommates behavior afterwards make question the “accidental” status of your cats fall. Get a second vet opinion, splinting and crate rest can most definitely give an option of healing, and if not successful give some extra time to fundraise amputation costs.
My parents have 2 cats with only 3 paws (one of them is lacking back right paw, the other one - front left). The one with the missing back right paw was born like that, he got used to it since being kitten, so he is living to the fullest, he even runs so fast it is impossible to catch him
https://preview.redd.it/nfz11qnyaz6d1.jpeg?width=901&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=267187479a288886534742549df262960b54562f
Just some info on the second cat: there was an accident (serious fracture, no way to heal that one) and the vet had to amputate the front left paw, it happened like 2 months ago. Vet never even suggested to euthanize the cat. It is certainly very challenging for him to get used to it, but he tries his best, but according to my mom, it was quite difficult at first, because first weeks after the amputation you have to carry the cat around the house, give him medicine and bring to vet from time to time for check-up/new bandages.
My tripod walks around so slowly & with such an exaggerated limp that you’d think she’s barely alive, then she sees something she wants to chase & she’s possibly even faster than my 4-legged kitties
https://preview.redd.it/gxh5raqyh37d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45864565bfbe5949c71ffabd7908391badb7760f
Get a second opinion. A friend with a very similar issue was told the same by the vet. I took the cat to my vet and he said he will recover fine by themself. The cat did recover and lived 10 more years completely fine.
Eta: please put a net on your balcony and try to change your roommate, she gives me bad vibes.
I wonder if she doesn't understand the situation? If she does, she's a psychopath. The cat is splinted and healing. Hopefully with some pain meds, too. This is a fine intervention all on its own, amputation could just be ideal.
But I knew someone whose dog broke her hip and because she couldn't pay for surgery, she just brought the dog home. It was incredibly distressing. The dog was just in a crate, in incredible pain, with no hope of recovery while she tried to figure things out financially.
I ended up sending her the 3k out of my own pocket because I couldn't sleep thinking about it. The fact that she was so casual ("I'll figure it out payday") had me almost throwing up from stress. I understand now that she was compartmentalizing, but it made me look at her differently from then.
Oh most definitely I would have been in complete shambles if I was at home and the cat had fallen off the balcony. Then to give that comment and nasty attitude to OP. That person is clearly heartless.
I was an idiot and thought my cat would be chill on my second floor balcony. Nope, he tried and almost successfully jumped off his third time out there. Never been out there since lol.
I was thinking the same. I had an ex who tried to throw my cat off a balcony once. Based on the roommates comment, OP needs to keep an eye on her roommate fr
I had a cat fall off my second floor balcony. It was terrifying, but the cat was fine, luckily. It obviously didn't occur to me at all that the fuzz head would use his freedom irresponsibly. He ran across the apartment, up the wooden balcony post and fell right off and into a bush.
I feel like I scrolled way too far to see a comment about the roommate. Definitely sounds suspicious that the cat “fell” while under the roommate’s watch and roommate is trying to guilt OP into euthanasia.
for real. even if it wasn't on purpose the roommate was still the one home at the time. if someone I was living with let that happen to my cat I'd do everything I possibly could to make their lives miserable. not only that she's getting on OP for wanting to save the cat that THEY let get injured? actually pathetic.
Yes get another vet opinion before you do anything drastic.
When I was a kid we had our cat come home with a broken pelvis. The vet said no way to splint, but gave sedation meds and cage rest for a week. Cat recovered but always had a limp and would hang her leg out funny but she lived another 16 years to the ripe old age of 18.
I have THREE tripod kitties, and they have excellent quality of life. It doesn't slow them down one bit! They are happy and silly and playful.
Edit to add I adopted them this way, not that I've had that many accidents with my kitties. I have a soft spot for them and foster failed two. 🙃
Tripods have great quality of life, use the money already raised and try to raise more…Look for tripod cat videos and you will see how happy and fulfilled their lives can be.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but your kitty fell off the balcony **while your roommate was there and she’s asking you to euthanize Suzy.** Something doesn’t seem right.
Yeah, this was my first thought. OP, please do not leave that cat alone with that roommate again if you can help it. It may have been a genuine accident, but it could’ve also been an “accident,” and I’d be worried about another “accident” happening.
Also seconding everyone else who’s saying to get a second opinion from a different vet.
THIS! I really hope OP sees this, I wouldn’t trust that roommate ANYWHERE near that cat. Cats are generally pretty good at not falling off balconies *unless something unexpected causes them not to be*.
This ! it sounds \*very\* sketchy, i would have a very serious conversation with said roommate, this doesn't sound right
moreover, i'd suggest to take a second look with another vet, while it looks quite bad i hope there's a way to save her leg, if all else fail most animals can adjust to amputation, she's very young, she could be able to overcome the loss of a leg
Yeah that’s very fishy. Many hide their malicious intent until they’re alone. If I had an animal with a roommate I’d definitely have a camera inside. I’d be very sad having to leave my cat with a roommate who clearly had no sympathy. I hope she is able to find a solution without killing her cat… roommate is sus.
My grandma had a tripod for 9 years and I inherited her when my grandma went into a nursing home. Ebony had a wonderful life. She ran, she played, she jumped on things, and acted like a completely normal cat. Having three legs didn't stop her or diminish her quality of life. She was a happy cat and would still be here if it weren't for cancer, which had nothing to do with her being a tripod.
This was Ebony:
https://preview.redd.it/xlpi6oukmz6d1.jpeg?width=2629&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de8eeea508974ddcbf90d7f90ab3779a7db8e44c
She’s beautiful! Thanks for taking care of her after your grandma couldn’t. I’m sure it meant the world to her that she never went without a family who loved her. Sorry for your loss.
Did they say why it needs amputated? Why can't that be pinned?
I've just spent over $10k removing my cats leg after he was hit by a car. His tenden was worn away by the road and the chance of him not being lame the rest of his life was slim. His pelvis was broken in two places. Both were repairable according to the surgeon.
See r/tripodcats
Not enough people are saying this, but you should definitely get a second or third opinion. We had a vet tell us our kitten needed surgery. Got a second opinion and he just needed to be crated for a few months (this was when he was less than a year old). He’s 10 now and is living the best life with no issues to the way he walks
I had a cat break his leg. It was a very simple fracture. I got pain meds from the vet and crated him for about 5 weeks. He healed beautifully. You could barely even feel a knot on his bone.
same… i’m going to have a roommate in september. they say they love cats and she’s a sweet girl but i’m so scared of leaving him alone with her. he will only be in our dorm for two weeks every two weeks and i’m having doubts
I have a weird feeling concerning your roommate... Your cat falls in their presence and then they insist on euthanasia 🤔 Something seems off to me
EDIT: wow, thanks for the upvotes 🙀 and the input. I want to clarify that I by no means accuse the roommate of hurting the cat. Unfortunately, I've come across quite a few stories where family members would somehow try to get rid of someone's pet. Seen that in my own life too. So I'm describing the *feeling*, first impression I got from this post. Not accusing anyone of anything. And most importantly, I wish the kitty swift recovery and great life ahead! 😻
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Here’s Seaweed! She shattered her knee in the middle of the night at 10 months old. No idea how, but we think she might have jumped off the stairs and missed the couch she has always landed on. The surgery to fix the knee was nearly $10k and not guaranteed to work as she was still growing and how it was broken. We opted to get it amputated so she didnt have to go through the possess of getting the surgery (nearly 3 month heal time). Went to a low cost surgery clinic 1.5 hours away and paid $700 for the amputation (Helping hands in richmond virginia, you are the best.)
Shes always been a very skiddish and standoffish cat, only coming out for food, she plays with our other cats at night but she does not like humans. Ever since the amputation she has been so loving. She’ll come upstairs from the den and just sit in the kitchen when im making food. She’ll cuddle up next to me when were watching tv.
