Buying a cat...

[bakerjw]

My granddaughter, soon to turn 5, loves cats. For her birthday last year, I picked up a little trinket cat at Tractor Supply and gave it to her. It is black with white feet so I told her that it looked like it had mittens on it's feet. She immediately named it Mitten Kitty. On the shelf of honored relics that my granddaughter keeps, Mitten Kitty stands guard over the hockey puck that she got when I took her to her first hockey game. That game was also the first time that she got he face painted. Back story out of the way.

I came home from work for lunch yesterday and my wife asked if I saw a cat out beside the house. I had not, but I found her when I went to the upstairs of the garage shortly thereafter. It was a small cat, almost a kitten still, and was skin and bones with a hurt leg. It was black with white feet so it was a true to life "Mitten Kitty".

It was afraid of me at first but when I put down a towel with food on it, it came right up to me and ate everything. I saw a sore on the injured leg and could tell that there was a break. With a little more food, I was able to wrap her in a towel, put her in a carrier and off to the vet we go. Mind you, this is not my cat and I had no ideas of who might be the owner but there was no way that I could let this little creature suffer this way.

surprisingly, she had been chipped and was registered to a person at the apartment complex half a block away. The person had gotten her from the local shelter, THEN found out she was allergic and put her outside. As the vet found, she'd not seen the cat, who is now 4 months old, for 3 weeks. The original owner is financially unable or unwilling to provide for Mitten Kitty's treatment so they relinquished ownership to yours truly.

Yesterday, some predator almost got one of our chickens that gets out of the run. I am assuming that it got a hold of Mitten Kitty too. So Mitten Kitty has a spiral fracture of the femur which is not an easy thing to fix. The vet said that she was shaken so violently that her leg was pretty much amputated and only held to her body with the muscle and skin. I look at this little creature who was brought into a home, then cast out like she was, only to be attacked in such a violent manner. She then trusted that my wife and I were willing to help and take care of her.

Now, comes the expensive part. The options are to euthanize her which the vet will not do. She told me that they will keep her themselves because she is so gentle and loving. Amputate the leg which, to me, is the last resort. Or have an orthopedic vet put a small plate in to hold the femur together. The vet is sending x-rays to a local vet who does orthopedic surgery as well as to the UT veterinary college. I should have an idea of costs later today but it won't be cheap. It is a lot for a cat but there is an attachment and my wife who has said "No more animals ever" is the one who wants her the most. With everything going on in the world, a bright spot is relished.

TLDR... A hurt cat showed up. I have a soft spot for animals in need. I am paying money...

A couple of years ago a dog got into one of our runs and killed 20 laying hens. Loose dogs are not tolerated on our property. Passing through get shooed away in no uncertain terms. Harassing our livestock??? Well, state law says what it says.

[Nelsonholsters]

God bless you for taking care of the little fellow.

Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk

[mattw]

Wow, stepping up in a big way for a stray! We have several that are outside cats, but they are still pets and love the kids to death. Many years ago, we had a in/out cat that would take walks with us, he got spooked once and bounced by a car on a walk. Same kind of injury... the outside part healed, bone really did not heal right. He learned to chase rabbits and win, walk fences with 3 legs and could still jump like a healthy cat. He lived for many more years, very happily.

[reddog81]

If it's going to be an indoor cat an amputated leg is of little concern. They can still run, jump, and do everything else a normal cat can do. Invasive surgeries are just asking for more problems down the road.

Even as an outdoor cat it'd probably be fine assuming it doesn't have to catch all it's food.

[Shawlerbrook]

Yes, we had a beagle that got caught in a trap and had one front leg amputated at the shoulder. That dog still ran rabbits and if it ran by you with the leg side you would never know it had three legs. Good on you for taking care of that little critter.

[country gent]

we had an old Buff farm tomcat that got caught in a leg hold trap one winter and lost its right front let mid ankle knee joint. We brought him in the house and he recovered with little help from us. He ran jumped played same as always. He was a unlucky cat as he later lost part of his tail in a door, then he had crawled up on the back differential of the car and took a ride to town between shock and tail pipe. This really burnt him bad in a couple spots ( it was raining so that probably saved him). But thru it all he always did good a great mouser. ( and when in the house fisher as he caught one of my Siamese fighting fish out of the aquarium). The leg being amputated will only be a hindrance for a very short time. He could still climb up on the old tractor to lay on the seat in the sun even. Ive seen a couple 3 legged deer over the years and they move as fast or faster than the 4 legged it seems. Animals can adapt to a lot of things.

[CastingFool]

Good for you, for taking care of that hurt kitten. We once took in a cat that someone had just left out to fend on its own. Poor thing had a bad ear infection. Vet said the cat needed an operation, we said yes even though it was $500. 2 weeks later, the cat had not improved. Vet recommended going to the MSU vet dept, but the fee would be around 1k. We simply could not afford that, so euthanasia was the next option. With a very heavy heart, we agreed. The vet did not charge us for that, plus he wrote off the remainder of what we owed

[richhodg66]

We're cat people. I'd have done the same thing. So sad that someone treated her that way.

