Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: jezebel on July 17, 2018, 12:43:12 PM
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Are cats missing a front leg still able to climb (walls, fences, etc)?
We're thinking about adopting a tripod and I'm wondering how much cat proofing the garden will need. We have a wall (roughly 5ft 5") on one side and a slightly taller fence - maybe 6ft - on the other.
I've no idea how dexterous a three-legged cat can be, but I'm assuming they're pretty much able to do most things.
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In my experience they aren't quite as dextrous if it's a front leg, it will depend if they were born a tripod or lost a leg through an accident. I'm not convinced they would get over that high a wall, but my three legged cat could outrun me
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Oh Jezebel, how fab! If it helps, my youngest stepdaughter had a tripod who lost a back leg and could do most things - including jumping and climbing. They rely on their tails for balance, so I'd consider it in very much the same way as cat proofing for a 4 legged cat, particularly if the cat is a relative youngster. Cats can do most things when they want to badly enough. Can't wait to hear how this progresses. :hug: :hug:
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MY DUCHA HAD THREE LEGS, FRONT ONE WAS LOST AFTER AN ACCIDENT BUT I CAUGHT HIM OUTSIDE THE GARDEN AND STRUGGLING TO GET BACK OVER A FIVE FOOT FENCE
MANAGED TO GRAB HIM AND GET HIM BACK
HE WAS SO FAST OVER THE GROUND IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE
THET ARE WORTH HAVING AND OF COURSE NOW ONE OF HOOLIES IS THREE LEGGED LOST IT SAME REASON AS DUCHA
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Here at the Clan we have 2 of the 3 legged variety - Maverick is now nearly 18 and missing a back leg but from a standing start can give a run for our money at roundup time, we also have Maddison feral who is missing her front leg she lost it to a snare, she looks more awkward but can run and jump and can climb and uses the power of launch in the back legs and the leap of faith high jumps with the front paw
How exciting for you both - we need name, colour and all details - my pair are both tabbies :)
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Thanks everyone.
As far as anyone knows, he lost the leg in an accident but he came to rescue like this so nothing is known about the circumstances.
It will be fab if it happens but we're still at the stage of thinking about it, no definite plans yet. We have to be home-checked first, then we need to cat-proof the garden as much as possible. The poor lad has ringworm at the moment so that has to be sorted before he can go anywhere. And even after all that, he and Drum might not get on (she didn't even like her sister!).
(Liz - just for you: he's black, nine years old and is called Bruce.)
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Eleanor is a tripod, front left leg amputated after being caught in a mole trap >:(. Her running speed is the same as my other two :Crazy: and she has no problem in jumping up or down from worktops :innocent:. She has built up phenomenal muscles in her remaining front leg - certainly plenty to carry her body weight jumping up and down. She hasn't shown any inclination to jump/climb up higher than this (I have six foot fences with cat-proofing) but I think this is as much to do with her personality as her ability.
I'm assuming they're pretty much able to do most things.
True - no-one has ever sat them down and had the "now you're disabled" conversation ;).
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Poor thing having ringworm too. I remember when Pebbles had her leg amputated, I asked the vet if she needed to stay as an indoor cat, and the vet had a 3 legged cat who could climb her garden wall – Pebbles never really managed jumping, but she’d broke her leg when younger and it had been pinned, so she never bothered with worktops, only ever the bed (she preferred the bedroom to the front room, it was rare to find her on the sofa). She had cage rest for 10 days, the first thing she asked for after that was to be let out, I refused, so she tried to go upstairs, took 2 goes to get up the stairs, and then a couple of days to master climbing the bed, at which point I relented and let her go out! She used to get on the bed by going to the bottom and using her claws to climb up the mattress – she could have climbed up any spot, I think she used the wall as a bit of support!
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How exciting! I do hope that things work out for you :crossed:
My tripod, my beloved Chivvy, lost his back leg as a result of a car accident. He was only 2 at the time and lived for a further 17 years :) It really didn't stop him doing anything (he was rather good at catching the neighbour's prized carp :evillaugh:), although coming down trees was always a bit of a scramble.
I know that losing a front leg is a bit more difficult, but I really wouldn't assume anything at this stage and would cat-proof as if for a quadruped.
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True - no-one has ever sat them down and had the "now you're disabled" conversation ;).
Too right! :)
I really hope that this can work. It would be lovely to welcome Bruce as part of the Purrs family in due course. :hug:
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.. I really wouldn't assume anything at this stage and would cat-proof as if for a quadruped.
Yeah, that's what I thought!
I can't use conventional cat proofing in our garden as we rent and the landlord would have a fit, so it's going to have to be homemade and easily dismantled so we can take it down when we move house. I have a couple of ideas but I'd love to hear what others have done.
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we have homemade I'll take some pics tonight
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(http://i67.tinypic.com/smt1xg.jpg)
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(http://i65.tinypic.com/20pvax3.jpg)
sorry they are sideways, I'm rubbish at this!
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(http://i64.tinypic.com/35j9h1j.jpg)
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Thanks Dawn.
That looks like serious stuff, I doubt anything could escape from there unless it had wings!
What's the netting (?) called?
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its just clematis netting from a garden centre the metal bits are from wickes, if I remember rightly they are called straps
we have had this in place for three years at our current house and about 8 years in the last, neighbours are fine with it once you remind them your cat won't poo in their garden any more!
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Brilliant, thanks!
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Dawn, that looks fab. I wouldnt object to that if I was a neighbour - it's not hugely intrusive, and as you say, it means they won't have the problem of your cats fouling their garden. Have any "outsider" cats tried to get in your garden via the netting?
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it happened a couple of times in our old garden, both times at night fortunately so we were able to let them out - in this garden a fox got in once, again at night but woke us up trying to dig his way out! anyway I opened the gate and he was clever enough to leg it! so yes that is a draw back but it does seem that they learn quickly to keep away from our garden! I suppose the same could happen with any system - I really wanted the log rolling system but couldn't find anyone who could vouch for it and obviously the same could happen with that I think as there is even less of a problem getting in a garden if you are on the top of the fence than what we have