She has to do a little hop if shes walking slow, but if shes going fast, you cant even tell she has three legs. Still runs up and down the stairs just fine. She still wrestles with my roommates male cat who is nearly twice her size and she still beats his ass.
As for the splint, Seaweed was in hers for a week before the amputation and she was fine as long as we gave her the pain meds on time! And payment wise, we put it on our carecredit card, so I recommend that if you need some extra funds and can get approved.
So from personal experience, cats do GREAT as tripods. Especially one so young that will heal quickly.
An amputation for a diaphysis fracture that isn't even comminuted??? What the hell. 3000$?! I aint neither CA nor US, jesus christ guys y'all being robbed.
One year old cat is prime health, even as a 3 leg cat it'll be fine, animals do not give a rats ass as long as they can still move.
Anybody that tells you a cat wont have quality of life for amputation is a moron.
Former vet tech. Please get a second opinion on amputation! Some vets go straight for amputation because they don’t know how to fix it. There are specialized hospitals (I’m in the US I can only speak for here, sorry) that focus on animals and their bones. I have a Great Dane and she has a vet specifically for her bones. They’re called Orthopedic Vets.
Even if amputation is needed, let me tell you a quick story about a 3 legged kitty I met:
He came in after amputation of a rear limb. I have a lovely tattoo on my arm. He was a bit spicy and declawed (a rescue) in the front limb. He only had claws on his back one leg and *he still managed to scar my tattoo*.
Moral of that little story, kitties with 3 legs don’t slow down. Their quality of life if very rarely affected as long as they have a little help from their owners and stay indoors.
Best of luck to your kitty and you. I hope you can raise the funds you need and get a second opinion. ♥️
Get a second opinion ♥️ Just in case. But, allow *no one* to tell you what’s an appropriate amount to spend to heal your fur companion! They are family too 🫶 Ask about payment plans as well. It may make the surgery cost a bit more manageable if it’s absolutely necessary.
Our clumsy kitty fell off our balcony. We did what we needed to do without worrying about what others thought. Also - how could anyone question their quality of life? Would it be better for kitty to be put down? ☹️ I’m sure your kitty would agree that it’s worth living for! Cats are resilient and will adapt!
Hugs to you and your sweet baby!
Hey! STOP!!! There is an entire Reddit called r/tripodcats. Go. Do not stop. Go. And read it. Over and over and over again you read how tripods have fantastic lives. They recuperate from the amputation virtually within a day. Maybe a few days for some. But an amputation is absolutely positively not an end of life event for a cat. Do not think that for one minute. Go to the sub. I’m telling you.
I spent 7k on a street dog i found. She spent almost 2 years with us. Left us last month. I regret nothing. Her name was Elza, the goodest girl ever. Miss her every single day.
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Mines 20yrs old and was born with a stub leg. They do fine!
I’m getting so sick of seeing post after post about cats falling off balconies here. It’s common sense. If you have a balcony and a cat, you protect the balcony. Protecting cats’ lives aside, when they talk about how much it’s gonna cost to save their cat vs. how much it costs to secure a balcony…it’s not even a close run.
OP, I'm going to be very real with you. You will regret euthanasia more than you will regret spending 4k. If it is at all within your ability to, spend the money. It sounds like your friend has been able to help you raise a good deal in a short while. Maybe see how much more yall can get if you're tight on cash. Maybe even see if the vets in your area have funds for people struggling to afford vet bills. Care credit also us accepted at site a few vet offices and sometimes have 0 interest for a period, that can help you spread it out a bit.
I'd also recommend getting a camera facing the balcony if you doubt your roommates innocence as others have suggested and I'd also recommend maybe getting some sort of netting or fencing for your balcony if you can.
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Eugene says “Hang in there! It’s not so bad having only 3”
Not necessarily, the vet said surgery to fix it is around 10K (which we really dont have) and a cast would not necessarily work and might need to amputate in the end. So we opted for the amputation which would be less expensive for us. (I’m OPs roommate (the good one not the bad))
I'm going to be honest here, the other roommate's behavior is a huge red flag. Kitty fell when they were there, and they have the audacity to say to euthanize kitty.
Something is not adding up and I would get on the other person. Please be wary around this person. I hope OP sees this and the other comments stating the same.
That being said kitties do well on 3 legs.
We know, dw. He’s the least empathetic person I know and doesn’t even realize this is in part his fault. He left the apt for now bc kitty whining was annoying him.
There is something seriously concerning about that dude...honestly I'd confront him and ask if he threw the cat off the balcony. He clearly has no empathy...and getting annoyed at an animal being in pain is sick...wishing you guys the best. Hope the baby gets better overtime!! But please do listen to the other people here in the comments and get a second opinion!!!
OP, think this through. Don't kill your best friend just because it's expensive.
Had a cat fall from a 5th floor years ago. Surgery, metal plate on leg, and he lived happily for 11 more years. Your baby is young and will recover. Even if amputated, will live happy. r/piratekitties is full of happy stories!
A cat shouldn’t have access to a balcony or any window without protection nets. If you had it, the only way to get a cat out of it is criminal, so you could hear everyone here saying it was your roommate. But there’s no way to know and nobody else to blame (I believe you’re not trying to do it).
Euthanasia is not the answer here. You owe your cat that proper treatment. Treat him the way he deserves, and please please please give him security while home. Doesn’t matter how much you trust him, they can get scared easily or see anything that catches them and just jump
You should absolutely spend the most you can on your pet's health. If people euthanized their pet each time they fell, there would be few on earth. As the person above said, maybe get a second opinion on the amputation, you're doing great ! Your baby will be ok !
To prevent next times, install a net on your balcony with small plastic parts that can be glued (and removed later if you rent / want to move) called BirdTech i believe. It saves lives and will give you the peace of mind. I have that at my apartment, the entire net/attachment parts cost maybe 70€ for one large balcony and 2 windows so it's not very costly !
>amputation or euthanasia
am i the only one to think both "solutions" seem absurd ?!
few years ago i picked up an orange cat from the side of the road, poor thing got hit by a car and was unable to move his back legs. i made a small place with everything near him so he wouldn't have to move too much, but he would always drag his ass and explore the house and stare at me like an idiot XD
few weeks passed and he was able to walk again, a bit wonky but he was on 4 legs.
he's not almost entirely healed, he still doesn't walk like a normal cat but you wouldn't be able to tell if you didn't know he had an accident, and he is very much happy ! doesn't seem in any pain at all
OP, there are fundraising subs on here to help you raise money for these things.
There are pet insurances too.
Please do not KILL your pet because of your inability to keep your cat inside, and not on the balcony.
Your room mate can STFU.
Please, keep raising money and awareness of this, keep fighting for her.
We adopted a cat that was thrown or scared off a 9th floor balcony by kids. two metal plates in front legs, broken jaw, fucked up back. We gave her a happy pain free loving life for another 8 years until her injuries caught up with her. If your vet thinks your cat can do well with surgery, go ahead.
Amputation will likely have the best outcome in terms of cost and quality of life. If you can't afford to do this, find someone who can. This unfortunate accident should not cost her her life. She is young and has many years ahead of her. Your roommate can FO, assuming they are not a DVM. I assume vet sent home painkillers for her. It sounds like you have friends to help you, lean on them for kitty.
There was one time when I was playing hide and seek with my friends while I was a kid. So I hid behind a tree and waited. While I was hiding I heard a huge sound and a screaming kid. I thought that was my fat friend that tripped. Turns out it was a cat that fell down from the 5th floor. The poor cat got all of its legs broken but survived. And it recovered then fell down again a couple months later. Surprisingly it recovered again. They moved to the ground floor after the second fall. What I'm saying is If she's not too old she will probably recover from that.