[Petrol & Powder]

Many years ago I spotted a dog hanging around my house. I checked with the neighbors, no luck.
I started feeding it, and we all know what happened next. A week or so later he was on the back deck and I opened the door. He came right in the house like he owned the place and CLEARLY was getting along with my other dogs. (I suspect there was some collusion between my dogs and the new dog long before that event).
He was tame, well behaved, housebroken, about a year old and obviously was a domesticated pet. Someone had dropped him off.
Took him to the vet. No chip, no tattoo, no idea who he had belonged to. He was sick and required some medical care. I paid for it and he recovered completely. After that, he was part of the family until he died many years later.

[bakerjw]

Well, I brought Mittens home today. The vet bill was almost $600.00 mainly for blood work and x-rays. About what I expected all things considered. She has to be kept quiet because of the break and other injuries, but it is a hard thing to do. She wants nothing more than to be petted and rub on everyone. In the past, my wife has said "No more animals. Period." Well, that went out the door real quick when she saw the kitty and she renamed Mitten Kitty to Mittens after the cat in the movie Bolt.

Friday morning I am taking her to the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine for a Stackpin fixation of the femur. It is not cheap but will give her more mobility in the long run. I'm going to start a GoFundMe page and see if I can get some help with half of the expenses.

[edp2k]

And make sure to wack that coyote or whatever that got to her.

[farmbif]

I had a cat that was attacked by very large feral cat back in the winter. two trips to the vet and more than $600 later and a coyote got him about 5 weeks ago, but he and the momma cat I have had some offspring just after he recovered from being attacked, 4 kittens, 3 are left now and pretty well grown up, a large hawk got one not long after Sylvester was eaten by the coyote. I know how you can get attached.

[cp1969]

Let us know how to find the GoFundMe page.

[Scrounge]

Well, I brought Mittens home today. The vet bill was almost $600.00 mainly for blood work and x-rays. About what I expected all things considered. She has to be kept quiet because of the break and other injuries, but it is a hard thing to do. She wants nothing more than to be petted and rub on everyone. In the past, my wife has said "No more animals. Period." Well, that went out the door real quick when she saw the kitty and she renamed Mitten Kitty to Mittens after the cat in the movie Bolt.

Friday morning I am taking her to the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine for a Stackpin fixation of the femur. It is not cheap but will give her more mobility in the long run. I'm going to start a GoFundMe page and see if I can get some help with half of the expenses.

Post the link when you have it set up, and I'll kick in a fiver, anyway. I've been telling my wife for several years now, no more pets. We have 3 kitties and a doggie. The kitty that was my favorite had to go over the Rainbow Bridge about 8 months ago. Got her for my oldest daughter's 13th birthday, and she was an older feral pure white w/blue eyes. My autistic son was the only one who could pick her up and hold her. Daughters loved her, and socialized her. Flurry was her name. She liked to sit up high, and watch what was going on, or sit next to the water bowl. Leopard waiting for prey, I think. I'd walk by and give her a gentle pet. For a while she'd get up and run away. Then she'd tolerate it if I didn't keep it up. Then one day I noticed she leaned into the pet. Both girls moved out, and she became my kitty. When she couldn't get up to the high places, or back down either, and started losing so much weight, and she wasn't large anyway, I took her to the vet. She got in the carrier herself, and rubbed up against the doc, too. Hadn't ever done that before. And I miss her so much. The other three kitties are my wife's kitties. One of them likes me, one is still terrified of me except when it's treat time. Then he's my best buddy until the treats stop coming. The third one is definitely my wife's kittie. Velcro kittie, she is. Stuck to my wife's chest whenever she can catch her sitting. It was cute when she was about half a cup. She's probably 12 lbs now. And wife is getting wistful for a kitten again.

[rking22]

We are a cat family too, the ones that adopt us tend to be particularly special. Seems you have been adopted, thanks for taking care of the little one! I hope all goes well and you granddaughter gets to spend lots of time with mittens, and you

[lightman]

Good on you for taking care of the Kitty. Please post a link to the go-fund-me page or PM me with an address and I'll chip in.

[edler7]

I have to ask...

Did the vet do a cat scan?

[abunaitoo]

In this state now, if a stray is found, and has a chip, the owner is still responsible for it.
Unless they reported it missing.
That lady would be on the hook for doctor bills, and a big fine
People who treat animals badly, will have no problem treating people the same.

[Mk42gunner]

I can't stand to see a dog or cat suffer, so good on you for taking care of the kitten.

However, I have never had good luck taking a cat to the vet. It seems like every time I spend money on a feline, it dies within a month or two. Usually the death isn't related to the original problem; there are a heck of a lot of coyotes, coons and possums around here, plus bobcats and foxes. Not to mention idiots that drive 50mph on gravel.

Robert

[MaLar]

We had a cat long time ago. He was just a kitten when he climbed under the hood of my old car (69 Plymouth Fury).
Well he got caught up in the belts. I had to put on a Levi Jacket and leather gloves to get him out. He fell out when the tension was loosened on the belts and ran off. I was going to put him down when I had him out. The step daughter found him and scooped him up and when mom got home off to the vet he went. Lost his rear right leg at the hip. One would think he would be a handicap but no! He was the meanest little s++t in the neighbourhood. Whip any cat around.

Your cat will be just fine.