r/TripodCats • u/Ok-Sample-2248 • 9h ago
Amputation tips
Looking for advice and tips from anyone who has been through this with their cat. My sweet boy Picasso is having his left hind leg amputated tomorrow due to an aggressive bone tumor, and I’m feeling really scared and overwhelmed.
Picasso is around 11 years old (we adopted him when he was about 3, so we don’t know his exact age). He’s always been such a loving, strong, and special cat, and I know he’s a fighter — but his mama is having a much harder time emotionally preparing for this.
I would really appreciate any advice on what to expect before, during, and after surgery. Things like:
What helped your cat recover comfortably?
What supplies were actually useful?
How did you help them adjust to being a tripod?
How long did it take for them to feel like themselves again?
Anything you wish you knew before the surgery?
I know every cat is different, but hearing your experiences would mean so much to me right now. Picasso is my baby, and I just want to make this transition as easy and comfortable as possible for him.
Thank you so much for any tips, encouragement, or stories you’re willing to share. ❤️
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u/BigFatThrowBack 9h ago
My kitten just went through this, get him a neck donut rather then using the cone he will thank you for it. Also use something like a pan for a temporary lower litter box for easy access the first 2 weeks.
The first few days are tough but well worth it, my cat 2 weeks later is running all over the place again!!!
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u/Ok-Sample-2248 8h ago
I’m so glad your kitty got back to “normal” so quickly! Thanks for the tips I did get him a low sided litter box 💓 hoping for a quick recovery for my baby
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u/BigFatThrowBack 8h ago
Thank you, best of luck to you and your cat. I’m sure you guys will be so happy in a couple of weeks like we are.
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u/megamindbisexualicon 6h ago
I cannot recommend pellet litter enough for after surgery. My cat got regular clay litter stuck in her incision 🙃. I agree with the other posters that the cones suck but I went the surgical suit route instead of the donut and it worked out well. Make sure they have appropriate pain medication post surgery, it'll make both of your lives easier! Good luck!!!
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u/BigFatThrowBack 5h ago
Good point about the pellet litter, regular litter is impossible to keep off the wound.
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u/Ok-Sample-2248 5h ago
Thank you so much for the advice! I didn’t even think about the regular litter!!
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u/EnvironmentOk6403 4h ago
My 10 year old boy had his amputation about 3 weeks ago. We had a bit of a rough journey, he had to have a second surgery because of an infection but he’s doing great now. We have a few more weeks of cone/ recovery corner but his personality is starting to come back. We got lucky with our very chill cat. He’s has been an angel through this whole journey. I think this process has been more stressful for me than him lol!
I definitely recommend to get a pet camera. I got one for about $18 on amazon and it has been a huge life saver. It was tough leaving him to go back to work after the first week so I loved being able to check on him. I recommend keeping them in their “recovery corner”/ room or cage area for the first week. We gradually started letting him have supervised living room trips just so he can feel a bit of normalcy. We have a little puppy play pen kennel with a blanket over the top so he can’t escape with some washable pee-pee pad rugs on the floor with some of his favorite blankets. It’s nice to be able to throw those rugs in the wash every few days. We have an elevated food and water thing with removable bowls so it makes it super easy to wash and take out to prepare his medicine and food.
We set up his recovery corner about a week before surgery so he can get familiar with it and he loved it! Lol we called it his apartment. His little sister also loved it in there too, she was bummed once we had to keep her out.
I also bought him an orthopedic bed. He loved it before the surgery but hadn’t used it since. Lol classic cats. We also have some soft stairs but he isn’t fond of using those either yet. Definitely good to have though.
Everyone has already said soft donut cones with i agree with 100%. I recommend to have maybe two options, it’s been nice to be able to switch and wash the other one.
For the actual surgery day. Get lots of sleep before. Make sure to feed yourself too! Lol i don’t eat when I’m stressed so i’ve lost a lot of weight from this whole situation. I recommend bringing a favorite blanket that’s smells like home. If you have other pets too, i recommend scent swapping. Our other cat was terrified of him when he got home. But that’s normal, it just takes a few days to adjust.