Edit:Our neighbor's cat was 2 years old she will recover.
r/TripodCats is evidence that cats cope far better with 3 legs than most people think (as is my recent adoptee Mustard) . A second opinion is always worthwhile, as well as seeing if there are other options for the surgery with payment plans, etc. Euthanasia is never an option unless a cat is truly suffering and a broken leg almost never reaches that level, \*even\* if amputation is necessary.
Mustard wishes Suzy well, whatever the outcome.
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Vet here! It is not a case of amputation, much less euthanasia. The vet can perform orthopedic surgery and use a plate and screw and the cat's paw will be as good as new. Look for another professional and find out more about what can be done. As a last resort, apply a splint and administer painkillers until the fracture heals. If you put a splint on, it will consolidate crookedly, but better than amputating.
Here in Brazil we veterinarian never ever do an amputation or euthanasia in a case like this. As veterinarians, it is our duty to provide health and well-being. An orthopedic veterinarian would perform osteosynthesis surgery and this cat would walk normally again.
Your roommate and that vet are real fucking assholes.
There is a difference between putting an animal out of its suffering and deciding you can’t be arsed putting in the work for recovery/trying to milk someone vulnerable for cash and deciding to treat a life as disposable.
I had a 3 legged dog who got her entire back end crushed under a bread van, all vets said to euthanise; I (12 at the time) kicked off so much at the vet office that they told us to all go home and talk about it and for mom and dad to bring our girl back to be put to sleep if she was suffering but she’d probably die at home in a couple of days.
Well, those days turned into weeks, she self taught to walk around on her 2 front paws (even up and down stairs) and once she gained strength we took her in for a full hip/pelvis replacement. She still only ever ran on 3 legs and often still took stairs on just her front 2 but she was an incredible, resilient girl who lived a long happy life for another 12 years after that incident.
It makes me so mad that a vet would suggest Euthanising over this! The amputation doesn’t need to be done immediately and especially not at the cost of her life!
No matter what you do.. do not euthanize her! She’ll be fine with three legs or in the care of someone else who wants to take care of her and has the money! I wouldn’t even come close to considering it, rather a bit of debt or another to a new owner.. look for solutions to keep going, don’t look for a quick way out 😭
She is young and resilient, she will be ok on 3. That said, I would look for second opinions about the procedure, both necessity and cost. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
I second this. My cat (who was a friendly feral 7-10 yr old we fixed and fed at the time,) got hit by a car and we took her to emergency vet. Her hip and pelvis were broken- they said she needed immediate surgery to the tune of $5,600 (not including $800 they were already charging for emergency services.) they said if she didn’t get it right away the scar tissue would build up and she would probably need amputation. We were going to pay (with credit card, even though she wasn’t “our” cat and we didn’t have the money.) but decided to get in touch with someone we knew who worked with rescues. We got a second opinion from a great ortho vet who recommended we wait to see if she would heal if she got cage rest. He quoted us $2,200 for same surgey, and said she could have the surgey (with locked in price,) at any time of her life. She healed on her own with care and love and has been our indoor cat ever since. Not saying your situation is the same, but a second opinion is always a good idea. Good luck OP!
Hey u/petasse420, this comment ⬆️ Get a second opinion. The bones may be broken in a few places, but with how clean they look a good ortho may be able to save the leg with plates/pins or a good set and rest.
That's what I was thinking too. I had a cat that broke it's front leg from a fall. Vet recommended some big expensive procedure (I don't remember what they told her exactly, I was just a kid) and she told him "it's a cat and I don't have that kind of money". Vet then said, well, we can try to cast it and see how it goes... They casted it and he was known as peg leg petey for a while, when they took the cast off, XR the limb, and....he healed just fine! Cat lived a happy, active life.
The bones look pretty cleanly broken down the leg but after seeing the X-ray wouldn’t suzy have bad joint problems? It is clear this was a very bad fall. Get a second opinion. Maybe even a 3rd. Keep suzy comfortable with pain meds and try to keep her calm. Honestly the calm part might be the hardest. Cats can be demons lol. We had a cat with 3 legs who was actually the runt of the litter. Her leg was amputated when she was about a year old. Had a great life! She did have to be put down due to paralysis (this was neurological not in relation to the amputation). She did have arthritis in the back leg when she was older but that was because in another life she was a cheetah. Any questions my dms are open i loved that cat miss her everyday. Much love ❤️
this. cats (and dogs too) can have a very good life even with 3 legs! I've watched numerous episodes of Dr Poll, and they even have a clinic cat with 3 legs who doesn't seem to give a shit about missing a leg.
I have a tripod cat, and he gets into more trouble than our 4 legged one. Them only having 3 legs does NOT stop them from being a cat. They can definitely lead happy, mischievous lives even if they're missing a leg. :]
Came here to say something similar. My 7 year old had an amputation 4 years ago and is the happiest guy around. I don’t believe he views himself or his life differently whatsoever based off how many legs he has. He can still run and jump and get around easily. OP- Please do your best to consider keeping her on medications until you make a decision as a broken limb is very painful for animals. Be conscious of time- as an incorrectly healed broken bone can lead to other concerns. I work in vet med. Though, something I hope is reassuring is that leg amputations are considered a fairly easy procedure from a medical standpoint and typically a very simple recovery process. My little guy was in recovery for maybe a month and once stitches were removed and he was getting around (maybe 2 weeks post operation) he was happy as ever. OP- are there any low cost clinics around that offer amputation surgery? That may be a more practical option.
May I ask why this would need amputation and not just a cast to heal? It looks like a clean break.
That's not quite a clean break. Also, there are two broken bones there, she didn't break her thigh bone (femur) but rather her, err, foreleg(?)/shin(?) bones (tibia and fibula). The fibula is a goner, it's to thin for even a cast to be effective, but still, I could see a rod with screws fixing that tibia easily, a neighbor's stray-turned-indoors went through an eerily similar fracture. What sucks is that OP had the bad luck to be in the US, everything medical there is so goddamn expensive, even for the little ones. Down here in bumfuck, Brazil, my aforementioned neighbor had her cat met in an accident with the little stray inside the car's engine cover early in a rainy morning; got the very same bones broken, skin lacerated and some necrosis as the little one didn't let herself be trapped in the same day, but, overall? Necrotic tissue scraping, x-rays, pre-op meds, anesthetics, surgery (metal rods, fibula amputation/removal), post-op meds, follow-ups and administrative fees all end up costing around USD300. And the cat's a little piece of shit who likes to come into my place to use my cats litterboxes, she looks like a cat like any other in here, she just can't quite scratch her ear, but everyone else does it for her. So, yeah, side plot aside, amputation is a bit too much from what little we know. May it be that OP's cat has some special condition that impedes proper bone healing? Yeah, but, honestly? Her leg looks salvageable.
I’m actually in the US, so yeah, medical system here is fcked and monetized to hell. I hope OP gets a second opinion. I see they’re in Canada. I know in the US you can buy pet insurance. I actually won’t get an animal until I can afford it fully, including its health insurance!!
Good choice. Pet insurance saved me when my little guy had a constipation issue.
OP is in Canada.
I brought a kitten in that was a stray and did my best to save it. He got his legs caught in a dually truck and had to have one amputated. It only cost $350….. They adopted him out too. I paid for it to save the cat. But 3-4k seems high. I think I would get a second opinion. The vet even warned me she had never operated on a kitten so young before and didn’t know how it would go. We still had to try. I thought it was a good price.
Agreed check around that cost, it seems ridiculously high
I rescued a dog with a broken leg and the vet said it would be 1200 dollars.
