Three Legged Cat and hard floors

Our three legged cat, Treben, is 4 years old now. He's been missing his back left leg since he was a kitten. If he is just walking, he extends his stump out and uses it like a leg, but otherwise he runs and walks fast on his three good legs, keeping his stump tucked close to him.  Three years ago, we bought our first home, and one of the first projects we did to is add a mud room that doubles as our main entryway and kitchen extension. It was made to be a major part of our living space. Because of its purpose, we made it with a smooth concrete floor, and only recently was fully finished and now constantly used and open to our cats as well. The rest of our home is a combination of carpet and linoleum, soon to be replaced with tile and wood flooring. We have never had this problem with Treben before, but his stump has started bleeding when he walks on the harder surfaces. It started this past winter, to which I thought it was happening due to the dryer conditions. I got some pet lotion and put it on his stump to help with dryness, but it still a problem. I keep constant watch for infection and do what I can to help him cope. My vet says to just let the skin toughen up naturally and be diligent to prevent infection, but it's been nearly 6 months now since the problem started, and I really worry about the problem getting worse now that our carpet is gone. I have remnants where beds and litterboxes are, but because of where we live and our overall lifestyle (we a rural folk that work as welders), carpet just is not practical anywhere except in our bedroom.

I actually joined this forum to connnect to other three legged cat owners who may have encountered similar and potential problems caring for their cats. I had a big learning curve early on with litter training and overall health improvement due to where Treben came from (took him from a farm at about 2 weeks old, vet says he most likely was run over by a lawn mower), but since kittenhood, he's been a normal cat with the added perk of the fact he doesn't like jumping. When he was young I did make a sock booty for him, because I thought his stump might bleed due to rough carpet, but he always took it off and that was something that never became a problem. I tried the booty thing again for him, but he hates it. I feel awful for him because I know there are nerves that make his stump sensitive. When he does try to jump or gets too reckless in play, he sometimes lands on his stump, which causes him to shake that leg while he cries out in pain (to which I pick him up and hug him until his pain subsides, he is very clingy and comes to me for comfort if I don't see him get hurt). However, it's never bled when this has happened. Other than what I have been doing to keep him from infection, I am not sure what more I can do for him, and I won't deny him over half the house. Maybe I'm being too protective, but I really hate to see him constantly hurt. Is there anything more I can do for him?

Hi, and welcome to TCS

I have no experience with three legged cats, but I wonder if this may help: if a sensitive skinned horse got girth galls (sores caused by the friction of the girth) during the breaking in process, a traditional remedy is to bathe the affected area with salt water several times a day. The idea was to keep any wounds clean, but it's also reputed to help toughen up the skin just enough to prevent a recurrence. It might be worth a try - at worst, it'll help keep the stump clean and infection free.

I hate to say it, bu if this problem persists, you might have to reconsider the bare floors.

Hopefully some other members will have more experience with this type of problem, and will be able to advise you better.

I have a 3 footed cat.  She has all four legs, but is missing the foot on the right hind leg.  We think she got trapped as a kitten in one of those automatically closing screen doors.  She is dreadfully afraid of doorways, and it takes some while before she works up the courage to leap through.  Yes, she leaps through.

Inside doors do not bother her; it is the front or back door going into the yard that freaks her out.

She has been with us for ten years since we found her as a kitten on the riverbank where we live.  In that time, we have had a number of different types of flooring (no carpeting again, ever) and she has done well.  She runs and plays as though she had all four feet.  Our vet at the time wanted to amputate the affected leg, and I refused to do it.  She is doing fine as she is.

You might want to Google search Gwen Cooper, author of 'Homer's Odyssey, or How I Learned About Life and Love From a Blind Wonder Cat".  She adopted a 'tripod' kitten and see what she might say about the floors.

You might also want to follow "Bruce Almighty", a cat found in Saskatchewan, Canada, with electrical tape tightly wrapped around his legs and paws long enough to constrict blood flow to his extremities causing infection, etc.  Eight necrotic toes had to be amputated from his front legs.  He is doing remarkably well.  You will see a video link of how well he is walking.  Here is the link to his page.  It is a GoFundMePage that the Humane Society set up.  You do NOT need to donate to view his progress:


Good wishes to you and your kitty.