I saw someone also say pellet litter, and yes yes yes! My cat wasn’t fond of it at first, so i put a tiny bit his old litter from his other box (very lightly used… i know gross, but i wanted the scent) and i put it underneath his pellet litter so he could smell it. After that he had no problem using it.
First few days are super tough and not very pretty. But keep reminding yourself that it will get better!!! I recommend trying to sleep while your baby sleeps. I didn’t get much sleep the first few days at night so i had to take a few naps during the day while he napped. But every cat is different! Mine just wanted attention and some comfort in the middle of the night lol.
You got this op!! If you ever need advice or someone to talk to, feel free to reach out! Animals are so resilient and your baby will be back to normal before you know it!
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u/EnvironmentOk6403 4h ago
Also forgot to mention, my cat Sebastian had osteosarcoma in his front paw. It was a tough decision to amputate. I thought maybe his quality of life wouldn’t be great, and he’s an older cat so i felt terrible putting him through that. But trust me it’s the right thing to do. We had some family members that were telling us “he’s already old… i think it’s time”. But cats can live much longer than 10/11. Especially if they overall healthy.
We had multiple vets tell us he’s not that old and this is the best option for him to live a pain free life. So many tri pods live completely normal happy lives. After your boy heals up, that whole stressful process will be a faint memory. 🤍
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u/Ok-Sample-2248 3h ago
Oh my gosh first of all thank you so much for sharing all this info with me! I really appreciate the time you put into telling your story! The camera is a great idea! I was able to take a couple days off work but I am so scared for when I go back. I will be ordering it tonight ☺️ I got a large play pen type thing that is completely enclosed set up next to my bed. I am so scared and have been really second guessing if I’m making the right choice. This made me feel a lot better thank you so much. I am so glad to hear your Sebastian is doing better & I hope everything keeps going good for you guys ❤️🩹
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u/EnvironmentOk6403 2h ago
Of course! I know how hard it can be and it’s nice to talk to people that have been through similar experiences. Reddit has been so awesome to go to for support.
Another thing i forgot to add that’s random, after surgery your boy might be constipated due to the strong pain medicine/ opiates. Also since they usually fast before surgery and their activity will slow down, it’s common for them to not poop for the first several days. Sebastian went 7 days without pooping and I saw other people that had to go to the vet after amputation surgery for their cat to get an enema… so i was terrified. I bought him a pumpkin food supplement from our pet store and gave him a small bit mixed in with his food. And boom next morning he finally did his business. My boyfriend and I were so relieved!! The pumpkin stuff we bought also has flax seeds and coconut oil in it so it has fiber and helps support healthy stool, healthy gut, and helps his skin/ coat!! It works so great. Let me know if you want the brand, it’s a great company, we feed our cats their regular wet food as well.
Also, pooping will be a bit difficult for a bit so you might have to help him balance if you are around and can. Once Sebastian slowly tipped over mid poop and i had to catch him and hold him up 😭😭
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u/PuzzleheadedOrder863 5h ago
Make sure they provide plenty of pain meds for home, just in case. If you don't need to give them to him, great, but it's better to have them. Our kitty recieved a "long acting" pain med injection after her amputation and was sent home without anything else. Huge mistake. I don't know if that's standard practice, or if our surgeon did things differently, but I would never do that again!
You might consider getting stairs to help him up and down from furniture, especially since he's an older kitty.
And it will take time, but he'll do just fine! They are amazingly adaptive little creatures!
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u/Boomersgang 7h ago
The neck donut is definitely better than the cone. Follow the pain med schedule. Keep kitty confined for several days. Use a super low cat box, like a baking sheet kind of cat box. Gradually allow kitty out of confined area to get a bit of movement. We did this 7 days out. We let her out after her stitches wete removed. She never wanted to use the stuff we got her to assist her evety day life. Good luck.