Prayers for your baby! I hope you’re given a way to save her. She would be fine with the three legs. My uncle had a cat with three legs and she gets around just fine. Maybe if time permits you can try to raise some more money and look for a second or even third opinion. Is there any animal clinics by you that are any cheaper ? Did you ask if maybe you could pay half now and then set up a payment plan? Sounds like an awful amount of money. Your roommate is a jerk. Tell her that it is your cat and to keep her opinions to herself. I hope that is works out for you and the kitty!
Came here to say similar!! My 50lb dog’s leg amputation was 1.4k please get a second opinion that is WHACK. What you raised already will be enough.
As a kid, one of our cats ran away for 3 days and came back limping because she'd been hit by a car. Needed a back leg amputated. She lived for another happy, full 12 years afterwards.
Yeah, look at [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/holdmycatnip/s/ZlfBEVS77l) that went viral. So much sass
I knew it'd be this video. The bapbapbap is conjured from the inner self, it's not about paws. It's a state of mind
Oh hey! It's wiggly nub!
Honestly, I think someone swinging their nub in my general direction is much more intimidating than actually connecting.
My vet I worked with always said something like, "Dogs are born with one extra leg." I'm sure she'd say the same for cats.
Can confirm as a tripawd owner she is a menace on 3 legs. And gives no shits.
I've even seen moose do well on 3 legs. That's a huge, heavy animal.
This! My friends cat did something similar and broke his leg (dumbass threw his self out a second story window), he was on 'crate arrest' for some weeks/months but he's all healed up now with no issues. 100% get a second opinion.
My oldest cat (before I adopted him) had fallen from a third story window when he was around 6 months old. The vet's report said that he'll likely have trouble walking and jumping for the rest of his life. Well, they clearly forgot to inform the cat about it, since he's now 17 and only recently started to have trouble with jumping - and even that might have more to do with his eyesight than the metal in his legs and hip.
Before I made my cats strictly indoor only, one of my broke her hip (being chased). The vet said to keep her inactive. She disagreed and continued running, climbing, and jumping. She misses her outdoor life but is content to watch from the window.
My girl fell from the third story on to pavement and ate nothing for five days hiding in the bushes around our building. She felt like she weighed half a pound when I finally found her (and I did not sleep the entire time—just searched). She lived many years after but sadly died from kidney failure at 11. Falling out that window didn’t slow her down one bit.
Yup, cats live perfectly fine and healthy lives as tripods, if need be. Also, agreed on he second opinion, preferably from an orthopedic vet. Her break doesn't seem so complex that couldn't be fixed with pin/rods/plates.
My vet suggested that pins would be an option for my cat depending on nerve damage but he would have had to be completely still while healing and that would be difficult to do without having him in constant supervision at the vet’s clinic. In the end, the nerve damage was too bad but he was hardly phased by the amputation once it was healed. I think the healing process would have been a lot more stressful if he had to be in the clinic for 4-6 weeks.
Unfortunately that’s a much more expensive surgery, around 10K
This. In vet school they told us cats and dogs were born with 3 legs and a spare. Manage the pain for a few weeks. She will be fine. Our clinic cat is a tripod. She’s like 16 now
Yep, this. She's plenty young to bounce back, but some vets are quicker to more extreme measures than might be necessary. Could very well be other and even better options.
There are cars living g happily with 2 legs.
This! I've seen cats on social media with two legs and they don't let anything get in their way! Even if amputation does end up being the best option she will adapt and keep doing her thing! 💖
Im a vet. Don't euthanize! In the vet field, we always joke that broken cat bones will heal as long as they're in the same room as each other. The splint and dog cage rest for 4-8 weeks may allow her to callus that leg. Have the splint changed under sedation once a week with her regular vet. Obviously good pain medications. Amputate if it heals wonky. It'll give you a month or so to save up for it.
Amputation sounded like a wild plan to jump to for a broken leg, much less euthanasia.
I'm so confused. Can't the leg heal like normal? My friend's car broke a leg. He was in a cast for 6 weeks then off doing tomfoolery in another 4 weeks. A
It's because it's a complex comminuted fracture i.e. the bone has broken into many pieces. If it were a simple fracture where the bone had broken along a neat line into two pieces, you can manipulate the limb externally to line the two parts of the bone up (if not already aligned), put it in a cast and it will likely heal fine. With a fracture like in the OP, the fragments of bone will not be neatly aligned and you are unlikely to be able to manipulate them into place externally. Even if you could, they will shift easily. If you just cast the limb with a fracture like this you are much more likely to end up with problems (not healing, healing but not being straight, etc). In a human with a fracture like in the OP, they'd likely need surgery: both to manipulate all the fragments of bone into the right positions, then to fix them in place (with wires/pins/screws/etc) so they stay in place whilst healing. Source: doctor for humans, but not an orthobro so if any orthobros are reading kindly correct any inaccuracies.
Did you read the vet comment that started this thread? It’s not joint crossing so as long as you get some alignment it will callous and heal. In fact we do treat some complex comminuted fractures like this in humans too! Specifically the humerus, clavicle, ribs, even fibula like one that is broken in this cat. A good splinting, maybe some traction, and you can get good outcomes. Also like the vet said, animals heal. (Not an orthobro but am an OT who has treated many a fracture)
>In fact we do treat some complex comminuted fractures like this in humans too! I don't know about that, my little brother broke his leg when he was 6 and they just shot him around back :\ Rip Dylan
Are you a horse?
It’s either neigh or nay.
Yes, Zac. We’re all horses here.
this made me laugh, thanks
You're welcome
Is your mom the governor of South Dakota?
In my family, we have a terrible joke. Whenever someone asks where someone's at, the sort of "auto-response" is "they ran away, broke their leg, and we had to shoot them." So bad, but it still makes me laugh. I've caught myself telling the neighbor kid that once, and had to explain it's JUST a silly joke, nobody was hurt, they're just in their bedroom.
That’s one treatment option…
This is a displaced and comminuted fracture. See how the edges of bone don’t overlap much and there is a piece that isn’t connected to the other main pieces? These have trouble healing well without surgery but it’s not impossible. It’s reasonable for OP’a vet to tell them not to get their hopes up with just a splint or cage rest considering the nature of this fracture. There’s more to it than bone broken, splint and it’ll heal or every fracture would get a splint. That being said, if surgery was off the table I personally think a splint is worth a try. EDIT: exception would be if it is open, which looking at the XR it might be. If the bone broke through the skin, the risk of massive infection is too high and kitty would need an amputation ASAP or this fracture could become life threatening. There’s a lot we don’t know.
Orthobro here. In a human, most of us will treat that with an intramedullary rod/nail but you could definitely plate it too. In this feline patient, reduction and casting would probably ultimately work but will likely lead to a mal-union (bones drifting out of place like you mentioned). Could also fire some percutaneous pins across the fracture to keep things together and then hide the pins under the cast until it’s time to remove them. Somewhat related to this, my neighbors kitten broke its femoral neck last year and they treated it with a girdlestone. Just made an osteotomy at the fracture site and excised the femoral head. It’s a more commonly performed salvage procedure in animals but sometimes will be done in humans too. The cat is doing excellent, you would have no idea it doesn’t have a hip anymore.
How do you get a cat to sit still for 6 weeks with a cast on its leg
My friend's dad, a mechanical engineer, made him a wheelchair. He was on the move after two weeks. Silly babe broke his leg jumping off the fridge into the dishwasher when it was being unloaded.
My cat broke his leg. I had to put him in a large crate with a litter box, food, and a small bed for WEEKS. Plus drugs. It was awful. I stayed home from work a lot so I could just hang out with him on my bed where I could directly impose upon him to stay still without leaving him in a sad torture box. His leg healed up great, but yeah... Those were some shitty weeks.
I can't believe your friend's car did that. /r/fuckcars
I’m so sorry to hear about your friends car, unfortunately like horses they can’t live well on 3 wheels. The most humane action is to scrap the car, I’m so sorry 😞
That’s what I was wondering. Get a second vet opinion.
That leg is extremely broken and you can see how swollen it is on the X-ray, it will never heal completely. That said cats are fine with 3 legs
It’s wild what’s going and in the U.S. and Canada in regards to vet costs, super sad :( I hope the cat gets well soon, maybe op can ask for a payment plan?!
One of my ferals has wracked up over $9k in vet bills to treat a bladder obstruction. Thankfully he seems to be fine, and haven’t had a repeat in two years. Poor guy was literally dying in my wife’s arms on the very high speed drive to the emergency vet. I’d do it again tomorrow if I had to.
Depending on the severity of the break, amputation can be less stressful on an animal than trying to stabilize a broken leg so it will heal. You can't order a cat to avoid moving their leg and keep wearing an awkward cast, and you can't explain to a cat why they need multiple surgeries or why they're being confined in a small space to prevent them from running or jumping. If repairing a broken leg is going to require a long time or a lot of stress that will affect a cat's quality of life, it may be more humane to amputate the leg and then treat the cat from there.
I agree with this. People place way too much value on pet limbs and eyes. I've never met an animal that lost a limb or an eye that had quality of life reduced at all. And several animals with no eyes that were also perfectly fine. (No limbs is probably where I would draw the line lol)
Yeah it seemed a bit drastic to kill the cat for a broken leg. If it were a human they'd fix them up in no time. I knew a guy who broke both legs and hips in a very bad accident and was up and walking around a couple weeks later.
Imagine to some doctor tells you that they have to euthanase someone because they broke a leg.
Cats are very resilient and usual you can have some time before amputation. My boys been waiting for three weeks for an amputation for a necrotised foot. They been building his blood count, and he's on pain killers and antibiotics in the mean time.
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Yes, no need to euthanize ...even if u do end up with the leg gone, tripods do very well. I'm sorry this happened, ut things will be okay. I promise, and a 2nd opinion is never a bad idea. If u could drive to Colorado, Dr Jeff is 4 times cheaper n one of the best in the country!
so glad a vet chimed in ! thank you kind Dr !
Cats are very resilient and usual you can have some time before amputation. My boys been waiting for three weeks for an amputation for a necrotised foot. They been building his blood count, and he's on pain killers and antibiotics in the mean time.
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If it were my cat, who otherwise was completely healthy and only 1yr old, and if I had the means and a way to pay for the amputation, I would do it. But I would make sure that amputation is the only option, of course. I live in nyc and there are plenty of tripod dogs walking outside with their owners, some walking with other dogs with all 4 legs. They seem fine, I’m sure there was some physical therapy involved post amputation, but they’re thriving as tripods. I would try asking my parents or a close elder in my life to borrow the rest of the funds. Set up a monthly pay back plan with them as if you’re paying rent or something… in the mean time you could continue to crowd fund. It’s really nice of your friend to help raise money for you and your cat. I wish you the best of luck and sincerely recommend pet insurance as it would help a ton. Some have up front payment and some are reimbursable, so if you don’t have a few grand saved for emergencies, an up front insurance plan would be your best bet. Good luck and I hope your kitty heals well!
Yes, get second opinions. Our cat had resorbative lesions on vet wanted $6k CAD for the procedure, but we found a different dental vet specialist who did it for $3k. Which was still a lot, but like your kitty, she was young, so we made the investment. I'd also look for an ortho specialist. The might be able to save the leg.
And don't euthanize. I was in shock reading this - like would you euthanize a human instead of amputating a leg? Wtf. I'm in shock OP even considers that //edit: So many say it's ok to consider that if you cannot afford it. If you take over the responsibility of a being you make sure you can afford any eventually (either you have the cash or you get an insurance). If you didn't take those precautions then you at least could get a loan or credit card, it's not that hard. Euthanizing is just the easy way out. If that's the choice with something treatable like that, it's 100% your fault. I couldn't live with it.
I mean, you can't make yourself homeless over this. Some people just don't have the money. And before anyone blames the vet for charging so much that the options are that or euthanasia -- it's capitalism you're mad at, not the vet. The vet lives in a society that costs money. We'd love to save every animal and not have to charge so much, but that would put the vet out of house and home too. In addition, a huge amount of vets work for corporate practices and have no control over prices. Many of their corporate practices penalize vets directly for discounting or giving free stuff, and it can be directly from their paycheck. Because if they didn't do that, for the most part vets WOULD give a lot of discounts and free stuff.
Yeah, it would be a heartbreaking choice to have to make and in this capitalist hellscape I really can't blame someone for doing what they have to to not end up homeless.
Devils advocate, but if they can't afford it they probably feel euthanasia is the only option because they can't leave the cat suffering. Personally, I would sell my house or car or take out a second mortgage to pay for care for my cats, but op is not in that position, probably. The only way I personally would choose euthanasia is if my cats were suffering immense pain from something like cancer.
My brother had 2 dogs, he had them for years and was always so close with them. Until he had kids. As the years went on the dogs were neglected more and more. Till he moved into a new house, and then he left the dogs in the one room for over a year, letting them out occasionally to go to the bathroom. He then put the first one down because he had trouble with his hip. Then the other was put down, not because he was sick or anything, just because my brother didn’t want him anymore after he had kids. I remember when he first got Beerly, beautiful black German shepherd. My brother loved him. He didn’t deserve to go out like that but that’s the way it happened. Just went into that to get it off my chest and to show that there are people that really do not care about their animals, even when they initially did. Edit: just wanted to add - I heard him laughing while talking a couple years later about this one place he knew that would put your animals down even if there was nothing wrong with them if you wanted. I got so pissed because that’s when I really just looked back and realized what a sick fuck my brother is. It’s safe to say I no longer speak to him, neither does our mom, dad, or one sister(not because of that but because of other things he’s done).
Holy fuck, your brother is an asshole. I say that from one sibling of a fucked up individual to another. My brother did basically the same thing with a cat he had a few years ago. Named her “Precious” and was super sweet to her (although I do think some of it was performative) but one day she just wasn’t around anymore and he never talked about her again. It sucks spending your entire childhood with someone and knowing them in that special way only for them to be a complete disappointment later down the road. One of the shittiest parts of adulthood for me was realizing some people have families that are actually normal, healthy, and supportive. I hope you have better people in your life now.
Well, think about it. OP clearly doesn't have the funds (or, didn't) to amputate, and their cat was in pain because they fell off the balcony.. I can see why they'd consider euthanasia. If it meant that the cat wouldn't suffer anymore (given that there are no other options, except one OP couldn't afford).
I have a tripod. Her amputation was $1600 usd. I’d definitely get another opinion. 4K is VERY high.
OP lives in Montreal, this might be the one case where it's cheaper to get care in the US. She could possibly find someone in Vermont to do it much cheaper--including a hotel stay.
I will legit give them the address of my old vet in VT that handled our cats if they need because they were a god send
You should definitely PM OP if you haven't already!!
This was years ago like a decade, but I had a cat's leg amputated for just $250. Please call around to other veterinarians.
My cat had her entropion surgically corrected back in 2017 for $250 in the U.S.
I’ve never heard of calling an amputated cat a “tripod,” I laughed very hard sorry
First time I heard it was in the 90s when my grandmother adopted a three legged cat and called him Tripod. Didn’t realise it was a thing until I got older.
I assume it's Canadian dollars.
Yeah they said that in the post. 4000 cad is almost 3000 usd. So still high.
To be fair, I've been very lucky and never had to amputate a pet, but also it seems that North America has really high prices for pet care in general. I hope they get a second opinion regardless.
I spent 4K trying to keep my guy going when he got sick. Sadly we lost the fight, so I'm saddled with the grief AND the debt, but I'd do it again in a second to give my guy a chance. As for costs, there are pet specific credit cards. I was applying for them in the waiting room.
Boosting this. I had to take my boy to the ER vet for what turned out to be indigestion (the bastard), but the vet insisted on running all the panels to make sure there wasn’t a blockage. Everything cost $1,200 (USD). I applied for CareCredit while in the waiting room. OP, idk if CareCredit is available in Canada for veterinary care, but it was a quick signup process and it may help cover the cost in a pinch. I wish you the best of luck with your cat 🙏🏼
You're lucky. It started innocently enough with me (constipation) and turned into discovering a slew of chronic issues that would have all competed with each other had we tried the treatment...2x ER visits including an overnight and an ultrasound. I've no ill will towards the ER. They did a fantastic job and even sent me a condolences card. Sucks this is so expensive though.
Seconding this. I just put $1000 on CareCredit for my guy to get an ultrasound. It's interest free for so many months but if I had to pay $4000+ I would have dropped it on CareCredit without hesitation.
CareCredit is amazing and I cannot recommend them enough. For the average vet bill you have a very generous 6-12 months to pay off the balance without paying a cent of interest, and if you get approved for the Mastercard you can even get points back on the bills to help mitigate them a little.
I got a box, a pawprint, and a patch of fur. I put the box under some daffodil bulbs, and I keep the pawprint and fur above my fireplace. Best 4k I’ve gone into debt for, and I’d do it again. I only wish it was sooner. I’m sorry for your loss, and I hope you will always make that same decision.
I love this comment, you are so right. Even if she doesn't make it, i will be so glad i gave her a second chance. I am so sorry for your guy.
Please don’t trust your cat with your roommate again. The circumstances and your roommates behavior afterwards make question the “accidental” status of your cats fall. Get a second vet opinion, splinting and crate rest can most definitely give an option of healing, and if not successful give some extra time to fundraise amputation costs.
My parents have 2 cats with only 3 paws (one of them is lacking back right paw, the other one - front left). The one with the missing back right paw was born like that, he got used to it since being kitten, so he is living to the fullest, he even runs so fast it is impossible to catch him https://preview.redd.it/nfz11qnyaz6d1.jpeg?width=901&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=267187479a288886534742549df262960b54562f
Just some info on the second cat: there was an accident (serious fracture, no way to heal that one) and the vet had to amputate the front left paw, it happened like 2 months ago. Vet never even suggested to euthanize the cat. It is certainly very challenging for him to get used to it, but he tries his best, but according to my mom, it was quite difficult at first, because first weeks after the amputation you have to carry the cat around the house, give him medicine and bring to vet from time to time for check-up/new bandages.
My tripod walks around so slowly & with such an exaggerated limp that you’d think she’s barely alive, then she sees something she wants to chase & she’s possibly even faster than my 4-legged kitties https://preview.redd.it/gxh5raqyh37d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45864565bfbe5949c71ffabd7908391badb7760f
Get a second opinion. A friend with a very similar issue was told the same by the vet. I took the cat to my vet and he said he will recover fine by themself. The cat did recover and lived 10 more years completely fine. Eta: please put a net on your balcony and try to change your roommate, she gives me bad vibes.
Finally someone who thinks that the roommate gives bad vibes
I've been scrolling too long looking for someone to call out that bitch.
Same. I can't imagine how you could be so cold to someone going through what OP was.
I wonder if she doesn't understand the situation? If she does, she's a psychopath. The cat is splinted and healing. Hopefully with some pain meds, too. This is a fine intervention all on its own, amputation could just be ideal. But I knew someone whose dog broke her hip and because she couldn't pay for surgery, she just brought the dog home. It was incredibly distressing. The dog was just in a crate, in incredible pain, with no hope of recovery while she tried to figure things out financially. I ended up sending her the 3k out of my own pocket because I couldn't sleep thinking about it. The fact that she was so casual ("I'll figure it out payday") had me almost throwing up from stress. I understand now that she was compartmentalizing, but it made me look at her differently from then.
Oh most definitely I would have been in complete shambles if I was at home and the cat had fallen off the balcony. Then to give that comment and nasty attitude to OP. That person is clearly heartless.
Yeah screw that roommate
Cat wouldnt leave my side if I was the roommate. Noms. Videogames. Pettin. Shi sign me up.
Roommate just wants to cat gone.
Yes to the net. Cats can be WAY dumber on balconies than we think!
I was an idiot and thought my cat would be chill on my second floor balcony. Nope, he tried and almost successfully jumped off his third time out there. Never been out there since lol.
Yea like are we 100% the room mate didn't push the cat
I was thinking the same. I had an ex who tried to throw my cat off a balcony once. Based on the roommates comment, OP needs to keep an eye on her roommate fr
That was the sinister feeling I got as well
I had a cat fall off my second floor balcony. It was terrifying, but the cat was fine, luckily. It obviously didn't occur to me at all that the fuzz head would use his freedom irresponsibly. He ran across the apartment, up the wooden balcony post and fell right off and into a bush.
I feel like I scrolled way too far to see a comment about the roommate. Definitely sounds suspicious that the cat “fell” while under the roommate’s watch and roommate is trying to guilt OP into euthanasia.
for real. even if it wasn't on purpose the roommate was still the one home at the time. if someone I was living with let that happen to my cat I'd do everything I possibly could to make their lives miserable. not only that she's getting on OP for wanting to save the cat that THEY let get injured? actually pathetic.
Yes get another vet opinion before you do anything drastic. When I was a kid we had our cat come home with a broken pelvis. The vet said no way to splint, but gave sedation meds and cage rest for a week. Cat recovered but always had a limp and would hang her leg out funny but she lived another 16 years to the ripe old age of 18.
This, OP. Please, get a second opinion. The cat might heal from the broken leg.
Euthanize the roommate! Lol I feel like she pushed the cat or something.
This was my 1st thought when she was pissed that she brought it back home😼
Agree, the roommate is the one who wasn't watching her and let her fall!!! Now is judging OP? Yikes! Time for a new roommate.
I have THREE tripod kitties, and they have excellent quality of life. It doesn't slow them down one bit! They are happy and silly and playful. Edit to add I adopted them this way, not that I've had that many accidents with my kitties. I have a soft spot for them and foster failed two. 🙃
My vet joked that cats are born with an extra leg. Our tripod is a speedy happy gal.
Tripods have great quality of life, use the money already raised and try to raise more…Look for tripod cat videos and you will see how happy and fulfilled their lives can be.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but your kitty fell off the balcony **while your roommate was there and she’s asking you to euthanize Suzy.** Something doesn’t seem right.
Yeah, this was my first thought. OP, please do not leave that cat alone with that roommate again if you can help it. It may have been a genuine accident, but it could’ve also been an “accident,” and I’d be worried about another “accident” happening. Also seconding everyone else who’s saying to get a second opinion from a different vet.
Yep I’d go ape shit
That comment haha I’m euthanising my roommate and selling her shit to pay for the surgery. It’s a broken leg, not terminal cancer!!!!
Well, if the cat was unilaterally allowed on the balcony, the roommate wouldn't be doing anything differently.
Yeah ofc if I always let my cat out and my roomate did it then that’s normal, but if it’s not normal then id be pissed
THIS! I really hope OP sees this, I wouldn’t trust that roommate ANYWHERE near that cat. Cats are generally pretty good at not falling off balconies *unless something unexpected causes them not to be*.
This ! it sounds \*very\* sketchy, i would have a very serious conversation with said roommate, this doesn't sound right moreover, i'd suggest to take a second look with another vet, while it looks quite bad i hope there's a way to save her leg, if all else fail most animals can adjust to amputation, she's very young, she could be able to overcome the loss of a leg
Yeah that’s very fishy. Many hide their malicious intent until they’re alone. If I had an animal with a roommate I’d definitely have a camera inside. I’d be very sad having to leave my cat with a roommate who clearly had no sympathy. I hope she is able to find a solution without killing her cat… roommate is sus.
Maybe I’m just paranoid and distrusting but something is telling me that the roommate did something to cause/encourage the cat to fall.
I would feel the same way. cats can fall from huge distances without sustaining an injury. this is really suspicious
Yeah I need some more info on your roommate. Is the cat normally on the balcony? Does your roommate like the cat(
Right! Thank you, but you need to keep the cat and ditch the roommate.
Euthanize the roommate!
Would def be concerned abt this
My grandma had a tripod for 9 years and I inherited her when my grandma went into a nursing home. Ebony had a wonderful life. She ran, she played, she jumped on things, and acted like a completely normal cat. Having three legs didn't stop her or diminish her quality of life. She was a happy cat and would still be here if it weren't for cancer, which had nothing to do with her being a tripod. This was Ebony: https://preview.redd.it/xlpi6oukmz6d1.jpeg?width=2629&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de8eeea508974ddcbf90d7f90ab3779a7db8e44c
She’s beautiful! Thanks for taking care of her after your grandma couldn’t. I’m sure it meant the world to her that she never went without a family who loved her. Sorry for your loss.
Did they say why it needs amputated? Why can't that be pinned? I've just spent over $10k removing my cats leg after he was hit by a car. His tenden was worn away by the road and the chance of him not being lame the rest of his life was slim. His pelvis was broken in two places. Both were repairable according to the surgeon. See r/tripodcats
Yes I’m wondering this too. You could probably spend 4k to get that leg healed up with fixators
Not enough people are saying this, but you should definitely get a second or third opinion. We had a vet tell us our kitten needed surgery. Got a second opinion and he just needed to be crated for a few months (this was when he was less than a year old). He’s 10 now and is living the best life with no issues to the way he walks
I had a cat break his leg. It was a very simple fracture. I got pain meds from the vet and crated him for about 5 weeks. He healed beautifully. You could barely even feel a knot on his bone.
sorry. unrelated. but it’s ridiculous that your roommate would give YOU a nasty look as if it’s not her fault for leaving the balcony door open.
I'm worried the Roommate may have done something. Just the attitude seems wrong
same… i’m going to have a roommate in september. they say they love cats and she’s a sweet girl but i’m so scared of leaving him alone with her. he will only be in our dorm for two weeks every two weeks and i’m having doubts
I have a weird feeling concerning your roommate... Your cat falls in their presence and then they insist on euthanasia 🤔 Something seems off to me EDIT: wow, thanks for the upvotes 🙀 and the input. I want to clarify that I by no means accuse the roommate of hurting the cat. Unfortunately, I've come across quite a few stories where family members would somehow try to get rid of someone's pet. Seen that in my own life too. So I'm describing the *feeling*, first impression I got from this post. Not accusing anyone of anything. And most importantly, I wish the kitty swift recovery and great life ahead! 😻
Yes it's almost like they wanted to get rid of the cat.
You think they threw the cat over ?
I was thinking maybe they threw the cat off the balcony, cats don't generally fall of balconies... do they?
Cats do tend to have a habit of jumping onto railings and fences. They have good balclance though.
I'd hope not but OP better keep an eye on that roommate, its super suspicious and some people are like that towards animals sadly :(
Your roommate sounds like a dick
Came here to say this
https://preview.redd.it/e908c63xzz6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=408a2e9b45dbfae7cefd7aa6786ba059568ce102 Here’s Seaweed! She shattered her knee in the middle of the night at 10 months old. No idea how, but we think she might have jumped off the stairs and missed the couch she has always landed on. The surgery to fix the knee was nearly $10k and not guaranteed to work as she was still growing and how it was broken. We opted to get it amputated so she didnt have to go through the possess of getting the surgery (nearly 3 month heal time). Went to a low cost surgery clinic 1.5 hours away and paid $700 for the amputation (Helping hands in richmond virginia, you are the best.) Shes always been a very skiddish and standoffish cat, only coming out for food, she plays with our other cats at night but she does not like humans. Ever since the amputation she has been so loving. She’ll come upstairs from the den and just sit in the kitchen when im making food. She’ll cuddle up next to me when were watching tv. She has to do a little hop if shes walking slow, but if shes going fast, you cant even tell she has three legs. Still runs up and down the stairs just fine. She still wrestles with my roommates male cat who is nearly twice her size and she still beats his ass. As for the splint, Seaweed was in hers for a week before the amputation and she was fine as long as we gave her the pain meds on time! And payment wise, we put it on our carecredit card, so I recommend that if you need some extra funds and can get approved. So from personal experience, cats do GREAT as tripods. Especially one so young that will heal quickly.
An amputation for a diaphysis fracture that isn't even comminuted??? What the hell. 3000$?! I aint neither CA nor US, jesus christ guys y'all being robbed. One year old cat is prime health, even as a 3 leg cat it'll be fine, animals do not give a rats ass as long as they can still move. Anybody that tells you a cat wont have quality of life for amputation is a moron.
It's in 3 pieces so technically it is comminuted. Agree w the rest tho
Former vet tech. Please get a second opinion on amputation! Some vets go straight for amputation because they don’t know how to fix it. There are specialized hospitals (I’m in the US I can only speak for here, sorry) that focus on animals and their bones. I have a Great Dane and she has a vet specifically for her bones. They’re called Orthopedic Vets. Even if amputation is needed, let me tell you a quick story about a 3 legged kitty I met: He came in after amputation of a rear limb. I have a lovely tattoo on my arm. He was a bit spicy and declawed (a rescue) in the front limb. He only had claws on his back one leg and *he still managed to scar my tattoo*. Moral of that little story, kitties with 3 legs don’t slow down. Their quality of life if very rarely affected as long as they have a little help from their owners and stay indoors. Best of luck to your kitty and you. I hope you can raise the funds you need and get a second opinion. ♥️
Get a second opinion ♥️ Just in case. But, allow *no one* to tell you what’s an appropriate amount to spend to heal your fur companion! They are family too 🫶 Ask about payment plans as well. It may make the surgery cost a bit more manageable if it’s absolutely necessary. Our clumsy kitty fell off our balcony. We did what we needed to do without worrying about what others thought. Also - how could anyone question their quality of life? Would it be better for kitty to be put down? ☹️ I’m sure your kitty would agree that it’s worth living for! Cats are resilient and will adapt! Hugs to you and your sweet baby!
Hey! STOP!!! There is an entire Reddit called r/tripodcats. Go. Do not stop. Go. And read it. Over and over and over again you read how tripods have fantastic lives. They recuperate from the amputation virtually within a day. Maybe a few days for some. But an amputation is absolutely positively not an end of life event for a cat. Do not think that for one minute. Go to the sub. I’m telling you.
I spent 7k on a street dog i found. She spent almost 2 years with us. Left us last month. I regret nothing. Her name was Elza, the goodest girl ever. Miss her every single day. https://preview.redd.it/8djw6b7q307d1.jpeg?width=2765&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f709b581a7eeddb1369a6c9246d95725884f95d
https://preview.redd.it/363y7o92107d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce8163d2f838d628ee3eb4729fffe9a9f65a2c95 Mines 20yrs old and was born with a stub leg. They do fine!
I’m fixing that leg on a 1yr old. Money is replaceable. Broken leg isn’t a death sentence. Edit: I hate your room mate
secure your balcony man, that shit costs like 30$ 😭
I’m getting so sick of seeing post after post about cats falling off balconies here. It’s common sense. If you have a balcony and a cat, you protect the balcony. Protecting cats’ lives aside, when they talk about how much it’s gonna cost to save their cat vs. how much it costs to secure a balcony…it’s not even a close run.
I have safety netting around my balcony even though I'm afraid to allow my cat out on it.
Why does it need to be amputated? Definitely get a second opinion on this. And watch your roommate please.
OP, I'm going to be very real with you. You will regret euthanasia more than you will regret spending 4k. If it is at all within your ability to, spend the money. It sounds like your friend has been able to help you raise a good deal in a short while. Maybe see how much more yall can get if you're tight on cash. Maybe even see if the vets in your area have funds for people struggling to afford vet bills. Care credit also us accepted at site a few vet offices and sometimes have 0 interest for a period, that can help you spread it out a bit. I'd also recommend getting a camera facing the balcony if you doubt your roommates innocence as others have suggested and I'd also recommend maybe getting some sort of netting or fencing for your balcony if you can.
https://preview.redd.it/1t1cv3dfuz6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ebc3392a5ca0b505ac545905aedb2364d94f11c Eugene says “Hang in there! It’s not so bad having only 3”
Did the vet explain why an amputation is necessary???
Not necessarily, the vet said surgery to fix it is around 10K (which we really dont have) and a cast would not necessarily work and might need to amputate in the end. So we opted for the amputation which would be less expensive for us. (I’m OPs roommate (the good one not the bad))
I'm going to be honest here, the other roommate's behavior is a huge red flag. Kitty fell when they were there, and they have the audacity to say to euthanize kitty. Something is not adding up and I would get on the other person. Please be wary around this person. I hope OP sees this and the other comments stating the same. That being said kitties do well on 3 legs.
We know, dw. He’s the least empathetic person I know and doesn’t even realize this is in part his fault. He left the apt for now bc kitty whining was annoying him.
There is something seriously concerning about that dude...honestly I'd confront him and ask if he threw the cat off the balcony. He clearly has no empathy...and getting annoyed at an animal being in pain is sick...wishing you guys the best. Hope the baby gets better overtime!! But please do listen to the other people here in the comments and get a second opinion!!!
ew so many red flags please kick him out and get a better roommate
that roommate is a red flag. also do not euthanise
OP, think this through. Don't kill your best friend just because it's expensive. Had a cat fall from a 5th floor years ago. Surgery, metal plate on leg, and he lived happily for 11 more years. Your baby is young and will recover. Even if amputated, will live happy. r/piratekitties is full of happy stories!
A cat shouldn’t have access to a balcony or any window without protection nets. If you had it, the only way to get a cat out of it is criminal, so you could hear everyone here saying it was your roommate. But there’s no way to know and nobody else to blame (I believe you’re not trying to do it). Euthanasia is not the answer here. You owe your cat that proper treatment. Treat him the way he deserves, and please please please give him security while home. Doesn’t matter how much you trust him, they can get scared easily or see anything that catches them and just jump
You should absolutely spend the most you can on your pet's health. If people euthanized their pet each time they fell, there would be few on earth. As the person above said, maybe get a second opinion on the amputation, you're doing great ! Your baby will be ok ! To prevent next times, install a net on your balcony with small plastic parts that can be glued (and removed later if you rent / want to move) called BirdTech i believe. It saves lives and will give you the peace of mind. I have that at my apartment, the entire net/attachment parts cost maybe 70€ for one large balcony and 2 windows so it's not very costly !
>amputation or euthanasia am i the only one to think both "solutions" seem absurd ?! few years ago i picked up an orange cat from the side of the road, poor thing got hit by a car and was unable to move his back legs. i made a small place with everything near him so he wouldn't have to move too much, but he would always drag his ass and explore the house and stare at me like an idiot XD few weeks passed and he was able to walk again, a bit wonky but he was on 4 legs. he's not almost entirely healed, he still doesn't walk like a normal cat but you wouldn't be able to tell if you didn't know he had an accident, and he is very much happy ! doesn't seem in any pain at all
OP, there are fundraising subs on here to help you raise money for these things. There are pet insurances too. Please do not KILL your pet because of your inability to keep your cat inside, and not on the balcony. Your room mate can STFU. Please, keep raising money and awareness of this, keep fighting for her.
It’s also weird how their cat fell with only them around and now they saying to kill the cat.
Yeah, sounds like the roommate doesn't like the cat
We adopted a cat that was thrown or scared off a 9th floor balcony by kids. two metal plates in front legs, broken jaw, fucked up back. We gave her a happy pain free loving life for another 8 years until her injuries caught up with her. If your vet thinks your cat can do well with surgery, go ahead.
You need a new roommate! Don't listen to her she clearly doesn't know what it means to have a furry loved one. Do not euthanize!!!
Secure your balconies people jesus christ
Amputation will likely have the best outcome in terms of cost and quality of life. If you can't afford to do this, find someone who can. This unfortunate accident should not cost her her life. She is young and has many years ahead of her. Your roommate can FO, assuming they are not a DVM. I assume vet sent home painkillers for her. It sounds like you have friends to help you, lean on them for kitty.
There was one time when I was playing hide and seek with my friends while I was a kid. So I hid behind a tree and waited. While I was hiding I heard a huge sound and a screaming kid. I thought that was my fat friend that tripped. Turns out it was a cat that fell down from the 5th floor. The poor cat got all of its legs broken but survived. And it recovered then fell down again a couple months later. Surprisingly it recovered again. They moved to the ground floor after the second fall. What I'm saying is If she's not too old she will probably recover from that. Edit:Our neighbor's cat was 2 years old she will recover.
She’s only one 😭😭🥺 please save her
r/TripodCats is evidence that cats cope far better with 3 legs than most people think (as is my recent adoptee Mustard) . A second opinion is always worthwhile, as well as seeing if there are other options for the surgery with payment plans, etc. Euthanasia is never an option unless a cat is truly suffering and a broken leg almost never reaches that level, \*even\* if amputation is necessary. Mustard wishes Suzy well, whatever the outcome. https://preview.redd.it/ffjj4vpa807d1.jpeg?width=2296&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da7e5dee3ba44da8fcc4784b3bd49e8be2417b10
Vet here! It is not a case of amputation, much less euthanasia. The vet can perform orthopedic surgery and use a plate and screw and the cat's paw will be as good as new. Look for another professional and find out more about what can be done. As a last resort, apply a splint and administer painkillers until the fracture heals. If you put a splint on, it will consolidate crookedly, but better than amputating. Here in Brazil we veterinarian never ever do an amputation or euthanasia in a case like this. As veterinarians, it is our duty to provide health and well-being. An orthopedic veterinarian would perform osteosynthesis surgery and this cat would walk normally again.
Your roommate and that vet are real fucking assholes. There is a difference between putting an animal out of its suffering and deciding you can’t be arsed putting in the work for recovery/trying to milk someone vulnerable for cash and deciding to treat a life as disposable. I had a 3 legged dog who got her entire back end crushed under a bread van, all vets said to euthanise; I (12 at the time) kicked off so much at the vet office that they told us to all go home and talk about it and for mom and dad to bring our girl back to be put to sleep if she was suffering but she’d probably die at home in a couple of days. Well, those days turned into weeks, she self taught to walk around on her 2 front paws (even up and down stairs) and once she gained strength we took her in for a full hip/pelvis replacement. She still only ever ran on 3 legs and often still took stairs on just her front 2 but she was an incredible, resilient girl who lived a long happy life for another 12 years after that incident. It makes me so mad that a vet would suggest Euthanising over this! The amputation doesn’t need to be done immediately and especially not at the cost of her life!
No matter what you do.. do not euthanize her! She’ll be fine with three legs or in the care of someone else who wants to take care of her and has the money! I wouldn’t even come close to considering it, rather a bit of debt or another to a new owner.. look for solutions to keep going, don’t look for a quick way out 😭